The Fight For Aslito Airfield in the Battle of Saipan | History Traveler Episode 231
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- After securing a beachhead on the southwestern coast of Saipan, the men of the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions followed by the 27th Infantry Division started moving inland. One of the key objectives was the taking of Aslito Airfield in the southern part of the island. Today, this area still bears the evidence of the Japanese presence on Saipan and the battle that took place there in June of 1944.
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburg...
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I still can’t imagine the horror these guys witnessed during the pacific campaign and knowing my grandfather endured this, he truly was and STILL is my personal hero! Thanks JD for documenting their legacy and making new history for the future to witness and never forget!!!
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My thoughts as well. My grandfather was at Tarawa. Knowing people on that island wanted to harm him and his brothers is an odd feeling. God bless those courageous men.
I literally laughed out loud when you described those first two tanks as "non-operational" and "well ventilated". 😂I'd say that's a fair assessment JD! Excellent episode!
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You covering the pacific theatre is a huge gift and something I’ve hoped for since I started watching this channel.
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ive seen enough of your videos that when you said the doors were small I said to myself "Well, he's gonna bump his head any second now" Good work! Keep it up! I love this channel.
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@@TheHistoryUnderground JD+ tight quarters= Asprin. I am going to call these "JD Knowledge Bumps" from now on.
Man I could clearly hear it when you hit your head. One last casualty of the Japanese bunker. I hope you didn't scramble your eggs too badly. Thanks for powering through and making another fantastic video. And kudos for not searing a blue streak when you knocked your noggin.
That Island is beautiful!! The trees are gorgeous! It’s nice to see that it hasn’t been ruined by commercialism and the tourist trade. The fact that you can go in and out of the bunkers and see the old tanks shows that the people who live here aren’t afraid to show and share their history.Loved the🌈
I loved it there.
no twenty dollar parking or admissions either to see things and places we already paid for...in blood. Unlike this country where your squeezed for every penny
As a history nerd, I continue to be in awe of your adventures. Keep on traveling!
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Thank you so much for doing this! My Grandfather fought with the 27th infantry and fought on Saipan as well as Okinawa. Seeing what these guys went through gives us a fresh perspective on the horrors of war
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Wife and I watched you go into that bunker and I told her “He’s gonna hit his head. He always hits his head.” Two minutes later…BAM.
Oh man. That was a bad one. I had to take a minute after I shut the camera off.
JD, you are second to none in your commentaries.
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My father was in the US navy, South Pacific during World War ii.
He was aboard several ships but his favorite was the USS Robinson which was a Fletcher class destroyer DD 562.
His memories of Saipan was that it was pure hell on Earth and they felt like no amount of shelling of that Island was going to make any difference.
Imagine that for a minute. The sheer tonnage of shells from destroyers to battleships that laid waste to that Island and my father still felt like the fight had only just begun, which in fact was the truth.
My dad was and still is the biggest hero of my life and not a day goes by that I don't miss him. Rest in peace dad!
As always JD,, just a wonderful presentation and an important one at that.
Thank you for keeping history alive and the memories of our Fathers and Grandfathers, Uncles and Brothers as well.
I used to visit an elderly woman in a nursing home, “Annie”, who lost her son on Saipan. Thanks for sharing! Gives me a picture of where he served and gave his final, full devotion.
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I live in Saipan and I'm very interested in the battle of Saipan. It was said that the largest banzi charge in north of Saipan somewhere in Marpi point. And very recently there was a excavation of a dog tag last month in front of the san Jose church in San Jose, Saipan.
Yep! Got a video on that coming up. Quite the place.
Now we talked about this before. I think you need to get one of those tank helmets like Telly Savalas wore in the Battle of the Bulge. Hope your head feels better and thanks for another great video. 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much for helping preserve this history.. and the memory of those who fought and sometimes died here. Important work...
These history stories are just fantastic. It's like I'm with the guys fighting with them. Very good.
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Another awesome video, it's great that they have left these historical artifacts standing. I don't think I would have been to excited about being a tanker in the Japanese army.
Pretty short lifespan for a Japanese tanker on Saipan.
Just amazing…. The war in the pacific does not get the coverage like the war in Europe with D-Day , The battle of the bugle and etc.
Thanks for taking us there.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
JD stands for Just Dynamite. As in this and many of your episodes. Very well researched as usual. Thanks, take care of your head! I have a flame tree on my front yard in the Philippines!
