On Saipan, at least two divisions of U.S. marines, plus Army infantry, tore into the bloodiest Pacific fighting since Tarawa. The Navy's guns had admirably covered their landings, but the island was too mountainous for either naval guns or air bombing to decide the inland fighting.
Abandoned by their own defeated naval rescue force, the Japs knew they faced a hopeless fight to the death. They soon burrowed into the central uplands, leaving the southwestern end of the island to the Americans, who captured more booty than they had ever seen before.
On their left, the attackers moved on Garapan (see map), the...
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