A Lesson in Logic

On Saipan, at least two divisions of U.S. marines, plus Army infantry, tore into the bloodiest Pacific fighting since Tarawa. The Navy's guns had admirably covered their landings, but the island was too mountainous for either naval guns or air bombing to decide the inland fighting.

Abandoned by their own defeated naval rescue force, the Japs knew they faced a hopeless fight to the death. They soon burrowed into the central uplands, leaving the southwestern end of the island to the Americans, who captured more booty than they had ever seen before.

On their left, the attackers moved on Garapan (see map), the largest town (pop. 10,000) on Saipan, and the capital of the whole Marianas chain. On their right they skirted the shores of Magicienne Bay past Laulau. In the center, struggling yard by bitter yard up the slopes, blasting and burning the Japs out of caves and crannies, they seized Mt. Tapotchau.

With the battle line thus far advanced. the lower end of the island became a secure and busy base for the final offensive to the north. Supplies flowed ashore at the rate of 10,000 tons a day--while the Japs, of course, had to fight on what they had. The captured Aslito airfield was renamed "Conroy Field," in honor of Colonel James Gardiner Conroy of the Army's 27th Division, who was killed at Makin last November.

Jap artillery and mortar fire had cut down many a U.S. fighting man, and there was bloody fighting ahead. But the crushing logic of war was against the minions of the Emperor. Saipan was bound to fall.

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