The Marine Assault on Tinian

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Introduction

Tinian is a small island in the Marianas group lying approximately 3,500 miles west of Hawaii and 1,400 miles southeast of Tokyo Japan. The island was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan who landed on the island of Guam first in 1521. The island remained under Spanish control for centuries. Tinian remained under Spanish control until the Spanish-American war of 1898, when the American cruiser USS Charleston entered the harbor in Guam to claim that island. Spain took notice at the end of the war and sold the remaining islands of the Marianas to include Tinian to Germany. Germany’s regime lasted shortly when the first world war and seized the Mariana Islands except for Guam which remained under US control. The native people of the Marianas are known as Chamorros, and the native language is Chamorro. Although the original language is now mixed with Spanish, German, and Japanese, it is still thought until today.

During the Second World War after the attack on Pearl Harbor Guam was also attacked and seized by the Japanese military this is when the Pacific war had begun. The United States now focused their attention on the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and the Mariana Islands. Hoping to capture Guam back from the Japanese, United States also wanted to capture the remaining islands. These islands would be in the front lines of the war in the Pacific. 1

History

Why did the United States Military want to take control of Tinian? The island would be the new home of the newly created Twentieth Air Force. The United States saw Ushi Point Airfield as the perfect location to set up the air base, which would land its B-29s while en route to bomb Japan. The Marines also needed to take control of Tinian in order to prevent the Japanese ...

... middle of paper ...

...n the plan of attack, and a realistic logistics plan that can keep abreast of the attack. These few principles have been the keys to victory countless times in the past and will continue to unlock the door to victory on the battlefields of the future. These are the lessons that are the heritage of the Tinian Battle, and we still use and also improve on by planning. The Battle for Tinian is one of the most successful planned amphibious operations in history.11

Works Cited

Allan, May. Marine Assault on Tinian. Volume 13. July 1998.

Prefer, Nathan. The Battle for Tinian. Philadelphia: United States of America and Great Britain by Casemate Publishers. 2012.

LtGen William K. Jones, USMC(Ret). Marine Corps Gazette. Marine Corps Association: Marine Corps Association Jun 1988.

Major Hoffman, Carl. The seizure of Tinian. Washington DC Printing: 1951

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