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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.

US Command Structure

Naval

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.

Ground Troops

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)

US Forces

Expeditionary Troops (Task Force 56)

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

Main article: Battle of Saipan § Opposing Forces

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

Northern landing area (West of Agana)

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 (KIA 22 Jul), 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):

3rd Marine Regiment

Colonel William C. Hall (to 28 Jul), Colonel James A. Stuart

Exec. Ofc.: Col. James D. Snedeker

1st Battalion

CO: Maj. Henry Aplington, II

XO: Maj. John A. Ptak (KIA 1 Aug)

2nd Battalion

CO: Lt. Col. Hector de Zayas (KIA 26 Jul), Maj. William A. Culpepper

XO: Maj. William A. Culpepper (to 26 Jul), Maj. Howard J. Smith

3rd Battalion

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):

21st Marine Regiment

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):

9th Marine Regiment

Colonel Edward A. Craig

Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Jaime Sabater (WIA 21 Jul), Lt. Col. Ralph M. King

1st Battalion

CO: Lt. Col. Carey A. Randall

XO: Maj. Harold C. Boehm

2nd Battalion

CO: Lt. Col. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.

XO: Maj. William T. Glass

3rd Battalion

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

1st Battalion

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

3rd Battalion

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

1st Battalion

CO: Lt. Col. Walter S. Campbell

XO: Maj. Virgil M. Davis

2nd Battalion

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)

Southern landing area (South of Orote Peninsula)

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

307th 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):

22nd Marine Regiment

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):

4th Marine Regiment

Lt. Colonel Alan Shapley

Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Samuel D. Puller (KIA 27 Jul), Capt. Charles T. Lamb

1st Battalion

CO: Maj. Bernard W. Green

XO: Maj. Robert S. Wade (temp. atchd.)

2nd Battalion

CO: Maj. John S. Messer

XO: Maj. Roy S. Batterton, Jr. (WIA 21 Jul), Capt. Lincoln N. Holdzcom

3rd Battalion

CO: Maj. Hamilton M. Hoyler

XO: Maj. Hugh J. Chapman

UDTs 3 and 4

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)

Guam Island Command

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

Japanese Forces

Overall command
Lt. Gen. Takeshi Takashina (KIA 28 July)

Thirty-First Army

Lt. Gen. Hideyoshi Obata (seppuku 11 August)

Approx. 19,000 officers and enlisted

29th Division (Lt. Gen. Takashina)

18th Infantry Regiment

38th Infantry Regiment

1st Tank Division

9th Tank Regiment

48th Independent Brigade

10th Independent Mixed Regiment

6th Expeditionary Force

Maj. Gen. Kiyoshi Shigematsu (KIA 26 July)

319th, 321st, 322nd, 820th Independent Infantry Battalions

Navy Land Units

Navy Air Service

Additional air defense, engineer, signals, etc., support elements

Notes

1. Generated so much ill will between the armed services in the Pacific Theater that he had to be relieved of command in July 1945.
2. Commanded 3rd Marine Division on Iwo Jima.
3. Commanded III Amphibious Corps on Okinawa and assumed command of US Tenth Army upon the death of Lt. Gen. Buckner.
4. Commanded 1st Marine Division on Okinawa.
5. Served as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps after the war.
6. Less 305th RCT which was attached to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade for this operation.
7. Commanded 77th Division again during the capture of the island of Ie Shima during the Okinawa campaign.
8. Son of Lt. Gen. Leslie J. McNair who had been killed by errant Allied bombs in France 12 days earlier.
9. Served as Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1952 through 1955.
10. Served as Governor of Guam after the war.
11. A Japanese army was equivalent to a Euro-American corps.

References

1. Rottman, p. 31
2. Rottman, p. 90
3. Rottman, p. 90

Bibliography

• Clark, George B. (2006). The Six Marine Divisions in the Pacific: Every Campaign of World War II. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-2769-7.
• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1953). New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944 – August 1944. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. VIII. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. LCCN 53-7298.
• Rottman, Gordon L. (2004). Guam 1941 & 1944: Loss and reconquest. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84176-811-3.

• World War II orders of battle
• World War II operations and battles of the Pacific theatre
• United States Marine Corps in World War II
• Battles and operations of World War II involving Japan
• 1944 in Guam