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07/09 Sun. Organized enemy resistance ceases on Saipan, Marianas Islands.
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7-10-44 Can picked radioman of Guam. Bombarded.
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She Joined TF 58 for the invasion of Guam (12 July-15 August).
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7-13-44 Patroling of
Guam.
7-14-44 BOYD - BRADFORD
bombarded Guam 100 rounds a piece.
7-16-44 B.B. Guam
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While conducting fueling operations on 17 July and making main transfer to the BRADFORD a plane was seen to crash in water. Delivery was broken off and BOYD rescued the crew.
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7-18-44 Left Guam patrol.
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There was a fierce debate in Tokyo, and a document discovered recently [1996] suggests that at a crucial meeting in late July 1944 it was Hideki Tojo - whom the United States later hanged for war crimes - who rejected the proposal to use germ warfare against the United States. At the time of the meeting, Tojo had just been ousted as Prime Minister and chief of the General Staff, but he retained enough authority to veto the proposal. He knew by then that Japan was likely to lose the war, and he feared that biological assaults on the United States would invite retaliation with germ or chemical weapons being developed by America.
07/18 Tue. Premier Tojo and the Japanese cabinet resign; General Koiso forms a new cabinet.
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7-19-44 Arrived Saipan observed Tinian bombard. Left Saipan.
7-20-44 Of Guam.
7-21-44 Invasion Guam.
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War News Summarized
The New York Times, Friday, July 21, 1944
Action in the Pacific was on a lesser scale. American planes blasted Guam with 721 tons of bombs in two days.
BEACHHEADS SET UP
The New York Times, Saturday, July 22, 1944
By GEORGE F. HORNE
By Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Americans Invade Guam After Mighty U.S. Blow From Sea and Air
OPPOSITION IS LIGHT
Resistance Increases as Japanese Are Pushed Toward Inland Hills
PEARL HARBOR, July 21--sea forces began yesterday the long awaited invasion of the big island of Guam and have established good beachheads against light opposition, although resistance increased in some sectors as the Americans drove inland.
[Front dispatches reported that the landings were made on either side of Port Apra, The Associated Press said. From the shore areas, where Japanese defenses had been blown to pieces, the invaders drove swiftly toward a range of hills in the interior.]
They stormed ashore after enemy defenses received their seventeenth straight day of heavy attack from the air. All this week, up to the time of the landings, surface units of the Fifth Fleet had battered the island with tons of steel. They continued yesterday, covering the marines and Army assault troops making the invasion. A terrific rain of 627 tons of bombs and 147 rockets was unloosed by our planes in the day preceding the landings.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean areas, announced the landings at 1:30 o'clock this morning.
Japanese Are Weakened
With Saipan securely in our hands, the tremendous Pacific forces have turned, as was expected, to carry retribution to the Japanese where their strongly armed and confident forces poured ashore
Continued on Page 7
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Invaders Find Defenses of Guam Blown to Shreds by Our Attacks
The New York Times, Saturday, July 22, 1944
By JOHN R. HENRY
Of International News Service
For the Combined Allied Press
ABOARD A FLAGSHIP AT GUAM, July 21 (Guam Time) -- A liberation force of Third Amphibious Corps marines and Army troops thundered ashore at Guam today with the destructive blast of a Pacific typhoon.
The Leathernecks spearheaded two separate beachhead assaults, storming across coral-studded shorelines in the wake of a 17-day sea and air bombardment that reached a stupefying crescendo as landing craft churned into remnants of the Japanese coast defenses.
Casualties were described as "light" for United States forces. The Japanese dead were uncounted.
At nightfall Maj. Gen. Roy Geiger's Third Amphibious Corps troops dug in on perimeters between Adlup and Asan, a point north of Orote Penninsula, and from the shattered town of Agat to Bangi Point, south of the rocky finger of land.
The northern beachhead, where the terrain was most rugged, stretched in an arc several thousand yards. The southern force shoved inland and established its own substantial beachhead. General Geiger is a marine aviator and veteran South Pacific commander.
So effective had been the preparatory barrages that troops flowed ashore with negligible initial resistance and in record time.
Despite sprinkling enemy fire
Continued on Page 7
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War News Summarized
The New York Times, Saturday, July 22, 1944
Striking at Japan's inner defense zone, American assault troops landed on Guam Island, first American territory seized by the Japanese, early Thursday and have established good beachheads. Admiral Nimitz reported that additional troops were landing against light initial Japanese resistance, and that casualties were moderate. A terrific naval and aerial bombardment of the strategic island, 1,565 miles southeast of Tokyo, softened up the enemy defense before our landings. As our troops moved inland the Japanese put up stiffened resistance in some sectors.
07/21 Fri. Naval attack force (Rear Adm R. L. Conolly) lands Marines and Army forces (Maj. Gen. R. S. Geiger, USMC) on Guam,Marianas Islands. Assault is preceded by intensive naval gunfire and carrier-based aircraft attacks.
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7-22-44 Of Saipan.
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Until 24 July BOYD acted as picket ship for Task Group 58.1 during strikes on Marianas.
07/24 Mon. Naval attack force (Rear Adm. H. W. Hill) lands Marines (Maj. Gen. H. Schmidt) on Tinian, Marianas Islands. Landing is supported by naval gunfire, carrier aircraft, and landbased aircraft from Saipan.
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7-25-44 Hit Palu + Yap. Air attack.
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She Joined TF 58 for the Palau-Yap-Ulithi, raid (25-27 July).
Proceeded with Task Group 58.1 for air strikes on Palau and Yap, 25-27 July.
