User:Hungrydog55/sandbox/military/saipanoob

Opposing Forces

US Naval commanders for Operation Forager

Vice Adm. Raymond A. Spruance

Rear Adm. Richmond Kelly Turner

V Amphibious Corps commanders

Lieut. Gen. Holland M. Smith

Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt

Marine division commanders on Saipan

Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Watson

Maj. Gen. Clifton B. Cates

Navajo codetalkers played a key role in directing naval gunfire onto Japanese positions.

American order of battle

U.S. Fifth Fleet
Admiral Raymond A. Spruance in heavy cruiser Indianapolis

Joint Expeditionary Force (Task Force 51)
Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner in amphibious command ship Rocky Mount

Northern Attack Force (Task Force 52)
Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner in amphibious command ship Rocky Mount

V Amphibious Corps

• Commanding General (thru 12 Jul): Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith
• Commanding General (after 12 Jul): Major General Harry Schmidt
• Chief of Staff: Brigadier General Graves B. Erskine

Northern sector (Red and Green beaches):

• 2nd Marine Division (21,746 officers and enlisted)
• Commanding General: Major General Thomas E. Watson
• Asst. Div. Commander: Brigadier General Merritt A. Edson
  • 2nd Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Walter J. Stuart
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. John H. Griebel
  • 6th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel James P. Riseley
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Kenneth F. McLeod
  • 8th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Clarence R. Wallace
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Jack P. Juhan
  • 10th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Raphael Griffin
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Ralph E. Forsyth
  • 18th Marine Regiment (Engineers)
    • Commanding Officer: Lieut. Col. Ewart S. Laue
  • 1st Battalion, 29th Marine Regiment
    • Commanding Officer: Lieut. Col. Rathvon M. Tompkins (to 2 Jul) then Lieut. Col. Jack P. Juhan
  • Amphibious Unit:
    • 715th Amphibian Tractor Bttn. (Army)

Southern sector (Blue and Yellow beaches):

• 4th Marine Division (21,618 officers and enlisted)
• Commanding General (thru 12 Jul): Major General Harry Schmidt
• Commanding General (after 12 Jul): Major General Clifton B. Cates
• Asst. Div. Commander: Brigadier General Samuel C. Cumming
  • 14th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Louis G. DeHaven
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Randall M. Victory
  • 20th Marine Regiment (Engineers)
    • Commanding Officer: Lieut. Col. Nelson K. Brown
    • Executive Officer: Captain William M. Anderson
  • 23rd Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Louis R. Jones
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. John R. Lanigan
  • 24th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Franklin A. Hart
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Austin R. Brunelli
  • 25th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
    • Commanding Officer: Colonel Merton J. Batchelder
    • Executive Officer: Lieut. Col. Clarence J. O'Donnell
  • Amphibious Units:
    • 708th Amphibian Tank Bttn. (Army), 773rd Amphibian Tractor Bttn. (Army), 534th Amphibian Tractor Bttn. (Army)

Army (landed D+1):

• 27th Infantry Division (16,404 officers and enlisted)
• Commanding General (thru 24 Jun): Major General Ralph C. Smith
• Commanding General (24 Jun thru 28 Jun): Major General Sanderford Jarman
• Commanding General (after 28 Jun): Major General George W. Griner
  • 105th Infantry Regiment
  • 106th Infantry Regiment
  • 165th Infantry Regiment
  • Artillery:
    • 104th Field Artillery Bttn., 105th Field Artillery Bttn., 106th Field Artillery Bttn., 249th Field Artillery Bttn.
  • Engineers:
    • 102nd Engineer Combat Bttn., 502nd Engineer Combat Bttn.
• XXIV Corps Artillery
• Commanding General: Brigadier General Arthur M. Harper
  • 1st Provisional Gun Group
  • 225th Field Artillery Howitzer Group

Japanese Order of Battle

Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo, commander of Imperial forces in Marianas

Lt. Gen. Saito Yoshitsugu, commander of Imperial forces on Saipan

Central Pacific Area Fleet HQ

• Commanding officer: Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo (self-inflicted gunshot 6 July)
• Chief of staff: Rear Admiral Hideo Yano (seppuku 7 July)
  • 31st Army
    • Commanding officer: Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata (on inspection tour of Guam during battle; seppuku there 11 August)
  • 14th Air Fleet

Defenses of Saipan

• Commanding General: Lieutenant General Saito Yoshitsugu (seppuku 7 July)
• 43rd Infantry Division
  • 118th Infantry Regiment
  • 135th Infantry Regiment
  • 136th Infantry Regiment
• 47th Independent Mixed Brigade
  • 316th Independent Infantry Battalion
  • 317th Independent Infantry Battalion
  • 318th Independent Infantry Battalion
• Other units:
  • 3rd Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment
  • 9th Tank Regiment (of 1st Tank Division)
  • 3rd Battalion, 9th Independent Mixed Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment
  • 25th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment
  • 14th Independent Mortar Battalion
  • 17th Independent Mortar Battalion
  • Miscellaneous straggler units