Central Marianas naval order of battle

On 15 June 1944, United States Marine and Army forces landed on the southwest coast of the island of Saipan in the central Marianas chain. US forces declared Saipan secure on 9 July.

Main article: Battle of Saipan
Saipan and Tinian in the Central Marianas

Marine Corps forces landed on the nearby island of Tinian on 24 July. Tinian was declared secure 1 August.

Main article: Battle of Tinian

The naval forces involved can be summarized as follows:

Command structure
Theater and operational commanders
Vice Adm. Raymond A. Spruance
Rear Adm. Richmond Kelly Turner
Maj. Gen. Holland M. Smith
Divisional commanders
Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Watson, USMC
Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, USMC
Maj. Gen. Ralph C. Smith, USA

The roles of Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA) and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), were both exercised by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Theater and Operational Command

Since the Marianas lie in the Central Pacific, their capture was the responsibility of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, led by Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance from aboard his flagship, heavy cruiser Indianapolis.

The ships and embarked troops of Operation Forager were under direct operational command of Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner aboard amphibious command ship Rocky Mount.

The Marine and Army landing forces for Operation Forager were under the command of Maj. Gen. Holland M. "Howlin' Mad" Smith, USMC. Smith directed the ground troops from aboard Vice Adm. Turner's flagship Rocky Mount until the afternoon of 17 June when he set up his command post ashore.

Ground Troops

V Amphibious Corps (Maj. Gen. Holland M. Smith, USMC)

Saipan: 2nd Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Watson)
  4th Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt)
27th Infantry Division (Army) (Maj. Gen. Ralph C. Smith)
Tinian: 2nd Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Watson)
4th Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt)

Forces afloat
Vice Adm. Turner's flagship Rocky Mount

U.S. Fifth Fleet[1]
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 – Saipan and Tinian)
Vice Admiral Turner
  • Southern Attack Force (Task Force 53 – Guam)
Vice Admiral Richard L. Conolly in amphibious command ship Appalachian

Carrier Support Group One (Task Group 52.14)
Gerald F. Bogan as a vice admiral
Escort carrier Fanshaw Bay

Rear Adm. Gerald F. Bogan

Unit 1 (Rear Adm. Bogan)
2 escort carriers
Fanshaw Bay (Capt. D.P. Johnson)
Composite Squadron 68 (Lt. Cmdr. R.S. Rogers):
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Midway[lower-alpha 1] (Capt. F.J. McKenna)
Composite Squadron 65 (Lt. Cmdr. R.M. Jones):
12 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  9 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Cassin Young, Irwin, Ross
Unit 2 (Capt. A.O. Weller)
2 escort carriers
White Plains (Capt. Weller)
Composite Squadron 4 (Lt. Cmdr. R.C. Evins (KIA)):
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  3 TBF, 9 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Kalinin Bay (Capt. C.R. Brown)
Composite Squadron 3 (Lt. Cmdr. W.H. Keighley):
14 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  9 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Porterfield, Callaghan, Longshaw

Carrier Support Group Two (Task Group 52.11)
Escort carrier Gambier Bay
Rear Adm. Felix B. Stump

Rear Adm. H.B. Sallada

Unit 3 (Rear Adm. Sallada)
2 escort carriers
Kitkun Bay (Capt. J.P. Whitney)
Composite Squadron 5 (Cmdr. R.L. Fowler):
12 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  8 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Gambier Bay (Capt. H.H. Goodwin)
Composite Squadron 10 (Lt. Cmdr. E.J. Huxtable):
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Laws, Morrison, Benham
Unit 4 (Rear Adm. Felix B. Stump)
1 escort carrier
Nehenta Bay (Capt. H.B. Butterfield)
Composite Squadron 11 (Lt. Cmdr. O.B. Stanley):
12 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  9 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Bullard, Kidd, Chauncey

Fire Support Group One (Task Group 52.17)
Rear Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf
Battleship Maryland

