12-170 Garand Picture of the Day - Saipan

[Mark in Rochester]

American soldier pointing rifle into bunker during fighting in final days of invasion. Location: Saipan, Marianas Islands
Date taken: 1944
Photographer: W. Eugene Smith

The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June – 9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was launched. The U.S. 2nd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division, and 27th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Holland Smith, defeated the 43rd Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito.


Red Beach 2 at 13:00.

Information

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[Sarge1998]

Is it just me or does it seem that if the Marine in picture #1 pulls the trigger, he's gonna hit himself in the face with spent brass?

[TMB]

Is it just me or does it seem that if the Marine in picture #1 pulls the trigger, he's gonna hit himself in the face with spent brass?

Looks like it to me but I dont think he'd care much considering what might happen if he didnt if he did have to shoot.

[Paul S.]

Posed for the photographer. Notice - no webbing, no spare ammo, and he's "shooting" left handed.

[browningautorifle]

There were left handed shooters. You shoot how you have to. No webbing, I prefered to not wear webbing myself. There's probably lots of guys with ammo and gear just out of shot here anyway.

[Paul S.]

I too shoot left handed, but having spent more than my share of time wandering around in that tropical adventure park called the Vietnam War I can assure you that there aren't many - if any - combat soldiers who go anywhere without ammo and water if they can help it. That tells me the picture was staged and he is holding the rifle left handed for that the photographer has him facing the camera and has good light.

[TMB]

The guy in pic #3 is holding left also. In pic #1 looks like he has shirt mostly un buttoned something sticking down leftside under shirt. If he shot right hand he'd have to spin around and expose more of him self to hit to the right. I agree with browningautorifle you shot how you had to. Staged?

[Bob Womack]

These could be lefties or these could be reversed negatives. This isn't:


I be a lefty. It's a little hard to tell with the grainy original pics.

Bob

[browningautorifle]

I too shoot left handed, but having spent more than my share of time wandering around in that tropical adventure park called the Vietnam War I can assure you that there aren't many - if any - combat soldiers who go anywhere without ammo and water if they can help it. That tells me the picture was staged and he is holding the rifle left handed for that the photographer has him facing the camera and has good light

You guys have to stop flashing the RVN hold card as knowing all. I did my time too. More even. That's not what I'm talking about. That wasn't RVN. It was WW2 and a different crew. I'll bet there's lots of back up and he's just checking a smoking hole. Posed? Maybe, who cares. It's a pic of the M1 in action. So relax.

[Bill Hollinger]

In photo #1 I think it is a reverse negative. I believe I see an op-rod handle

I've seen more than one photo with the not wearing shirts, unlaced boots and an assortment of other stages of dress while in a combat situation. Who really knows what happened five seconds before that shot was taken? It's all good!