Operation Forager logistics

Operation Forager, the U.S. invasion of the Mariana Islands in June and July 1944 during World War II, was the largest amphibious operation of the Pacific War to that date. It involved the movement and support of the Fifth Fleet and two corps of ground troops over extremely long distances. A crucial problem was the provision of sufficient shipping to maintain the fleet and ground force. In the event, a shortage of ships and cargo space forced units to leave some vehicles and unit equipment behind, and some units had to travel on separate ships than their unit equipment. Unloading was facilitated by the use of wooden pallets, but not all cargo ships had the space or equipment to accommodate them, and on Guam the reef prevented landing craft directly accessing the beach and required stores to be transferred to DUKWs or LVTs on the reef.

Two dozen replenishment oilers were on hand to enable the fleet to refuel at sea. For the first time in the Central Pacific Area, the Japanese targeted oilers. With the fleet at sea for over four months, many stores aboard ran low. These were replenished by general stores issue ships carrying 5,000 different items, such as toilet paper. The Battle of the Philippine Sea and staunch Japanese resistance ashore on Saipan and later Guam resulted in a longer campaign than anticipated, with increased calls for naval gunfire support, and consequently prodigious ammunition consumption. Most resupply ships were not vertically loaded, which made retrieving the most urgently needed ammunition more problematic. Ammunition ships were called forward to replenish the fleet off Saipan while the battle still raged on shore, a risky action, as Japanese air attacks occurred almost every day.

After the battle, the Mariana Islands were developed into a major naval and air base. Hospitals on the islands received wounded from the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers were based on the islands and participated in the campaign of air raids on Japan, including the bombing of Tokyo on 10 March 1945 and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.