Rear Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf

Unit 1 (Rear Admiral Howard F. Kingman):
2 old battleships: Tennessee (Capt. A.D. Mayer), California (Capt. H.P. Burnett)
1 heavy cruiser: Indianapolis (Capt. E.R. Johnson)
1 light cruiser: Birmingham (Capt. T.B. Inglis)
4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Remey, Wadleigh, Norman Scott, Mertz
Unit 2 (Cmdr. P.H. Fitzgerald):
3 destroyers (2 Fletcher-class): Robinson, Albert W. Grant, (1 Benson-class): Bailey
Unit 3 (Capt. H.P. Jarrett):
3 destroyers (2 Fletcher-class): Halsey Powell, Monssen, (1 Benson-class): Coghlan
Unit 4 (Rear Adm. Oldendorf):
2 old battleships: Maryland (Rear Adm. T.D. Ruddock), Colorado (Capt. W. Granat)
1 heavy cruiser: Portland (Capt. S.H. Hurt)
4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): McDermut, McGowan, McNair, Melvin
Unit 5 (Rear Adm. R.W. Hayler):
2 light cruisers: Montpelier (Capt. H.D. Hoffman), Cleveland (Capt. A.G. Shepard)
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Yarnall, Twining, Stockham

Fire Support Group Two (Task Group 52.10)
Rear Adm. Walden L. Ainsworth
Heavy cruiser Wichita firing broadside

Rear Adm. Walden L. Ainsworth

Unit 6 (Rear Adm. Ainsworth)
2 old battleships: Pennsylvania (Capt. C.F. Martin), Idaho (Capt. H.D. Clarke)
1 light cruiser: Honolulu (Capt. H.R. Thurber)
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Anthony, Wadsworth, Hudson
1 high-speed transport: Dickerson
1 high-speed minesweeper: Hogan
1 seaplane tender: Williamson
Unit 7 (Rear Adm. George L. Weyler)
1 old battleship: New Mexico (Capt. E.M. Zacharias)
2 heavy cruisers: Minneapolis (Capt. Harry Slocum), San Francisco (Capt. H.E. Overesch)
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Halford, Terry, Braine
1 high-speed transport: Talbot
1 high-speed minesweeper: Stansbury
Unit 8 (Rear Adm. C. Turner Joy)
2 heavy cruisers: Wichita (Capt. J.J. Mahoney), New Orleans (Capt. J.E. Hurff)
1 light cruiser: St. Louis (Capt. R.H. Roberts)
3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Fullam, Guest, Bennett

Control Group (Task Group 52.6)

Commodore P.S. Theiss

14 submarine chasers
25 landing craft infantry
3 high-speed transports

Transport Group "Able" (Task Group 52.3)

Capt. H.B. Knowles
Embarking 2nd Marine Division

Transport Division 18 (Capt. Knowles)
2 attack transports: Monrovia, Frederick Funston
1 transport: War Hawk
1 attack cargo ship: Alcyone
1 landing ship dock: Lindenwald
Transport Division 10 (Capt. G.D. Morrison)
4 attack transports: Clay, Neville, Arthur Middleton, Feland
1 attack cargo ship: Alhena
2 cargo ship: Jupiter, Hercules
Transport Division 28 (Capt. H.C. Flanagan)
3 attack transports: Bolivar, Doyen, Sheridan
1 transport: Comet
1 attack cargo ship: Electra
1 landing ship dock: Oak Hill

Transport Group "Baker" (Task Group 52.4)

Capt. D.W. Loomis
Embarking 4th Marine Division

Transport Division 20 (Capt. Loomis)
3 attack transports: Leonard Wood, Pierce, James O'Hara
1 transport: La Salle
1 attack cargo ship: Thuban
1 landing ship dock: Ashland
Transport Division 26 (Capt. R.E. Hanson)
3 attack transports: Callaway, Sumter, Leon
1 transport: Storm King
1 attack cargo ship: Almaack
2 landing ship docks: White Marsh, Belle Grove
Transport Division 30 (Capt. C.A. Misson)
3 attack transports: Knox, Calvert, Fuller
2 transports: John Land, George F. Elliot
1 attack cargo ship: Bellatrix

Eastern Landing Group (Task Group 52.8)

Cmdr. C.J. McWhinnie
Embarking 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines[lower-alpha 2]

Transport Division 12 (Cmdr. McWhinnie)
6 high-speed transports: Waters, Stringham, Goldsborough, Manley, Overton, Noa

Transport Screen (Task Group 52.12)

Capt. R.E. Libby

15 destroyers:
7 Fletcher-class: Newcomb, Bennion, Heywood L. Edwards, Bryant, Prichett, Cony, Renshaw
2 Porter-class: Phelps, Selfridge
1 Mahan-class: Conyngham
2 Bagley-class: Bagley, Patterson
1 Sampson-class: Shaw
2 Wickes-class: Philip, Mugford
1 high-speed transport: Kane
4 patrol craft escorts: 1396, 1404, 1457, 1460

