- Title: Archive of Official US Marine Corps Photos - Peleliu, Guam, Saipan, Tinian
- Author: United States Marine Corps
- Date/Location: 1944
- Condition: See description
- Inches: 9 1/2 x 7 3/4
- Centimeters: 24.13 x 19.68
- Product ID: 308361
Extensive photographic archive of fifty-four original United States Marine Corps (USMC) photos depicting World War II battles in the Pacific. All photos with USMC emblem showing the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. Captioned on verso with island name, USMC catalogue number, and brief description, many dated. The archive includes images from four storied Pacific campaigns; Peleliu, Guam, Saipan and Tinian. The images can be grisly and shocking, with many kinetic combat scenes.
Warning – many photos depict the extreme violence of war and active combat in graphic detail. Do not read the list below if you have trigger concerns.
Thirteen photos of Peleliu, twelve of Guam, twenty-seven of Saipan and two of Tinian. Images depict amphibious landings (including H-Hour, D-Day, Peleliu), landing craft, combat scenes, wrecked equipment, aerial bombardment, pillboxes, combat casualties, prisoners of war, Sherman Tanks, demolition explosions, tanks in combat, aircraft (friendly and enemy), enemy casualties (many) captured gun emplacements, flamethrowers in action, artillery bombardment, Japanese suicide charge, civilian casualties, and others.
Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, took place from September 15 to November 27, 1944, on the small island of Peleliu in the Palau group as part of the broader Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II. U.S. forces—primarily the 1st Marine Division and later the Army’s 81st Infantry Division—fought to capture an airfield from the entrenched Japanese garrison led by Colonel Kunio Nakagawa.
Despite Major General William Rupertus’s prediction that the operation would last only four days, the battle stretched over more than two months due to fierce Japanese resistance and innovative defensive tactics, including extensive cave and tunnel systems in the island’s rugged terrain. The Japanese employed a “delay and bleed” strategy, inflicting heavy casualties on American forces while fighting almost to the last man; nearly all of the 10,900 Japanese defenders were killed, with only a few hundred taken prisoner.
U.S. casualties were exceptionally high for the size of the island and the duration of the battle. The 1st Marine Division suffered devastating losses, with some regiments experiencing up to 70% casualties in a matter of days. Overall, American forces suffered between 1,500 and 1,800 killed and around 8,000 wounded, though exact numbers vary by source. The battle’s intensity and high casualty rates made it one of the most brutal and controversial engagements of the Pacific War, with many questioning its strategic necessity.
Peleliu ultimately became an important air base for U.S. operations, but the battle is remembered for its ferocity, with the National Museum of the Marine Corps calling it “the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines”.
Guam
In December 1941, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces landed on Guam and quickly overwhelmed the small American garrison. The U.S. defenders, consisting of Marines, sailors, and local guards, surrendered after brief resistance. The Japanese occupation lasted until 1944, during which local Chamorros faced harsh treatment but also helped American evaders survive in hiding.
The second and more significant Battle of Guam took place from July 21 to August 10, 1944, as part of the broader U.S. campaign in the Mariana Islands. The operation, codenamed "Stevedore," involved a combined force of Marines and Army troops, supported by extensive naval and air bombardment. The Japanese garrison, about 19,000 strong, had constructed extensive fortifications and fought tenaciously.
The landings began on the west coast of the island and despite fierce Japanese resistance—including repeated banzai charges—the Americans established beachheads and gradually advanced inland. After a week of intense combat, U.S. forces linked their beachheads and began pushing the Japanese into the northern mountains. The Japanese commander, General Takashina, was killed, and his successor, General Obata, led the final defensive stand.
By August 10, organized Japanese resistance had ended, though some holdouts remained in the jungle for years after the war. American casualties were significant, with approximately 1,400–1,700 killed and over 5,600–6,000 wounded, while Japanese losses were far higher, with most of their garrison killed.
The recapture of Guam was a strategic victory for the United States, providing a key base for air and naval operations against Japan. It also marked a turning point in the Pacific War, as the Marianas became a launch point for B-29 bomber missions targeting the Japanese home islands.
Saipan
The Battle of Saipan took place from June 15 to July 9, 1944. The operation was a key component of the larger Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, codenamed Operation Forager.
U.S. forces, led by Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, included the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions and the Army’s 27th Infantry Division, totaling approximately 71,000 troops. They faced a Japanese garrison of about 31,000–32,000 soldiers under Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito. The island was also home to a large civilian population, including Japanese settlers and indigenous Chamorros.
American forces landed after extensive naval and aerial bombardment. The initial assault was met with fierce resistance, and fighting was especially brutal around Mount Tapotchau and areas American troops dubbed “Death Valley” and “Purple Heart Ridge”. The Japanese defenders, forced to retreat northward, launched a desperate mass banzai charge on July 7, which resulted in heavy Japanese casualties but failed to stop the American advance.
By July 9, organized Japanese resistance had ended, and the U.S. flag was raised over Saipan. The battle cost the U.S. nearly 3,000 killed and over 10,000 wounded. Japanese losses were catastrophic, with most of the garrison killed—only about 921 prisoners were taken. Tragically, thousands of Japanese civilians, fearing capture, committed suicide, often by jumping from cliffs at the island’s northern end.
The capture of Saipan was a turning point in the Pacific War. It placed the Japanese home islands within range of American B-29 bombers, enabled strategic bombing raids on Japan, and contributed to the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō. The battle also had a profound psychological impact in Japan, as it signaled the beginning of the end for Japanese defenses in the Pacific.
Tinian
The Battle of Tinian was a pivotal amphibious assault during World War II, fought between the United States and Japan on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from July 24 to August 1, 1944, as part of the broader campaign to secure the Marianas and establish bases within bombing range of Japan. U.S. forces, commanded by Major General Harry Schmidt and supported by Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill’s Task Force 52, launched the invasion primarily with the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, totaling around 15,600 men in the initial landings. The Japanese garrison, led by Colonel Kiyochi Ogata, was caught off guard as the Americans chose to land on small northern beaches rather than the larger, more heavily defended southern ones, a decision that allowed for rapid movement and minimal resistance at the outset.
The battle was notable for its efficiency and low U.S. casualties compared to other Pacific engagements: American losses were between 290 and 389 killed and approximately 1,500 to 1,800 wounded, while Japanese casualties exceeded 5,000 dead, with only a few hundred taken prisoner; many Japanese soldiers committed suicide or perished in caves rather than surrender. Japanese civilian losses were also significant, with hundreds killed in crossfire, executed by Japanese troops, or dead by suicide, and thousands interned by American forces after the battle. The island was declared secure on August 1, though small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted in caves for several months.
Condition
Photos are in excellent condition, some with minor handling creases, wavy. With slight discoloration from linen mounting hinge along right or top extending .5 inch into image of each photo, some darker, with remains adhered to verso.
References
United States Department of Defense website, accessed 22 May 2025; https://www.defense.gov