World War II Pacific: Battles and Campaigns from Guadalcanal to Okinawa 1942-1945 (WW2 Pacific Military History Series) by Daniel Wrinn

Author:Daniel Wrinn [Wrinn, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storyteller Books, LLC
Published: 2021-06-26T22:00:00+00:00

Aerial Reconnaissance

Before the invasion of Tinian, an intensive reconnaissance was underway. The first aerial photographs of 1944 were acquired back in February when US carrier planes attacked Saipan. More were obtained in April and May by photo planes based at Eniwetok. These early photographs were scarce and of little use to the invasion planners. The quality was poor, and many were taken at angles that distorted the terrain.

These problems hindered the Saipan planners, but on Tinian, it was another story. Perhaps no other Pacific island had become so familiar to the assault forces because of such thorough photography and mapping prior to the landings.

Much of the familiarization came from first-hand observation by battalion, division, and regimental commanders who used observation planes to conduct their own reconnaissance of the Tinian beaches and inland terrain.

Colonel Justice M. Chambers, the commander of the 3/25 Marines later wrote of his pre-invasion visit to the island: “A naval aviator named Lieutenant Commander Muller had sent a lot of roving orders. He brought his flight of three Liberators to Saipan. I thought it was a good idea to take my company commanders and overfly the beaches we were going to use. So, the 3rd Battalion group took the flight and many other battalions followed suit.

“We took off from Saipan, and of course the minute you’re airborne, you’re right over Tinian. I talked it over with Muller and told him that the last beach we would overfly would be the one we were going to hit. I said, ‘let’s take a look at some of the other beaches first and then fly over through the interior.’ After we made passes over several of the beaches. I stood up in a blister where I could see my officers. We had the bomb bays open and were looking down. After flying around for twenty minutes, we made a big loop and then came back over the beaches where we were going to land. I’m glad we did because we spotted mines in the water which the Navy UDT teams later disposed of.

“We zoomed in on Mount Lasso, the only mountain on Tinian. This island was just one big cane field, and Mount Lasso was directly ahead of our beaches. Muller pulled out, and I saw white things zipping by the outside of our plane. I fought to keep my stomach down because a fast elevator is too much for me. I asked, ‘what’s that?’

“Mueller said, ‘twenty millimeter. Where do you want to go now?’

“‘Saipan. There aren’t any foxholes up here,’ I said.”

The photographic coverage of Tinian, along with documents, prisoners captured on Saipan, and other intelligence, allowed US forces to become as familiar with Japanese strength on Tinian as Colonel Ogata.

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