Does World War II end the same way without Tinian?
Battles like Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa dominate the history books, but the Battle of Tinian in 1944 was arguably one of the most consequential campaigns of the Pacific War.
Home to North Field—which rapidly became one of the largest and busiest airfields in the world—Tinian served as a launch point for the B-29 Superfortress bombing campaign against Japan and, ultimately, the Enola Gay.
Military historian Steve McCloud joins Marine Corps combat Veteran Mike “Dirty Mike” Francis to break down the invasion of Saipan, the largest Banzai charge of World War II, the Battle of Tinian, the first use of napalm in the Pacific, and the remarkable tactical deception that helped make the amphibious assault successful.
We also examine the larger strategic question: Could there have been an Iwo Jima without Tinian—and could World War II have ended the same way without it?
This is a deep dive into the Mariana Islands campaign, the Marines who fought there, and why Tinian deserves a much larger place in the story of the Pacific War.
📖 Steve McCloud is the author of Black Dragon: The Experience of a Marine Rifle Company in the Central Pacific, chronicling Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines.
In this episode:
00:00 Why Doesn't Anyone Know About Tinian?
07:27 How the Marines Reached Saipan
11:40 The Largest Banzai Charge of World War II
14:30 Napalm Is First Used During the Battle of Tinian
18:03 What the Marines Endured
19:50 The Horrors Marines Witnessed
23:52 Leaving Saipan & Landing on Tinian
28:46 The First Night Counterattack
48:52 “BAZOOKAS UP!” — Fighting on Saipan
51:16 How Tinian Became the Busiest Airfield in the World
58:41 Is There No Iwo Jima Without Tinian?
1:00:00 Why America Invaded Iwo Jima
1:02:58 Does World War II End Without Tinian?
1:19:45 Iwo Jima Visit Recap
Tales From the Corps preserves military history and Veteran stories through conversations with the people who lived it and the historians dedicated to keeping those stories alive.
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