# Guam (1944) order of battle

On 21 July 1944, United States Marine and Army forces invaded the island of Guam, the southernmost of the Mariana Islands chain in the Central Pacific, with the intent to take control of the island from the Imperial Japanese Army. Operation Forager II, as it was called by American planners, was a phase of the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
The Guam landings had been tentatively set for 18 June but a large Japanese carrier attack and stubborn resistance by the unexpectedly large Japanese garrison on Saipan led to the invasion of Guam being postponed for a month.
The island was declared secure on 10 August 1944.

## US Command Structure
### Naval

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.
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 both Operation Forager I, for the Central Marianas (Saipan and Tinian) and Forager II, for the Southern Marianas (Guam), were under the overall command of Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner aboard amphibious command ship Rocky Mount.
The ships and embarked troops for the Guam portion of Operation Forager were under the direct operational command of Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly.

### Ground Troops

The Marine and Army landing forces for both the Central and Southern Marianas phases of Operation Forager were under the overall command of Maj. Gen. Holland M. "Howlin' Mad" Smith, USMC.
III Marine Amphibious Corps (Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger, USMC)
    Northern landing area: 3rd Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Allen H. Turnage, USMC)
    Southern landing area: 1st Provisional Marine Brigade (Brig. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., USMC)
    Reserve: 77th Infantry ("Statue of Liberty") Division (Army) (Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce, USA)

## US Forces
### Expeditionary Troops (Task Force 56)

Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith
    Chief of Staff: Brig. Gen. Graves B. Erskine
       Personnel Officer (G-1): Lt. Col. Albert F. Metze
       Intelligence Officer (G-2): Col. St. Julien R. Marshall
       Operations Officer (G-3): Col. John C. McQueen
       Logistics Officer (G-4): Col. Raymond E. Knapp
       Plans Officer (G-5): Col. Joseph T. Smith
    Northern Troops and Landing Force (Task Group 56.1 – Saipan and Tinian)
    Consisting of V Amphibious Corps
       Main article: Battle of Saipan § Opposing Forces
    Southern Troops and Landing Force (Task Group 56.2 – Guam)
    Consisting of III Amphibious Corps
III Marine Amphibious Corps Major General Roy S. Geiger
    Chief of Staff: Brig. Gen. Merwin H. Silverthorn
       Personnel Officer (C-1): Col. William J. Scheyer
       Intelligence Officer (C-2): Lt. Col. William F. Coleman
       Operations Officer (C-3): Col. Walter A. Wachtler
       Logistics Officer (C-4): Lt. Col. Frederick L. Wieseman
    III Marine Amphibious Corps Artillery
    Brigadier General Pedro del Valle
       Chief of Staff : Col. John A. Bemis
          Personnel Officer (A-1): Maj. James A. Tatsch
          Intelligence Officer (A-2): Warrant Officer David G. Garnett
          Operations Officer (A-3): Lt. Col. Frederick P. Henderson
          Logistics Officer (A-4): Maj. Frederick W. Miller Lt. Col. Marvin H. Floom, USMC
       1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion
          Commanding Officer: Col. James J. Keating
          Executive Officer: Maj. George H. Ford
          Operations Officer (Bn-3): Maj. Marshall J. Hooper
       2nd 155mm Howitzer Battalion
          Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. Marvin H. Floom
          Executive Officer: Maj. Gene N. Schraeder
          Operations Officer (Bn-3): Maj. Earl J. Fowse