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really enjoy all these and wanted to call out that the runway construction on Saipan (and Okinawa) also included Army Aviation Engineering Battalions, not just Seabees. I'm a navy guy, but my grandad was in the 805th AEB and helped repair and expand the old coral runways on those and other smaller islands in 1944 and 1945. Really enjoy the work and somewhat envious that you get to see all these fascinating historical places.
The old runway located near kobler village, I used it as a shortcut after school when the bus is full and gotta make a 2nd trip
The old runway located near kobler village, I used it as a shortcut after school when the bus is full and gotta make a 2nd trip
The old runway located near kobler village, I used it as a shortcut after school when the bus is full and gotta make a 2nd trip
I own a 7.7MM Japanese rifle captured in battle on Saipan. It was brought home by the father of a close friend, who isn’t a gun nut and wanted it to find a good home when his father passed. It’s a proud part of my WW2 collection.
Another friend’s father was a Marine wounded on Saipan. When the veteran died his last wish was to be buried in the Beaufort, SC National Cemetary near Parris Island. He told his son that he wanted to spend eternity close to other Marines.
Wow!
You banged your head on a bunker in both Theaters of War! That’s consistent behavior, good job. And loving this series, keep it up.🤕
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JD bumped his head at 5:20 into the video. Good thing he had a bill on his hat to soften the blow. 🪖🧢🌟
Cheney got destroyed and now this video. Turning into a great week.
Wow. From Gettysburg to Saipan. Almost like a Where's Waldo. Thanks for what you do.👍
Ha! Thank you.
I was waiting for it. Then BUMP goes the head. Dude I hope it isn't bad.
These bunkers are small. Just look at the battle damage. Wow. Great video and thank you.
Oh man. That was a bad one.
My father was a Bronze Star Seabee on Saipan he had little to say about his combat experiences until his last month of life ! Very frightening
Some real easy to read books that cover these battles are by Osprey Publishing "Saipan and Tinian" and "USMC Sherman vs Japanese Type 95 Ha-go". If you geo locate the tank battle, it seems that a McDonalds on Middle Road just at the foot of the mountain now marks the spot of the fighting. Hope you get to visit Tinian and Guam!
Those books are really good.
Looking at the battle damage to the bunker, I'm surprised the Japanese didn't use sand or ground coral to protect the lower part.
I've watched footage of Tarawa Atoll, where they seem to have protected bunkers with sand held in situ by revetments made from palm tree logs. 👍
Interesting.
Depending on how soon they had to throw the island together. A couple of the closer to Japan they had to throw together some of this stuff. I think.. long day I could be off
Imagine if they wanted to conserve the local habitat lol
We are going to award you a special Purple Heart for your many head-bangers.
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I always appreciate how you pull out the extras that are far too often lost to history.
Keep traveling.
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I'm 99% sure at 12 mins that tank is Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank and had a crew of 4. Just discovered your channel it's awesome , Cheers from Australia, keep the awesome work coming love it 🙂
Thanks!
The air field area was very interesting and the island has a lot of beautiful scenery including the fire trees. And bless your heart, you bumped that head good this time. Could literally hear the impact in the soundtrack, that had to hurt and am sure left a pretty good bump. Thank goodness you had the old faithful black cap on to protect your head just a bit. Thank you for another wonderful video.
Oh man. I was seeing stars. Had to shut the camera off and take a minute after that one.
Thank you for all your hard work..
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thank you so much for sharing. I always enjoy your videos.
Much appreciated!
I had 2 great uncles in Pearl Harbor. Both survived. I have always been interested in Pearl Harbor and World War II just because of the stories I heard when I was a child.
Thanks so much for another great video!
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Excellent episode as ever JD, thanks for sharing it with us all, in many ways you are fulfilling some of my bucket list for me, I always wanted to do what you are doing, Pearl Harbour and the taking back of the Japanese occupied islands tour, unfortunately for me it can’t happen but you doing it and sharing it is the next best thing, so a heartfelt thanks for your wonderful work, and I am glad that, unlike me, you haven’t left it to late to do. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴🇺🇸🇺🇦
Glad to share the experiences. Thank you for watching and for the kind words.
The hitting of the head enclosed spaces is a long tradition. Excellent informative video.
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Join JD as he bashes his head on historical structures in exotic locales! Another great one.
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You mwnyioned Guam. I met the man who was stranded on that island through the war. He was tv repairman here in Grants Pass, Oregon! I took my tv to him and discovered his indentity quite by accident!
What an awesome experience you had in the south Pacific. Thanks for bringing it home to the rest of of us.
