The Maritime Heritage Trail – Battle of Saipan is located within the protected waters of Saipan lagoon in the

Northern Marianas The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territories of the Unit ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

. The majority of the dive sites including two Japanese shipwrecks, two Japanese aircraft, two US aircraft, a US landing vehicle and two Japanese landing craft can be found in the clear waters between

Garapan Garapan ( Old Japanese name: 柄帆町, ''Garapan-chō'') is the largest village and the center of the tourism industry on the island of Saipan, which is a part of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Garapan, as ...

, Tanapag Harbor, and Mañagaha Island while further south in

Chalan Kanoa Chalan Kanoa ( Old Japanese name: 茶覧, ''Charan'') is one of the settlements on Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is located in the southwest of the island. The village contains the island's central post office, as well as ...

Lagoon there are three US tanks.

Maritime Heritage Trail

Each of the dive sites along the trail are associated with the

Battle of Saipan The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June to 9 July 1944 as part of Operation Forager. It has been referred to as the "Pacific D-Day" with the ...

and include wrecked or discarded vehicles which were in use during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, representing one of the most pivotal battles fought in the Pacific Theatre. Each of the stops along the trail are unique because they showcase a number of different underwater sites including airplanes, landing craft, tanks, and ships. These sites are significant to both the Japanese and US nations but also to

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

Chamorro Chamorro may refer to: * Chamorro people, the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific * Chamorro language, an Austronesian language indigenous to The Marianas * Chamorro Time Zone, the time zone of Guam and the Northern Mar ...

, Carolinian and

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

peoples who were involved in the conflict. These underwater sites represent wartime activities that added to Saipan's rich maritime cultural heritage.

Tanapag Lagoon

Tanapag Lagoon (Puetton Tanapag in

) has been Saipan's primary harbor from prehistoric times through to the present day. Due to its deep waters and natural barriers against the forces of the ocean, the lagoon has been an important maritime resource since prehistoric times. Mañagaha and the surrounding barrier reef form a natural breakwater making these waters an ideal haven for watercraft of all shapes and sizes. It was significant to the invasion of World War II. The Japanese Imperial Navy had a base here and launched decisive attacks against the Allied forces from this strategic position. After seizing the island, the United States Navy took possession of the lagoon and expanded its harbor facilities substantially. Today it is home to 9 of the 12 sites that were chosen to be part of the maritime heritage trail.

Chalan Kanoa Lagoon

The Sites

The dive sites on the trail give the events surrounding the Battle of Saipan a new life and can be seen as an extension to the various World War II sites on land. They allow visitors to see the battle from a different perspective.The Submerged Evidence of the Battle of Saipan
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Aircraft

The airplane is an invention from recent history. Born during the industrial age they have been heavily mass-produced. During World War II naval aircraft were mass-produced in the thousands by both the US and the Japanese forces. The archaeological significance of surviving underwater military aircraft is growing fast. The aircraft of World War II are popular attractions on land and underwater and unfortunately are often the subject of collectors looking for a souvenir. The WWII Maritime Heritage Trail includes four submerged aircraft. Providing examples of various war planes, they include a Japanese Kawanishi H8K (Allied named "Emily"), a Japanese Aichi E13A (Allied named "Jake"), a US Martin PBM Mariner, and a US TBM Avenger. Martin PBM-5 Mariner of VPB-26 aboard USS Norton Sound (AV-11) off Saipan in April 1945 (80-G-K-16079)

Martin PBM-5 Mariner of VPB-26 aboard USS Norton Sound (AV-11) off Saipan in April 1945 (80-G-K-16079)

Auxiliary Vessels

A large number of ships designed for commercial use were commissioned by the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...

for military service as auxiliary forces. These ships played a large role in the battles of the Pacific. At least two dozen merchant vessels are known to have sunk in the waters surrounding Saipan during the war, several of which can be found in the lagoon. The sites included in the heritage trail are a Japanese Merchant Vessel (presumably ''Shoan Maru''), and a possible Japanese Auxiliary Submarine Chaser.

Landing Vehicles

Amphibious vehicles including US LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) and Japanese Daihatsu Landing Craft played pivotal roles in the Battle of Saipan. LVTs were used in the initial invasion forces by the US. They were also known to have provided artillery support during the taking of Garapan, before the U.S. forces moved on to Tanapag. There are three Landing Vehicles on the World War II heritage trail and they include two Japanese Daihatsu Landing craft and a US LVT(A)-4 (known as the "Marianas Model").

Sherman Tanks

Three US Sherman Tanks, located within swimming distance of Oleai and Susupe beaches, played a significant role in the initial invasion by US forces. The three tanks are semi-submerged and are a prime attraction for both locals and tourists due to their striking nature with turrets above the water. The area in which the tanks are located has been designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

associated with the action that took place on these beaches.

World War II

: “The Marianas Campaign, from an amphibious view point had nearly everything; great strategic importance, major tactical moves including successive troop landings on three : enemy islands; tough enemy resistance of all kinds, including major Fleet battle; coordination of every known type of combat technique of the land, sea, and air; difficult : logistic problems; and the buildup of a great military base area concurrently with the fighting.” - Red Beach -2

War in the Pacific The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

Operation Forager The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November 1944 du ...

Marine Protected Areas

Saipan is roughly 10 miles long by 5 miles wide and the waters immediately surrounding this small island include eight

marine protected area Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conse ...

s. The Mañagaha Marine Conservation Area includes several of the heritage trail dive sites.

References

External links

''Sunken Military Craft Act'' (10 USC 113)

''American Battlefield Protection Program'' ABPP

''WWII Maritime Heritage Trail'' ABPP, Flinders University

Imperial Japanese Army Page''

''War in the Pacific: Online Forum''

and Announcements – Flinders University''

Text Online - "SAIPAN: The Ethnology of a War-Devastated Island"''

Operation Saipan 2010: Sites and Fieldwork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maritime Heritage Trail - Battle Of Saipan History of the Northern Mariana Islands Saipan Wreck diving sites Conflicts in 1944 United States Marine Corps in World War II Battles and operations of World War II involving Japan Pacific theatre of World War II Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II World War II auxiliary ships Historic districts in the Northern Mariana Islands Heritage trails