U.S. Marine gunners blast Japanese vessels at Saipan. Japanese vessels hit by U.S.

U.S. Marine gunners blast Japanese vessels at Saipan. Japanese vessels hit by U.S. Marine artillery go up in flames at anchorages near Garapan, capital of Saipan. The boat in the foreground bears the Japanese emblem. Enemy resistance on Saipan in the Central Pacific Marianas ended on July 8, 1944, after 25 days of bitter fighting. Saipan was a major base within the inner zone of Japanese defenses, and lies less than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the enemy homeland. The magnitude of the loss was revealed when the entire Japanese cabinet resigned following former Premier Hideki Tojo's announcement of the American victory.