So glad you did not run into anything slithering on it's belly. I would have had to pass on the rest of of the video after finding a therapist. Lol
Thank you for going to these places and showing us things we'll likely never see in person.
It's nice to see this in color. The black and white flashback pictures to present day was the best.
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Dude! You hit your head so hard I swear I felt my phone jolt!
Oh felt the jolt too. That was a bad one.
Still watching some of the older videoz. You sure do have a way of making us feel like we are there.
I would love to go check out saipan , I am dreaming
Thanks! Saipan is amazing.
Love that your finally in the pacific. Check out pelelui while you’re out there
Didn’t make it there on this round but definitely in the future.
I can’t wait for the day you are able to make it to the pacific war museum in Fredricksburg Texas. I have been there and it is incredible plus President Lyndon B. Johnsons grave and home is not too far from there either.
That’s my home town. I worked at the museum for a long time. I did the combat reenactments and re-painted the interior of the midget sub there. It would be awesome if came here!
So informative. I enjoyed your humorous rhetoric.
Thanks 😊
Great job JD! Thanks for taking me to some of the Pacific battlefields I will probably not visit in person. Excellent!
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You deserve a purple heart for the amount of times you bump your head 😄 Bunkers, Submarines, Trees...Love your videos! (not for the head bumping, but the History :)
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My father got his first Purple Heart on Saipan with the 4th Marine Division. His first battle was on Tarawa with the 2nd Marine Division where he is seen in the combat footage. He had just turned 19. He got his second Purple Heart on Iwo Jima with the 4th Marine Division. My father was one of the Marines that fought at the airfield on Saipan.
Wow!
Amazing to see them tanks just sitting there rotting in the grass. Great camera work again JD thanks
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Awesome to see! A 1st for me to see Japanese fortifications that were not underground… Thank you for what you do for a war buff like me…!
Thank you for showing us places that most of us would have never known about otherwise. You live the life I dream about.
Glad to share the experiences. Thank you for watching.
You wouldn’t have been the only one who banged their head on that. History lives on 😂
You have me wanting to go to Saipan now. Great Video
I loved it there. Not the heat. But the rest was cool.
Fantastic to see all of that thank you
Everything looks so peaceful and serene then a busted up tank, then another and bunkers pop up. No one could tell anything ever happened just by looking. Just think, odds are that those tanks are sitting exactly where they were destroyed during the battle. History frozen in time. Just amazing.
When you go into the bunkers etc, I was more concerned about snakes but apparently there are none, unless you go to, what else, Snake Island, but it is off limits to visitors because of the number of venomous snakes there.
I like snakes but sounds like a good place to skip over.
Great series of videos so far, looking forward with great anticipation to the next one. Oh, watch your head.
Ha! Thanks.
Excellent JD !
Thanks!
Another awesome video. Thanks for taking us along!!
My pleasure!
first time I've ever seen a flame tree...great video as always 👏
I'll have to check all this out someday. But I'll try to remember to watch my head 😄
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As you were heading into the bunker, I was thinking to myself, "Watch your head, JD.". It's truly not a complete video without a "dadgum" or two!
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My uncle Ralph Lewis was a Seabee that landed on Saipan in June 1944. When I was a kid he showed me souvenirs he brought back with him, a sword he took from a dead Japanese officer, and battle flag, along with pictures you would never see in Life magazine. In 1975-76 I visited Saipan twice. This was only thirty years after the war ended, and I met Siapanese who remembered the Japanese occupation and the American invasion. The entire island was a battlefield in June 1944. Saipan is one of the most memorable places I have ever visited.
ummmm.....You need to get a hard hat Brother! I felt your pain and I live in Michigan!!! Anything that is a bunker, boat (Ship) Submarine, Tunnel, should be mandatory to protect your noggin !!!!! Great video, love the history, I'm learning with each episode!
Thank you for all that you are doing to share with us and teach future generations! God Bless!
I’m starting to think that you’re on to something.
Cool looking climbing helmet, or rescue helmet with lights! That’s your ticket! 👍🏼
Thanks again for the great videos!
You do an incredible job of covering history (love all the military stuff) especially WW2
Those tanks were amazing, they belong in a museum
Incredible work! Love your videos!
Welcome to Saipan. Check out Last Command Post in the northern part of the island. That's tank and artillery heaven sir.
Love that island.
As always and great historical video of things id never have seen without you showing them here so thank you for posting this. It was great
Great stuff! Interesting to see these less shown places!
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Thanks for this video. You're a braver man than I going into those bunkers
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Maybe my favorite one yet!
Thanks!
