_Beginning of the End_
On 4 August, the new frontlines and scheme of maneuver were being set
up to keep pressure on General Obata and his holdouts, and make a
place for General Shepherd and his brigade. During the afternoon, the
brigade reached its northern assembly area and General Shepherd set
up his CP near San Antonio. In the final advance north, the brigade
would be on the left with its inland flank within a mile of the western
beaches. The 3d Division would be in the center deploying its units on
a three-regiment front which would swerve to the east to take in the
whole northern end of the island and as well support the 77th Division.
The Japanese now faced an overwhelming number of attack forces. And
there would be plenty of help from the sea and from the air. General
Bruce’s soldiers made the principal corps drive to destroy the
remaining Japanese and attacked Mount Santa Rosa. Priority of fires of
corps artillery, air support, and ships’ gunfire was now given to the
Army. These new arrangements were to take effect on 7 August.
[Illustration: _During the night of 2-3 August, U.S. artillery
delivered many rounds of harassing and interdiction fire on the enemy
in the north of Guam. Here, a blinding flash from a Long Tom lights up
the dark Guam night as it joins other guns in the shelling._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 93340
]
[Illustration: _Captured by 1st Brigade Marines, rebuilt by Marine
engineers, and in full-scale operation, the Orote Peninsula airstrip is
home to Marine Aircraft Group 21 and its Marine Fighter Squadrons 217,
225, and 321, and Marine Night Fighter Squadron 534. Taxiing down the
strip are Vought F4U Corsair fighters, while parked off the runway are
Grumann F6F Hellcats._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 92396
]
Making new strides to end the campaign, the 3d and 21st Marines
progressed handily but the 9th Marines kept running into dense jungle
that was such a tangled mess that tanks passed each other 15 feet
apart without knowing the other was there. The division accelerated
its advance in battalion columns. On 6 August, it had progressed 5,000
yards along the road to Ritidian Point, the end of the island and the
end of the battle for Guam. As that evening fell, the 3d Division was
in visual contact with the 77th Infantry Division, wherever the
all-encompassing jungle allowed.
[Illustration: _77th INFANTRY DIVISION ADVANCE_
_5-6 AUGUST_
_Taken From OCMH Map in GUAM. 77th DIV_