On 21 July 1944, United States Marine and Army forces invaded the island of Guam, the southernmost of the Mariana Islands chain in the Central Pacific, with the intent to take control of the island from the Imperial Japanese Army. Operation Forager II, as it was called by American planners, was a phase of the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
The Guam landings had been tentatively set for 18 June but a large Japanese carrier attack and stubborn resistance by the unexpectedly large Japanese garrison on Saipan led to the invasion of Guam being postponed for a month.
The island was declared secure on 10 August 1944.
The roles of Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA) and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), were both exercised by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Since the Marianas lie in the Central Pacific, their capture was the responsibility of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, led by Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance from aboard his flagship, heavy cruiser Indianapolis.
The ships and embarked troops of both Operation Forager I, for the Central Marianas (Saipan and Tinian) and Forager II, for the Southern Marianas (Guam), were under the overall command of Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner aboard amphibious command ship Rocky Mount.
The ships and embarked troops for the Guam portion of Operation Forager were under the direct operational command of Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly.
The Marine and Army landing forces for both the Central and Southern Marianas phases of Operation Forager were under the overall command of Maj. Gen. Holland M. "Howlin' Mad" Smith, USMC.
III Marine Amphibious Corps (Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger, USMC)
Northern landing area: 3rd Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Allen H. Turnage, USMC)
Southern landing area: 1st Provisional Marine Brigade (Brig. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., USMC)
Reserve: 77th Infantry ("Statue of Liberty") Division (Army) (Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce, USA)
Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith
Chief of Staff: Brig. Gen. Graves B. Erskine
Personnel Officer (G-1): Lt. Col. Albert F. Metze
Intelligence Officer (G-2): Col. St. Julien R. Marshall
Operations Officer (G-3): Col. John C. McQueen
Logistics Officer (G-4): Col. Raymond E. Knapp
Plans Officer (G-5): Col. Joseph T. Smith
Northern Troops and Landing Force (Task Group 56.1 – Saipan and Tinian)
Consisting of V Amphibious Corps
See main article: article.
Southern Troops and Landing Force (Task Group 56.2 – Guam)
Consisting of III Amphibious Corps
III Marine Amphibious Corps
Major General Roy S. Geiger
Chief of Staff: Brig. Gen. Merwin H. Silverthorn
Personnel Officer (C-1): Col. William J. Scheyer
Intelligence Officer (C-2): Lt. Col. William F. Coleman
Operations Officer (C-3): Col. Walter A. Wachtler
Logistics Officer (C-4): Lt. Col. Frederick L. Wieseman
III Marine Amphibious Corps Artillery
Brigadier General Pedro del Valle
Chief of Staff : Col. John A. Bemis
Personnel Officer (A-1): Maj. James A. Tatsch
Intelligence Officer (A-2): Warrant Officer David G. Garnett
Operations Officer (A-3): Lt. Col. Frederick P. Henderson
Logistics Officer (A-4): Maj. Frederick W. Miller
1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion
Commanding Officer: Col. James J. Keating
Executive Officer: Maj. George H. Ford
Operations Officer (Bn-3): Maj. Marshall J. Hooper
2nd 155mm Howitzer Battalion
Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. Marvin H. Floom
Executive Officer: Maj. Gene N. Schraeder
Operations Officer (Bn-3): Maj. Earl J. Fowse
3rd Marine Division (20,338 officers and enlisted)
Major General Allen H. Turnage
Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brigadier General Alfred H. Noble
Chief of Staff: Col. Ray A. Robinson
Personnel Officer (D-1): Lt. Col. Chevey S. White, Maj. Irving R. Kriendler
Intelligence Officer (D-2): Lt. Col. Howard J. Turton (to 28 Jul), Lt. Col. Ellsworth N. Murray
Operations Officer (D-3): Col. James A. Stuart (to 28 Jul), Lt. Col. Howard J. Turton
Logistics Officer (D-4): Lt. Col. Ellsworth N. Murray (to 28 Jul), Col. William C. Hall
Left Sector (Red Beaches):
Colonel William C. Hall (to 28 Jul), Colonel James A. Stuart
Exec. Ofc.: Col. James D. Snedeker
CO: Maj. Henry Aplington, II
XO: Maj. John A. Ptak
CO: Lt. Col. Hector de Zayas, Maj. William A. Culpepper
XO: Maj. William A. Culpepper (to 26 Jul), Maj. Howard J. Smith
CO: Lt. Col. Ralph L. Houser (WIA 22 Jul), Maj. Royal R. Bastian
XO: Maj. Royal R. Bastian (to 23 Jul), Capt. William R. Bradley
Center Sector (Green Beach):
Colonel Arthur H. Butler
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Ernest W. Fry Jr.
1st Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Marlowe C. Williams
XO: Lt. Col. Ronald R. Van Stockum
2nd Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Eustace R. Smoak
XO: Maj. Lowell E. English
3rd Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Wendell H. Duplantis
XO: Maj. Edward A. Clark
Right Sector (Blue Beaches):
Colonel Edward A. Craig
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Jaime Sabater (WIA 21 Jul), Lt. Col. Ralph M. King
CO: Lt. Col. Carey A. Randall
XO: Maj. Harold C. Boehm
CO: Lt. Col. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.
