D-Day in the Pacific

15th June 1944: The leap forward to Saipan would bring Japan within reach of the USAAF - but is a tremendous logistical challenge

Marines of the first wave, landing on the beach at Saipan, crawl forward for protective covering while waiting for additional waves of green-garbed Leathernecks to land. The first wave landed with little opposition, but had to fight down Japanese opposition against the following waves. 15th June, 1944.

Marines crawling, under enemy fire, on the beach. In the background are armoured "Buffalos" which supported the Marines in their invasion of the Marianas. 15 June, 1944

Scene on Green Beach 2, at 0840, D-Day. Sgt. Matjasic was wounded while taking these pictures. 15th June, 1944

The US Navy launches another invasion - as the island hopping in the Pacific continues. For this amphibious assault they had brought 77,000 men, about half the force that landed on D-Day in Europe. But this time they had travelled rather further than across the English Channel, where the direct route was around a 100 miles.

The US invasion fleet had steamed 1,000 miles from their Eniwetok supply base, a full 3,500 miles from Pearl Harbor. They had brought with them daunting firepower, not just the Naval guns but massed squadrons of aircraft aboard a fleet of carriers.

Commander David Moore¹ was with the US Navy engineers, the SeaBees, and was a spectator for most of the first day:

About four o'clock in the morning the speakers in the crowded quarters below decks of each LST (Landing Ship Tank) in the invasion fleet called for muster. It was the alarm for the approaching battle; no one had slept. Both the Marines and Seabees aboard had been looking for this long day.

Breakfast was served in winding hot lines in the galley where somber Navy cooks scooped scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, some fruit, toast, and pieces of ham touched with an occasional sheen of green on a metal tray. For those of us who survived, there would always be a strange connection with the 'green ham and eggs' fairy tale to the last breakfast aboard the assault LST.