The Liberation of Guam, 21 July–10 August 1944 by Harry Gailey. Presidio Press, 505B San Marin Drive, Suite 300, Novato, California 94945-1340, 1997, 256 pages, $15.95.

The high-rise hotels along Tumon Bay on the island of Guam are evidence of a peaceful and prosperous existence. However, the small remnants of a hot, hard-fought, bloody battle for this island a little more than 50 years ago still lie along the beaches and among the hills. The efforts to retake Guam have not attracted the attention of historians to the degree of other battles such as Tarawa or Okinawa, but Harry Gailey’s The Liberation of Guam fills this gap in the historical record.

Guam’s first contact with Europeans occurred in 1521, when Magellan’s ships made landfall after crossing most of the vast Pacific Ocean. The United States took the islands from Spain in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, when the Spanish governor, who did not know of the war with the United States, warmly greeted the cruiser USS Charleston. During the First World War, Japan obtained the nearby German possessions in a move that was sanctioned by the League of Nations after the war. The US territory of Guam was surrounded by the Japanese, who sat astride the lines of communications among Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland. The United States did not fortify the island, so Japanese forces easily overwhelmed the defenses on 10 December 1941. The Japanese neglected fortification during the first two years of occupation, and through various atrocities, they alienated the people. Japan fortified the Mariana Islands in mid-1943, when the Japanese High Command realized that these islands were vital to the defense of Japan. By the summer of 1944, approximately 18,500 Japanese troops were ready to defend Guam under the command of Lt Gen Takeshi Takeshina.

Adm Chester Nimitz, commander in chief, Pacific, believed that taking the Marianas during the summer of 1944 was vital to the success of US operations in the Central Pacific. Maj Gen Roy Geiger of the III Amphibious Corps commanded the operation to invade Guam, which was initially scheduled for June, following the operation in Saipan. The difficulty taking Saipan delayed the invasion of Guam. As Gailey points out, this was fortunate since the attack was planned against a Japanese force of approximately nine thousand Japanese troops and used outdated intelligence. The additional bombardment and the addition of the Army’s 77th Division to the invasion force helped to make up for the hurried planning. The invasion began on 21 July.

The invasion focused on two separate beachheads, one at Asan, which is to the north of the Orote Peninsula, and the other at Agat, which was south of the Orote Peninsula. The objective was to gain control of the high ground just overlooking the beachheads and then join forces, isolating the Japanese on the peninsula before taking it. Despite having tanks and artillery, the US Marines took longer than anticipated due to the difficult terrain; high humidity; frequent rain showers; difficulty bringing equipment ashore; and the well-entrenched, hard-fighting Japanese. The Japanese defended the island from positions located in caves, tunnels, and from pillboxes situated on the beaches, cliffs, and hillsides overlooking the invasion beaches. During the next several nights, sporadic Japanese counterattacks took place along natural ravines and gaps in the US line.

General Takeshina never took advantage of the precarious position of the invaders by coordinating his attacks except for a single banzai charge on the night of the 25th, when large numbers of Japanese forces unsuccessfully charged well-armed American forces, resulting in many Japanese fatalities. General Takeshina was killed on the 28th by artillery fire during the American breakout. At this point, Lt Gen Hideyoshi Obata, who had only been passing through Guam at the time of the invasion, took over the defense. He shifted the bulk of Japanese forces to the north end of the island. The 77th Division, with great difficulty, crossed the island toward Pago Bay and then turned north as part of a three-pronged attack in concert with the Marines. The terrain was rugged, and the jungle thick. Japanese defenses were organized. Guam’s Chamorros bravely functioned as scouts for the US forces, since they knew the terrain and potential hiding places. Finally, on 10 August, General Obata’s command post was located in a cave near Yigo. US forces sealed the entrances. Later, over 60 bodies were found inside, including General Obata’s. General Geiger declared the end of organized resistance on 10 August. Gailey relates briefly in the closing chapter some of the difficulties encountered by the battered 3d Marine Division and their Chamarro guides while rounding up the remaining Japanese. He also included the ordeal of Japanese sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, who emerged from hiding in 1972. Three airfields were built on the north end of the island for B-29 operations against Japan. During the invasion, US forces suffered almost eight thousand casualties, including more than one thousand killed. Approximately 10,000 Japanese troops were killed during the period specifically covered in this book.

The Liberation of Guam is easy to read. Professor Gailey, an emeritus professor of history at San Jose State University, expertly weaves personal anecdotes, official reports, and other original source material without losing sight of the “big picture.” The maps are of sufficient detail to help the reader. Throughout the book, he captures in equal detail the sense of confidence mixed with apprehension that prevailed among US forces, as well as Japanese expressions of bravery, futility, and adherence to the code of Bushido. Several years ago, my family and I were visiting part of the War in the Pacific Memorial located at the invasion beach near Agat, where a Japanese 40 mm antiaircraft gun was on display. While my two sons studied the open end of the two gun barrels, three Japanese tourists were busy studying the trigger assembly. The two valiant and determined foes are now friends!

Maj Raymond L. Laffoon Jr., USAF
Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.