LIBERATION: Marines in the Recapture of Guam by Cyril J. O'Brien. The Japanese had grouped all of their remaining forces in the north of Guam, and they were still withdrawing toward the … The only reason America annexed Guam and its Chamorro inhabitants all those years ago was because the U.S. was at war with Spain. The first battle of Guam took place Dec. 8-10, 1941. The United States acquired Guam and the Philippines from Spain in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. Phone: (671) 477-7278 x1007. The 1941 battle of Guam (10 December 1941) saw the Japanese overwhelm a small American garrison after three hours of fighting. Guam tells the Army's part of the campaign. The Japanese Navy and Army took on the US for what was perceived to be a final battle on the 24th and 25th of July. By March of 1941, the Empire of Japan was already flying photo reconnaissance over the island. Invasion of Guam: July 21-August 10, 1944 On July 21, 1944, in Operation Stevedore, Task Force 53, commanded by Rear Admiral Richard L. Connolly, USN, landed the Third Marine Division and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, along with the U.S. Army 77th Infantry Division on Guam. When the Spanish-American War broke out in April of 1898, Guam … Guam had come under American control as a result of the Spanish-American War, when it was conquered by a small American naval expedition. Contact the Park. Landing troops were commanded by Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC. The battle of Guam (21 July-9 August 1944) saw the Americans reconquer an island that had been in their hands before the war after three weeks of fighting, completing the conquest of the Mariana Islands.. Guam was the southern island in the Marianas group. It was evident that the major battle for Guam had been fought at the beachheads and that the conquest of the rest of the island was to be easier than previously expected. Topographic map of Guam Photo by Grandiose CC BY-SA 3.0 After moving through the bush and getting cut up by the island’s lemonchina plants (spiky, chest high plants covered with ½-inch thorns) they managed to get some rest, They were spotted, but the person who discovered them was a native Chamorro, an old man named Francisco. The seizure of Guam in July-August 1944 added another base to our growing chain of possessions encircling the Japanese homeland. Mailing Address: 135 Murray Blvd. Marine troops made the initial landings on Guam and were aided in capturing the island by army units, comprised chiefly of the 77th Infantry Division. Ste. Commander, Fifth Fleet, Final Report on the Operation to Capture the Marianas Islands, dtd 26Oct44. Military Intelligence Division, War Department, Order of Battle for the Japanese Armed Forces, dtd 1Mar45. Part of the plan of the Empire of Japan during World War II was to capture Guam. Office of Naval Intelligence--99, Strategic Study of Guam, dtd 1Feb44. Last updated: March 1, 2015. Click here to view the casualties of Guam's occupation during World War II. The Battle of Guam: 1941. The island of Guam in the western Pacific was one of several U.S. territories occupied by the Japanese during World War II, others notably being the Philippines and a portion of Alaska. The Japanese coercive administration of Guam continued until the US Marine landing operation on 21 July 1944. 100 Hagatna, GU 96910 . Click here to view the Armed Forces Casualties during the Battle of Guam.