07/25 Tue. Aircraft of fast carrier task force: (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) attack enemy positions in the western Caroline Islands of Yap, Ulithi, Fais, Ngulu, Sorol, and Palau; strikes continue until Japanese naval vessel sunk: Minelayer SOKUTEN, by carrier-based aircraft, Palau Islands, Caroline Islands, 07 d. 20'N, 134 d. 27'E.
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7-27-44 Still of Yap. Rendezvouse with sub - Yap. Rescue Sub
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The last day of strikes BOYD and BRADFORD operated with life guard submarine close to Yap.
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7-29-44 Yap-Paleu. YORKTOWN left for U. S.
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From the ship's log of the USS YORKTOWN (CV-10): "On the 31st, she cleared the Mariana Islands and headed-via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor-back to the United States. Yorktown arrived in the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 17 August and began a two-month overhaul. She completed repairs on 6 October and departed Puget Sound on the 9th. She stopped at the Alameda Naval Air Station from 11 to 13 October to load planes and supplies and then set a course back to the western Pacific. After a stop at Pearl Harbor from the 18th to the 24th, Yorktown arrived back in Eniwetok on 31 October."
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8-1-44 Standing of Guam.
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08/01 Tue. Organized Japanese resistance ends on Tinian, Marianas Islands. United States Naval Air Base, Tinian, Marianas Islands, established.
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8-2-44 Tinian captured.
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On 2 August, left vicinity of Marianas for further strikes on Chichi Jima in Bonis.
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8-4-44 Chichi - Ha-Ha Jima. Large Jap convoy near cruisers and cans sent in to sink same.
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She Joined TF 58 for the 4th Bonins raid (4-5 August).
08/04 Fri. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. J. J. Clark) and cruisers and destroyers (Rear Adm. L. T. DuBose) attack Japanese convoy and other shipping in the Chichi Jima are Bonin Islands. At the same time aircraft from the second carrier task group (Rear Adm. A. E. Montgomery) bomb airfield facilities on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. Japanese naval vessels sunk, Volcano and Bonin Island attacks: Destroyer MATSU, by carrier-based aircraft, 27 d. 40'N., 141 d. 48'E. Transport NO. 4, by carrier-based aircraft, 27 d. 07'N., 142 d. 12'E: Transport NO. 133, by carrier-based aircraft, 24 d. 47'N., 141 d. 20'E.
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8-5-44 Sunk landing craft - fired on Emily. She took our picture.
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On 5 August BOYD fired on enemy landing craft leaving it smoking and later in the day set course with Task Group for Eniwetok.
Rescue Patrol duty occupied us for a few more days then we headed back for the Bonins with the carriers to work over the landing strip on Chichi Jima. While in that area we tangled with a Jap landing craft and left it for the seagulls.
08/05 Sat. Aircraft from two carrier task groups (Rear Adm. J. J. Clark and Rear Adm. A. E. Montgomery) and cruisers and destroyers(Rear Adm. L. T. DuBose) bomb and bombard enemy installations on Chichi Jima and Haha Jima, Bonin Islands. Fast Carrier Task Force is reorganized into First Fast Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) and Second Fast Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet (Vice Adm. J. S. McCain). Japanese naval vessel sunk: Transport NO. 2, by carrier-based aircraft, 27 d. 05'N., 142 09'E.
FLEET HITS CONVOY
The New York Times, Monday, August 7, 1944
By GEORGE F. HORNE
By Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Task Force Sinks 17 Ships, Including Five Japanese Warships
CRUISERS LEFT AFIRE
U. S. Surface and Air Forces Strike Bonin, Volcano Islands
Forty-six Japanese ships and small craft were sunk or damaged on Thursday and Friday when a fast United States carrier task force caught a large convoy in the Bonin and Volcano Islands area, and slashed away at it in a continuing action for the two full days, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz announced today.
Along with these successes Admiral Nimitz told of a widespread attack by the task force the same two days on the Bonin and Volcano Islands, near Japan's front door.
Of the convoy craft at least five warships of destroyer or destroyer-escort class were sunk and several others damaged. Seventeen ships are listed as definitely sunk, six possibly sunk and more than twenty-three craft were damaged, including a number of barges, two of which were carrying troops. The convoy included cargo vessels, oilers and landing craft.
Convoy Virtually Destroyed
Admiral Nimitz said that the convoy was virtually wiped out by air and surface units of the task group. On Thursday, the 3d, planes sank four cargo ships of about 4,000 tons each, three escorting destroyers or destroyer-escorts and four barges. One cargo vessel and the balance of the escorting war craft, not identified as to type, were damaged.
That day another large destroyer, a cargo ship, one small oiler and several barges were sunk by our surface vessels. One damaged escort vessel escaped.
The next day the American sea force "continued the sweep," the admiral said. Carrier planes sank one escort vessel and two other small craft and damaged five barges including the two troop carriers, a landing craft and three smaller vessels.
One light cruiser and five small vessels were left burning and listed as possibly sunk. In addition damage was inflicted on ten small craft and a destroyer escort. A large cargo vessel which had been hit in one of the earlier attacks was struck again and two landing ships were damaged.
The carrier task force attacked enemy bases throughout the Bonin and Volcano Islands, shelling shipping and shore installations at Chichi Island and destroying Omura, a town on that island. On
Continued on Page 8
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War News Summarized
The New York Times, Monday, August 7, 1944
The American Navy scored one of its greatest triumphs in a daring two-day assault on the Bonin and Volcano Islands on Thursday and Friday during which our planes and warships sank or damaged forty-six Japanese vessels. An entire enemy convoy was "virtually wiped out" and shore installations on the islands, which are less than 600 miles from Tokyo, were also blasted.
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