XO: Maj. William T. Glass
CO: Lt. Col. Walter Asmuth, Jr. (WIA 21 Jul), Maj. Donald B. Hubbard (WIA 1 Aug), Maj. Jess P. Ferrill, Jr.
XO: Maj. Donald B. Hubbard (to 22 Jul), Capt. Calvin W. Kunz, Jr.
Landed after W-Day:
12th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
Colonel John B. Wilson
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. John S. Letcher
CO: Lt. Col. Raymond F. Crist Jr. (WIA 22 Jul)
XO: Maj. George B. Thomas
2nd Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Donald M. Weller
XO: Mj. Henry E. W. Barnes
CO: Lt. Col. Alpha L. Bowser
XO: Maj. Claude S. Sanders, Jr.
4th Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Bernard H. Kirk (WIA 21 Jul)
XO: Maj. Thomas R. Belzer
19th Marine Regiment (Engineer)
Lt. Col. Robert E. Fojt
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Edmund M. Williams
CO: Lt. Col. Walter S. Campbell
XO: Maj. Virgil M. Davis
CO: Maj. Victor J. Simpson
XO: Maj. Howard A. Hurst
Other units
3rd Medical Battalion (Cmdr. Raymond R. Callaway, USN)
3rd Motor Transport Battalion (Lt. Col. Thomas R. Stokes)
3rd Service Battalion (Lt. Col. Durant S. Buchanan)
3rd Tank Battalion (Lt. Col. Hartnoll J. Withers)
25th Naval Construction Battalion (Lt. Cmdr. George J. Whelan, USN)
Left beaches:
77th Infantry ("Statue of Liberty") Division (Army) (17,958 officers and enlisted)
Major General Andrew D. Bruce, USA
Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brig. Gen. Edwin H. Randle, USA
CO, Divisional Artillery: Brig. Gen. Isaac Spalding, USA
Chief of Staff: Col. Douglas C. McNair (KIA 6 August); Lt. Col. Guy V. Miller (from 6 August)
306th Regimental Combat Team
Right beaches:
1st Provisional Marine Brigade (9,886 officers and enlisted)
Brigadier General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr.
Chief of Staff: Col. John T. Walker
Personnel Officer (B-1): Maj. Addison B. Overstreet
Intelligence Officer (B-2): Maj. Robert W. Shaw
Operations Officer (B-3): Lt. Col. Thomas A. Culhane, Jr.
Logistics Officer (B-4): Lt. Col. August Larson
Northern portion (Yellow Beaches):
Colonel Merlin F. Schneider
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. William J. Wise
1st Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Walfried H. Fromhold (to 31 Jul), Maj. Crawford B. Lawton
XO: Maj. Crawford B. Lawton (to 1 Aug), Maj. William E. Sperling, III
2nd Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Donn C. Hart (to 27 Jul), Maj. John F. Schoettel (WIA 27 Jul)
XO: Maj. Robert P. Felker
3rd Battalion
CO: Lt. Col. Clair W. Shisler (WIA 27 Jul)
XO: Maj. Earl J. Cook
Southern portion (White Beaches):
Lt. Colonel Alan Shapley
Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Samuel D. Puller (KIA 27 Jul), Capt. Charles T. Lamb
CO: Maj. Bernard W. Green
XO: Maj. Robert S. Wade (temp. atchd.)
CO: Maj. John S. Messer
XO: Maj. Roy S. Batterton, Jr. (WIA 21 Jul), Capt. Lincoln N. Holdzcom
CO: Maj. Hamilton M. Hoyler
XO: Maj. Hugh J. Chapman
Floating reserve:
305th Regimental Combat Team (Army) (detached from 77th Inf. Div.)
Commanding Officer: Col. V.J. Tanzola, USA
Other units:
9th Defense Battalion (Lt. Col. Archie E. O'Neil)
14th Defense Battalion (Lt. Col. William F. Parks)
Major General Henry L. Larsen
Chief of Staff: Col. Robert Blake
Personnel Officer (A-1): Col. Lee N. Utz
Intelligence Officer (A-2): Col. Francis H. Brink
Operations Officer (A-3): Col. Benjamin W. Atkinson (to 8 Aug), Lt. Col. Shelton C. Zern
Logistics Officer (A-4): Col. James A. Mixson
Plans Officer (A-5): Col. Charles I. Murray
1st Provisional Base Headquarters Battalion
Lt. Col. Victor A. Barraco
Headquarters Company: 1st Lt. Emerson S. Clark, Jr.
Military Police Company: Capt. Paul J. Swartz
5th Field Depot
Lt. Col. Walter A. Churchill
Executive Officer: Lt. Col. Patrick J. Haltigan, Jr.
Operations Officer: Maj. John W. Allen
Overall command[1]
Lt. Gen. Takeshi Takashina
Thirty-First Army
Lt. Gen. Hideyoshi Obata
Approx. 19,000 officers and enlisted
29th Division (Lt. Gen. Takashina)
38th Infantry Regiment
9th Tank Regiment
10th Independent Mixed Regiment
6th Expeditionary Force
Maj. Gen. Kiyoshi Shigematsu
319th, 321st, 322nd, 820th Independent Infantry Battalions
Additional air defense, engineer, signals, etc., support elements