16-167 Garand Picture of the Day - Saipan

[RT Ellis]

It was this battle where Holland Smith allowed his long and well known animosity towards the Army to get the better of him as a corps commander, and relieved the 27th ID commander MG Ralph C. Smith with shameful trumped up excuses for his relief, and spent the rest of his life trying to justify. No one could have done better in the terrain and Japanese defensive preparations, but all Howling Mad Smith could see was the Army wasn't keeping up with the Marines leaving their flanks exposed. Part of the problem as Holland Smith saw it was the 27th Division was a national guard outfit, which in his opinion automatically made the unit unfit for combat, compared to his beloved Marine Corps.

Ralph Smith was returned stateside and was assigned to command of the 89th Infantry Division and other assignments in Europe.