#### Northern landing area (West of Agana)

    3rd Marine Division (20,338 officers and enlisted)
    Major General Allen H. Turnage
    Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brigadier General Alfred H. Noble
       Chief of Staff: Col. Ray A. Robinson
       Personnel Officer (D-1): Lt. Col. Chevey S. White (KIA 22 Jul), Maj. Irving R. Kriendler
       Intelligence Officer (D-2): Lt. Col. Howard J. Turton (to 28 Jul), Lt. Col. Ellsworth N. Murray
       Operations Officer (D-3): Col. James A. Stuart (to 28 Jul), Lt. Col. Howard J. Turton
       Logistics Officer (D-4): Lt. Col. Ellsworth N. Murray (to 28 Jul), Col. William C. Hall
       Left Sector (Red Beaches):
          3rd Marine Regiment
          Colonel William C. Hall (to 28 Jul), Colonel James A. Stuart
          Exec. Ofc.: Col. James D. Snedeker
             1st Battalion
                CO: Maj. Henry Aplington, II
                XO: Maj. John A. Ptak (KIA 1 Aug)
             2nd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Hector de Zayas (KIA 26 Jul), Maj. William A. Culpepper
                XO: Maj. William A. Culpepper (to 26 Jul), Maj. Howard J. Smith
                   CMoH recipient: PFC Leonard F. Mason (KIA 22 Jul)
             3rd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Ralph L. Houser (WIA 22 Jul), Maj. Royal R. Bastian
                XO: Maj. Royal R. Bastian (to 23 Jul), Capt. William R. Bradley
                   CMoH recipient: PFC Luther Skaggs Jr.
       Center Sector (Green Beach):
          21st Marine Regiment
          Colonel Arthur H. Butler
          Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Ernest W. Fry Jr.
             1st Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Marlowe C. Williams
                XO: Lt. Col. Ronald R. Van Stockum
             2nd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Eustace R. Smoak
                XO: Maj. Lowell E. English
             3rd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Wendell H. Duplantis
                XO: Maj. Edward A. Clark
       Right Sector (Blue Beaches):
          9th Marine Regiment
          Colonel Edward A. Craig
          Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Jaime Sabater (WIA 21 Jul), Lt. Col. Ralph M. King
             1st Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Carey A. Randall
                XO: Maj. Harold C. Boehm
                   CMoH recipient: PFC Frank P. Witek (KIA 3 Aug)
             2nd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.
                XO: Maj. William T. Glass
                   CMoH recipient: Capt. Louis H. Wilson Jr.
             3rd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Walter Asmuth, Jr. (WIA 21 Jul), Maj. Donald B. Hubbard (WIA 1 Aug), Maj. Jess P. Ferrill, Jr.
                XO: Maj. Donald B. Hubbard (to 22 Jul), Capt. Calvin W. Kunz, Jr.
       Landed after W-Day:
          12th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
          Colonel John B. Wilson
          Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. John S. Letcher
             1st Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Raymond F. Crist Jr. (WIA 22 Jul)
                XO: Maj. George B. Thomas
             2nd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Donald M. Weller
                XO: Mj. Henry E. W. Barnes
             3rd Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Alpha L. Bowser
                XO: Maj. Claude S. Sanders, Jr.
             4th Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Bernard H. Kirk (WIA 21 Jul)
                XO: Maj. Thomas R. Belzer
          19th Marine Regiment (Engineer)
          Lt. Col. Robert E. Fojt
          Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Edmund M. Williams
             1st Battalion
                CO: Lt. Col. Walter S. Campbell
                XO: Maj. Virgil M. Davis
             2nd Battalion
                CO: Maj. Victor J. Simpson
                XO: Maj. Howard A. Hurst
          Other units
             3rd Medical Battalion (Cmdr. Raymond R. Callaway, USN)
             3rd Motor Transport Battalion (Lt. Col. Thomas R. Stokes)
             3rd Service Battalion (Lt. Col. Durant S. Buchanan)
             3rd Tank Battalion (Lt. Col. Hartnoll J. Withers)
             25th Naval Construction Battalion (Lt. Cmdr. George J. Whelan, USN)

