Appendix II
Chronology1

1944
2 January U. S. Army troops land at Saidor, beginning drive up New Guinea coast.
30 January-23 February U. S. Marines and Army troops seize Marshall Islands.
16-17 February Task Force 58 strikes Truk, revealing weakness of that base. Decision to by-pass comes soon after.
22-23 February Task Force 58 strikes Southern Marianas.
29 February U. S. Army troops land at Los Negros in the Admiralties.
6 March 1st Marine Division lands near Talasea on New Britain.
12 March Joint Chiefs of Staff direct seizure of Southern Marianas, target date 15 June.
20 March 4th Marines (Reinforced) seize Emirau.
20 March Admiral Nimitz issues FORAGER Joint Staff Study setting forth the purpose of the Marianas Operation.
23 March Admiral Nimitz issues operation order for Marianas; Admirals Spruance and Turner follow suit.
30 March-1 April Task Force 58 strikes Western Carolines.
22 April U. S. Army troops land at Hollandia and Aitape.
26 April Expeditionary Troops operation order states mission ". . . to capture, occupy and defend Saipan, Tinian and Guam. . . ."
17-19 May Northern Troops and Landing Force maneuvers and rehearses at Maui and Kahoolawe, Hawaiian Islands.
21 May Six LVT's, embarking assault elements of the 2d and 4th Divisions, burn at Pearl Harbor.
25 May LVT's, carrying assault elements of the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions, LVT's and artillery, depart Pearl Harbor.
29-30 May Portions of the Northern Troops and Landing Force not embarked in LVT's, depart Pearl Harbor.
6 June D-Day in Normandy.

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11 June Northern Attack Force departs Eniwetok for Saipan.
11 June Task Force 58 begins bombardment of Tinian and Saipan.
14 June Fire support ships of the Northern and Southern Attack Forces commence bombardment of Saipan and Tinian.
15 June 2d and 4th Marine Divisions land at Saipan.
16 June 27th Infantry Division begins landing at Saipan.
Guam bombardment by surface ships commences.
19-20 June Battle of the Philippine Sea. Japanese Navy suffers decisive defeat.
20 June Battery B, 531st Field Artillery Battalion, XXIV Corps Artillery, commences fires on Tinian from Saipan positions.
21 June Aslito Airfield on Saipan becomes operational for fighter aircraft.
24 June Entire 531st Field Artillery Battalion commences firing on Tinian from Saipan positions.
26 June Admiral Turner issues new plan for intensification of Tinian bombardment.
6-7 July Japanese launch savage all-out attack along Tanapag Plain, Saipan.
9 July 4th Marine Division reaches Marpi Point; Saipan declared secured; mop-up begins.
10 July 2d and 4th Marine Divisions get ready for Tinian operation.
10-11 July Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, V Amphibious Corps, and Underwater Demolition Team 5 reconnoiter Tinian landing beaches.
12 July Major General Harry Schmidt assumes command of Northern Troops and Landing Force, relieving Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith; Major General Clifton B. Cates assumes command of the 4th Marine Division.
Capture and Occupation Phase for Saipan ends; Defense and Development Phase begins under command of Major General Sanderford Jarman, USA.
13 July Northern Troops and Landing Force issues Tinian Operation Order.
15 July Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill assumes command of the Northern Attack Force, relieving Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner.
18 July Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo and Cabinet resigns.
20 July First troops for Tinian invasion embark aboard ships at Saipan.
21 July Southern Troops and Landing Force lands on Guam.
24 July 4th Marine Division lands on Tinian.
24-25 July Japanese launch powerful night counterattacks against 4th Marine Division beachhead, suffer decisive defeat.
25 July 2d Marine Division lands on Tinian.
27 July Ushi Point Air field, Tinian, becomes operational.
30 July Tinian Town captured.
31 July At 0200, Japanese counterattack strikes 1st and 2d Battalions, 8th Marines, on Tinian.
1 August All organized resistance ceases on Tinian; island declared secured.
3 August At 1500, American flag is officially raised over Tinian.
9 August Aslito Airfield, Saipan, becomes operational for Liberator bombers (B-24's).
10 August Organized resistance ends on Guam; island declared secured.

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  Northern Troops and Landing Force as a task force designation is dissolved; staff resumes duties as V Amphibious Corps Staff.
10 August Capture and Occupation Phase for Tinian ends; Defense and Development Phase begins under island commander, Major General James L. Underwood, USMC.
12 August Commander Forward Area (Vice Admiral John H. Hoover) relieves Commander Joint Expeditionary Force (Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner) of responsibility for Defense and Development of Saipan and Tinian.
14 August Major General Harry Schmidt relieves Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith as Commanding General, Expeditionary Troops.
Major General Allen H. Turnage relieves Major General Roy S. Geiger as Commanding General, Southern Troops and Landing Force.
15 August Commander Forward Area (Vice Admiral John H. Hoover) relieves Admiral Turner of responsibility for the Defense and Development of Guam. TF 51 (Joint Expeditionary Force) is dissolved.
The Capture and Occupation Phase of Guam ends. Major General Henry L. Larsen, USMC., takes over command of the Guam Garrison Force.
15 September 1st Marine Division lands at Peleliu; U. S. Army troops seize Morotai.
17 September U. S. Army troops land on Angaur.
23 September U. S. Army troops seize Ulithi as advanced naval base.
15 October Aslito Airfield, Saipan, becomes operational for B-29's.
20 October U. S. Army troops land at Leyte and open Philippines Campaign.
25 October 8th Marines (less 1st Battalion) leaves Tinian and moves to Saipan.
24 November Saipan-based B-29's raid Tokyo.
30 December B-29's land at Tinian.
1945
1 January 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, after five months' garrison duty, leaves Tinian and moves to Saipan.
4 February Tinian-based B-29's raid Kobe area, Japan.
6 August Atomic bomb, carried by Tinian-based B-29, is dropped on Hiroshima.
9 August Second atomic bomb carried from Tinian dropped on Nagasaki.
10 August Japan sues for peace.

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Footnote

1.Entries relating specifically to the Tinian operation are shown in italics.

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