forces organized a quick attack but the resulting battle was devastating for the Japanese Navy which suffered loses of 3 aircraft carriers and hundreds of planes. The Japanese seeing an easy opportunity Navajo codetalkers played a key role in directing naval gunfire onto Japanese positions. The attack on Saipan surprised the Japanese because they expected an attack further south.

Another advantage it would provide to the Americans is that they could launch an attack on Tokyo and the Japanese home islands from there. The importance of this small island was in it’s location, it lies between Japan and it’s Central Pacific garrisons but it was also important for Japan because it was a good location for staging their air attacks. It is a small island 5 miles (8 km) wide and 18 miles (29 km) long but it had a huge strategic importance for the United States during the Second World War. Saipan is an island about 1300 miles (2092 km) on the south side of Japan. July 8, 1944.Ģ2,000 civilians dead (mostly suicides) Battle of Saipan Map Map of the battle of Saipan Battle of Saipan Video The Japanese were well dug in and making their last stand. Turner Marines take cover behind one of their medium tanks while cleaning out the northern north end of the island of Saipan. Army is present, along with the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Navy’s elite Special Naval Landing Forces.Richmond K. Marines have awesome firepower – every third man wields an automatic rifle – and bring tanks, flamethrowers and heavy artillery to the battlefield. And 495 playing pieces: 330 superb laser-cut combat units and 165 die-cut markers. There are four new mapboards by artist Guy Riessen showing the jungles, hills, beaches and cane fields of Saipan. Designer Jay Townsend has provided 40 scenarios.

Panzer Grenadier: Saipan 1944 is a complete boxed game in the Panzer Grenadier series based on these fearsome battles. The campaign saw the largest tank battle of the Pacific war, and also its largest banzai charge as almost the entire Japanese garrison (and much of the island’s Japanese civilian population) chose death over surrender. Three weeks of savage fighting would finally see the island secured, as places like Death Valley, Hell’s Pocket and Purple Heart Ridge entered the U.S. In June 1944, American Marines and soldiers stormed ashore on Saipan, a large island in the Central Pacific whose possession would put Allied heavy bombers in range of Japanese cities.

Largest tank battle in ww2 saipan