Osprey Campaign 139 : Guam 1941/1944 : Loss and Reconquest

The island of Guam was the first Allied territory lost to the Japanese onslaught in 1941. On 10 December 5,000 Japanese troops landed on Guam, defended by less than 500 US and Guamanian troops, the outcome was beyond doubt. On 21 July 1944 America returned. In a risky operation, the two US landing forces came ashore seven miles apart and it was a week before the beachheads linked up. Only the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa would cost the Americans more men than the landings on Guam and Saipan, which immediately preceded the Guam operation. This book details the bitter 26-day struggle for this key Pacific island. Text by Gordon Rottman with illustrations by Howard Gerrard.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• The 1941 Fall of Guam
• Opposing Plans
• Opposing Commanders
• Opposing Forces
• Capture and Occupation of Guam
• Aftermath
• The Battlefield Today
• Bibliography
• Index