The Battle of the Marianas
PhotographerPhotographed by
Arthur J. Kiely Jr.
(American, 1918 - 2005)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Arthur J. Kiely Jr.
(American, 1918 - 2005)
Date1944
MediumPhotography; gelatin silver prints on paper in photograph album
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 8 1/2 x 6 5/16in. (21.6 x 16.1cm) and smaller
Sheet (height x width): 9 1/2 x 7 1/2in. (24.1 x 19.1cm)
Other (album height x width x depth): 10 x 8 x 1 1/4in. (25.4 x 20.3 x 3.2cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineGift of Virginia Kiely
Object number2005.169.10.1-.151
DescriptionAlbum contains photographs of the World War II battles of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. Photographs are of enlisted men, civilians, natives, general officers, tanks, airplanes, artillery, small arms, supplies such as fuel and ammunition, debris and wreckage of war, and casualties, both Marine and Japanese, as well as civilians and natives. Some of the photographs contain graphic images of war casualties.
The photographs in this album cover many aspects of the Marianas Campaign. Some photos are of General Holland M. Smith and his staff. Others show Marines performing various combat and non-combat tasks. A portion of the content shows war materiel, both before usage and after destruction, an example being a junkyard for planes destroyed in the campaign. In addition to damaged war materiel, the damaged landscape is also shown. Most prominent among this subject matter is a church on Guam destroyed in the fighting. Many photographs show the native populations of the Marianas islands in several forms; doing chores and labor, in a transient state possibly fleeing combat areas, and even some dead civilians. A few photos show Japanese prisoners. Probably the single largest subject of the album is the dead of the campaign, both American and Japanese, although Japanese are shown far more frequently.
Inside the front cover is a typewritten citation awarding Bronze Star to Arthur J. Kiely, signed by Holland M. Smith.
NotesConstituent Note: Arthur J. Kiely, Jr. (1918-2005) Kiely was a resident of Hartford and was a photographer for the Hartford Courant when World War II began. He joined the Marine Corps and was trained to be a combat photographer. He was assigned to General Holland M. Smith's staff and served in the Marianas and Iwo Jima Campaigns of 1944-45, and was awarded a Bronze Star for heroism on Saipan. After the war, he was employed as a photographer by the Hartford Courant, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company in East Hartford, CT, and the Connecticut Historical Society.The photographs in this album cover many aspects of the Marianas Campaign. Some photos are of General Holland M. Smith and his staff. Others show Marines performing various combat and non-combat tasks. A portion of the content shows war materiel, both before usage and after destruction, an example being a junkyard for planes destroyed in the campaign. In addition to damaged war materiel, the damaged landscape is also shown. Most prominent among this subject matter is a church on Guam destroyed in the fighting. Many photographs show the native populations of the Marianas islands in several forms; doing chores and labor, in a transient state possibly fleeing combat areas, and even some dead civilians. A few photos show Japanese prisoners. Probably the single largest subject of the album is the dead of the campaign, both American and Japanese, although Japanese are shown far more frequently.
Inside the front cover is a typewritten citation awarding Bronze Star to Arthur J. Kiely, signed by Holland M. Smith.
Historical Note: The Marianas campaign took place in the summer of 1944 in a central Pacific archipelago, the Marianas Islands. Specifically, combat took place on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. Guam was a United States possession taken by the Japanese in the earliest days of the war. The battle for Saipan was the bloodiest of the campaign. This battle commenced on 15 June 1944 and ended 9 July 1944, leaving 3,000 Americans dead and 10,000 wounded, along with over 30,000 Japanese dead. The island of Saipan had many native and Japanese civilians living there when the battle was fought; almost 22,000 of them were killed or committed suicide. A famous part of the battle was the discovery of thousands of Japanese bodies at Marpi Point, where many Japanese civilians killed themselves by jumping off the cliffs into the ocean. The Japanese defenders launched the largest banzai attack of the war on Saipan, just days before the close of the battle in early July. A few days after D-Day on Saipan, 19-20 June 1944, the largest aircraft carrier battle in history was fought a few hundred miles offshore, called the Battle of the Phillippine Sea or the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" by Americans. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost three carriers and 600 planes and never recovered from the disaster. The battle for Guam lasted from 21 July - 8 August 1944. As many as 1,750 Americans were killed, and 6,000 wounded. Over 18,000 Japanese were killed. Finally, Tinian was stormed simultaneously, from 24 July - 1 August 1944 at the cost of 328 American dead, 1,500 wounded, and 8,000 Japanese dead. Once the Marianas was taken from Japan, the U.S. was able to commence long-range bombing runs on the Japanese home islands. (Potter, 1/20/2010)
Status
Not on view
1918-1919
