Just as the Battle of Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War by crippling Japan’s carrier fleet, so too were the Battles for Saipan and Tinian turning points in the Pacific War in that they cut Japan’s line of communications to and from its “southern resource area” and established forward naval and air bases from which American Forces could conduct the campaign for the ultimate defeat of Japan. Saipan would be a tough nut to crack, having been under Japanese administration since 1914. Tinian’s capture enabled the construction of the largest airbase in the world, supporting the new B-29 Superfortress that would take the war to the Japanese home islands. A maximum effort at interservice cooperation was required from invasion, to base development, to B-29 operations.
About Don A. Farrell
Don A. Farrell was born in Redmond, Oregon and served in the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1971. Don has published several books and credits his understanding of Marianas history to 35 years of government service, including chief of staff to the speaker of the Guam Legislature, and chief of staff to the mayor of the Municipality of Tinian and Aguiguan. He has also served as chairman of the CNMI Board of Education and a member of both the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the CNMI Historic Preservation Review Board.
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