Tractor Flotilla (Task Group 52.5)

Capt. A.J. Robertson

Tractor Group "Able" (Capt. J.S. Lillard)
Unit 1: 8 landing ship tanks
Unit 2: 8 landing ship tanks
"Able" Reserve: 6 landing ship tanks
Tractor Group "Baker" (Capt. Robertson)
Unit 3: 8 landing ship tanks
Unit 4: 8 landing ship tanks
"Baker" Reserve: 4 landing ship tanks
Support Artillery Group: 7 landing ship tanks

Minesweeeping and Hydrographic Survey Group (Task Group 52.13)

Cmdr. R.S. Moore, USNR

Unit 1 (Cmdr. W.R. Loud)
4 high-speed minesweepers: Hopkins, Perry, Long, Hamilton
Unit 2 (Lt. Cmdr. H.L. Thompson)
4 high-speed minesweepers: Chandler, Zane, Palmer, Howard
Unit 3 (Cmdr. Moore)
3 minesweepers (all Auk-class): Chief, Champion, Herald
Unit 4 (Lt. Cmdr. J.R. Fels, USNR)
3 minesweepers (all Auk-class): Oracle, Motive, Heed
Units 5 & 6 and Mobile Hydrographic Unit
5 auxiliary motor minesweepers
2 landing craft, control
6 landing craft, vehicle

Joint Expeditionary Force Reserve (Task Group 51.1)
Rear Adm. William H.P. Blandy

Rear Adm. William H.P. Blandy
Embarking 27th Infantry Division (Army)

Transport Division 7 (Capt. C.G. Richardson)
3 attack transports: Cavalier, J. Franklin Bell, Heywood
1 transport: Winged Arrow
1 attack cargo ship: Fomalhaut
Transport Division 32 (Capt. M.O. Carlson)
3 attack transports: Fremont, Harris, Custer
1 transport: Herald of the Morning
1 cargo ship: Auriga
4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Waller, Pringle, Saufley, Sigourney
2 destroyer escorts (both Evarts-class): Sederstrom, Fleming
1 fleet tug: Chickasaw
Transport Division 34 (Capt. Charles Allen)
4 transports: Prince Georges, Kenmore, De Grasse, Livingston
1 cargo ship: Leonis
7 landing craft infantry
Screen (Cmdr. J.R. Phal)
2 destroyers (both Fletcher-class): Conway, Eaton
4 destroyer escorts (2 Evarts-class): Tisdale, Eisele, (2 Cannon-class) Baron, Acree
1 net layer: Mimosa
1 net cargo ship: Keokuk

Service and Salvage Group (Task Group 52.7)

Capt. S.E. Peck

1 net layers: Cinchona
3 fleet tugs: Tekesta, Tawasa, Molala
1 repair ship: Phaon
2 salvage vessels: Preserver, Clamp
1 seaplane tender: Ballard
1 landing craft repair ship: Agenor
8 auxiliary motor minesweepers

Fueling Group (Task Group 50.17)

Capt. Edward E. Paré

24 fleet oilers: Neshanic, Saugatuck, Saranac, Lackawanna, Monongahela, Neosho, Cimarron, Kaskaskia, Sabine, Caliente, Guadalupe, Platte, Pecos, Schuylkill, Tallulah, Ashtabula, Cahaba, Tappahannock, Kennebago, Marias, Suamico, Cache, Kankakee, Mascoma
8 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Paul Hamilton, Capps, John D. Henley, Hall, Evans, David W. Taylor, Halligan, Haraden
14 destroyer escorts
9 Cannon-class: Samuel S. Miles, Swearer, Bangust, Weaver, Riddle, Waterman, Lamons, Wesson, Hilbert
5 Evarts-class: Fair, Manlove, Mitchell, Whitman, Wileman
4 escort carriers:[lower-alpha 3] Copahee, Breton, Manila Bay, Natoma Bay
4 hospital ships: Relief, Solace, Bountiful, Samaritan

Notes
  1. Renamed St. Lo 10 October 1944, sunk during the Battle off Samar 20 October
  2. This unit was originally meant to make a diversionary landing on Saipan's east coast, but this part of the operation was cancelled.
  3. Carried replacement aircraft for frontline carriers

References
  1. Rottman, p. 35

Bibliography
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1953). New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944 – August 1944. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. VIII. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. LCCN 53-7298.
  • Rottman, Gordon (2004). Saipan & Tinian 1944: Piercing the Japanese Empire. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-804-9.
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