Guam 1941 & 1944
Gordon Rottman details the bitter 26-day struggle for this key Pacific island during World War II.
The island of Guam was the first Allied territory lost to the Japanese onslaught in 1941. On 10 December 5,000 Japanese troops landed on Guam, defended by less than 500 US and Guamanian troops, the outcome was beyond doubt. On 21 July 1944 America returned.
In a risky operation, the two US landing forces came ashore seven miles apart and it was a week before the beachheads linked up. Only the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa would cost the Americans more men than the landings on Guam and Saipan, which immediately preceded the Guam operation.
Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. A highly respected and established author, Gordon has written extensively on the Pacific War. He lives and works in Louisiana.
Howard Gerrard has been a freelance designer and illustrator for over 20 years. He has worked for a number of publishers, and is an associate member of the Guild of Aviation Artists. He has illustrated a number of related titles in the Campaign series, including volumes 77: Tarawa 1943, 81: Iwo Jima 1945 and 96: Okinawa 1945.