My head hurt too when that camera jerked. Your vocabulary was remarkably restrained.
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Have you been to Wilmington N.C. yet? There is the battleship USS North Carolina,Fort Fisher and Moore’s Creek Battleground. There is a beautiful house called the Burgwin - Wright House also called The Cornwallis House. You would love it the history covers WW2, The Civil War& The Revolutionary War. That will make for some really interesting videos. My father worked at the North Carolina Shipyard and became a welder . They built Liberty Ships there. As a child I remember seeing a mothballed fleet of Liberty ships docked along the Cape Fear River . It looked like there were between 100 to 200 ships along the riverbank.
On my list 👍🏻
LOVE your videos and your personality. thanks for more great content!
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Wow !!... amazing that so many of the structures and equipment are still there .
The Japanese intended to stay a long time.
I wish now that I had asked Mr. Gerald Cornett more questions about Saipan.
A lot quieter now then when my dad was there!
Guaranteed.
My Dad Harry J Spanski fought on Saipan with the 27th Infantry Division, I know what he and his Brothers went through, it was every bit as much as the Marines, they should be mentioned and remembered as much as the Marines.
Got some more coming on the 27th.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Thank you for what you do🇺🇸👍
The Mariners only bunker was denim.
Oh such a great video! JD you really outdid yourself here…my only regret was you didn’t show us the rat! 😂
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Enjoying and finding very interesting your Pacific video offerings. I do apologize JD sir for laughing out loud when you bumped your head. So sorry. Keep them coming and stay safe.
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Absolutely amazing
My grandfather was a SeaBee on Saipan and helped build the landing strips while under fire.
I thank for risking yourself to show us this part of history that no one hardly mentions. I would say be careful in some of those areas because of the possibility of snakes. The ones on the Pacific islands are not good to be around.
Wow! Thank you!
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Absolutely a fantastic video!! Thank you!!
Yet another fascinating episode, thank you JD. I believe, but may be wrong, that this is the 6th head banging episode.
Just excellent !! Thank you.
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Just love these videos lot of history.
What do the flame trees smell like? The flowers are so gorgeous.
No smell that I could pick up. Loved looking at them though.
Nice job!!
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JD just needs to wear one of those battle helmets whenever he goes somewhere. Protect that noggin!
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Very cool I have a bonsai tree of those flaming trees they are very pretty
Yeah, pretty amazing.
My grandfather was on Saipan with the 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion, which supported the 4th Marine Division. Before my time is up I want to make it out to Saipan (and Tinian) and see what he saw
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JD, I believe the two Japanese tanks you found were Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks. Japanese used tanks primarily as infantry support vehicles during the war. They had some decent medium tanks with 47mm high velocity guns that could penatrate a Sherman, but they seldom sent them to the islands. The armor on a Ha-Go was so thin, Marine tanks would fire HE rounds instead of AP. AP rounds would go right through without exploding. Ha-Go had a 37mm gun and 2 7.7mm machine guns, effective for infantry support but hopelessly ineffective against a Sherman or even the LVT(A) Amphibious tank. Just a note, the Marine tanks were M4A2 diesel-powered models not the M4A1 or M4A3 models with gasoline engines.
Thanks for that extra info!
The inside diameter of that tank barrel looked closer to 47mm than 37 mm in my opinion, but I know very little about the Japanese tanks. So, you're probably right in your assessment of the type of tank those were.
The tanks look more like Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks. Too many roads wheels for a Type 95 Ha-Go.
Hull style does not match medium tanks.
@@darrengilbert7438 Keep in mind these tanks have been sitting for more than 70 years in a very bad environment. Lots of rust make those barrels look bigger. Also, 47mm guns had much longer barrels than the 37mm.
That ammunition bunker looked to be in amazing shape for its age. Well constructed I guess!
Yes it was
As soon as I saw how low that door was, I wondered how long it would be before JD bumps his head, turns out not long. 🤣🤣
Great video BTW JD 👍
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Are you still planning on doing a episode of guam can't wait it's been a long time since I been back home love to see it great content once again
Yep!
The actor Lee Marvin (the Dirty Dozen) was wounded on Saipan
FYI- if you look at the direction of the canon barrel on the tanks, you will notice they're facing the direction the Marines came from. That's how you can tell they were disabled in battle.
That buzzing you hear was probably your head still recovering from getting smacked earlier.
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Great video! Do you always go on these trips/tours on your own? Both my Grandpa's were in the Navy in the Pacific, always been a major interest of mine, happy you were finally able to go!