#### Southern landing area (South of Orote Peninsula)

    Left beaches:
       77th Infantry ("Statue of Liberty") Division (Army) (17,958 officers and enlisted)
       Major General Andrew D. Bruce, USA
       Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brig. Gen. Edwin H. Randle, USA
          CO, Divisional Artillery: Brig. Gen. Isaac Spalding, USA
          Chief of Staff: Col. Douglas C. McNair (KIA 6 August); Lt. Col. Guy V. Miller (from 6 August)
             306th Regimental Combat Team
             307th Regimental Combat Team
    Right beaches:
       1st Provisional Marine Brigade (9,886 officers and enlisted)
       Brigadier General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr.
       Chief of Staff: Col. John T. Walker
          Personnel Officer (B-1): Maj. Addison B. Overstreet
          Intelligence Officer (B-2): Maj. Robert W. Shaw
          Operations Officer (B-3): Lt. Col. Thomas A. Culhane, Jr.
          Logistics Officer (B-4): Lt. Col. August Larson
          Northern portion (Yellow Beaches):
             22nd Marine Regiment
                Colonel Merlin F. Schneider
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. William J. Wise
                   1st Battalion
                      CO: Lt. Col. Walfried H. Fromhold (to 31 Jul), Maj. Crawford B. Lawton
                      XO: Maj. Crawford B. Lawton (to 1 Aug), Maj. William E. Sperling, III
                   2nd Battalion
                      CO: Lt. Col. Donn C. Hart (to 27 Jul), Maj. John F. Schoettel (WIA 27 Jul)
                      XO: Maj. Robert P. Felker
                   3rd Battalion
                      CO: Lt. Col. Clair W. Shisler (WIA 27 Jul)
                      XO: Maj. Earl J. Cook
          Southern portion (White Beaches):
             4th Marine Regiment
                Lt. Colonel Alan Shapley
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Samuel D. Puller (KIA 27 Jul), Capt. Charles T. Lamb
                   1st Battalion
                      CO: Maj. Bernard W. Green
                      XO: Maj. Robert S. Wade (temp. atchd.)
                   2nd Battalion
                      CO: Maj. John S. Messer
                      XO: Maj. Roy S. Batterton, Jr. (WIA 21 Jul), Capt. Lincoln N. Holdzcom
                   3rd Battalion
                      CO: Maj. Hamilton M. Hoyler
                      XO: Maj. Hugh J. Chapman
                   UDTs 3 and 4
          Floating reserve:
             305th Regimental Combat Team (Army) (detached from 77th Inf. Div.)
                Commanding Officer: Col. V.J. Tanzola, USA
    Other units:
       9th Defense Battalion (Lt. Col. Archie E. O'Neil)
       14th Defense Battalion (Lt. Col. William F. Parks)

### Guam Island Command

    Major General Henry L. Larsen
       Chief of Staff: Col. Robert Blake
          Personnel Officer (A-1): Col. Lee N. Utz
          Intelligence Officer (A-2): Col. Francis H. Brink
          Operations Officer (A-3): Col. Benjamin W. Atkinson (to 8 Aug), Lt. Col. Shelton C. Zern
          Logistics Officer (A-4): Col. James A. Mixson
          Plans Officer (A-5): Col. Charles I. Murray
       1st Provisional Base Headquarters Battalion
       Lt. Col. Victor A. Barraco
          Headquarters Company: 1st Lt. Emerson S. Clark, Jr.
          Military Police Company: Capt. Paul J. Swartz
       5th Field Depot
       Lt. Col. Walter A. Churchill
          Executive Officer: Lt. Col. Patrick J. Haltigan, Jr.
          Operations Officer: Maj. John W. Allen

## Japanese Forces

Overall command Lt. Gen. Takeshi Takashina (KIA 28 July)
    Thirty-First Army
    Lt. Gen. Hideyoshi Obata (seppuku 11 August)
    Approx. 19,000 officers and enlisted
       29th Division (Lt. Gen. Takashina)
          18th Infantry Regiment
          38th Infantry Regiment
       1st Tank Division
          9th Tank Regiment
       48th Independent Brigade
       10th Independent Mixed Regiment
    6th Expeditionary Force
    Maj. Gen. Kiyoshi Shigematsu (KIA 26 July)
       319th, 321st, 322nd, 820th Independent Infantry Battalions
    Navy Land Units
    Navy Air Service
    Additional air defense, engineer, signals, etc., support elements