_Marines bypass two smoldering Japanese light tanks, knocked out of
action by Marine Sherman medium tanks on the road to Sumay on Orote
Peninsula._]
Obata organized delaying defenses to include the southwest slopes of
Mount Barrigada, midway across the island from Tumon Bay, and the
little town of Barrigada itself, barely 20 houses. On all approaches to
his final defensive positions near Mount Santa Rosa, in the northwest
corner of the island, he organized roadblocks at trail and road
junctions, principally at Finegayan and Yigo, and concealed troops
in the jungle to interdict the roads which were the only practical
approach routes to the northern end of the island. The Japanese
commander felt sorely besieged, and as his notes later revealed: “the
enemy air force seeking our units during daylight hours in the forest,
bombed and strafed even a single soldier.” Perhaps even more damaging
than the air attacks were artillery and naval gunfire bombardments
brought down on men, guns, trenches, anything, by the Navy, Marines,
and Army spotter planes which were constantly overhead.
[Illustration: _Marine artillerymen, members of Battery C, 7th 155mm
(Long Toms) Gun Battalion, III Amphibious Corps Artillery, take
advantage of a lull in fire missions to swab the bore of their gun.
Soon after, the gun was back in battery firing missions._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 91347
]
_The Attack North_
III Corps’s Geiger knew Obata’s probable route of retreat and drew up
a succession of objectives across the island which would incrementally
seize all potential enemy strongpoints. Jump-off for the drive north
was 0630 31 July with the 3d Marine Division on the left and the 77th
Infantry Division on the right, dividing the island down the middle.
The Marine zone would include the island capital of Agana, the Japanese
airfield at Tiyan, Finegayan, and the shores of Tumon Bay. The 77th
would have Mount Barrigada, Yigo, and Mount Santa Rosa in its zone. The
1st Marine Brigade relieved the 77th Division of the defense of the
southern portion of the FBHL and would continue to patrol the southern
half of Guam. As the Corps attack moved northward and the island
widened, the brigade would eventually take part in the drive to the
extreme north coast of the island.
[Illustration: