What is Battle of Guam (1944)?
{{Infobox military conflict | partof = [[World War II]], [[Pacific War]] | conflict = Second Battle of Guam | image = First flag on Guam - 1944.jpg | caption = Two U.S. servicemen plant the American flag on Guam eight minutes after U.S. Marines and Army assault troops landed | date = July 21 – August 10, 1944 | place = [[Guam]], [[Mariana Islands]] | result = American Victory | combatant1 = {{flag|United States|1912}} | combatant2 = {{flag|Empire of Japan}} | commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Roy Geiger]] | commander2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Takeshi Takashina]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Hideyoshi Obata]]{{KIA}} | strength1 = 56,000 | strength2 = 18,500 | casualties1 = 31,987 killed,<br/> 6,053 wounded | casualties2 = 18,040+ killed,<br/> 485 [[POW]]s }} The '''Second Battle of Guam''' (July 21 — August 10, 1944) was the capture of [[Guam]] by the [[United States]] from [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] control. Guam was a U.S. [[Territory (country subdivision)|territory]] (in the [[Mariana Islands]]). The battle was during the [[Pacific War|Pacific campaign]] of [[World War II]]. ==Background== Guam is the largest island of the Marianas. It is 30&nbsp;miles (48&nbsp;km) long and 9&nbsp;miles (14&nbsp;km) wide. It had been a United States island since its [[Capture of Guam|capture from Spain]] in 1898. It was [[Battle of Guam (1941)|captured by the Japanese]] on December 10, 1941. This was after the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]]. It was not as fortified as the other Mariana Islands, such as [[Saipan]]. The [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] plan for the invasion of the Marianas was for heavy bombing by planes and then bombing by battleships. Guam was chosen as a target because it was big enough to be a base for the next attacks on the [[Philippines]], [[Taiwan]] and the [[Ryukyu Islands]]. The harbor at [[Apra Harbor|Apra]] could take the largest ships. The two airfields were big enough for [[B-29 Superfortress]] bombers. The