Tinian, Saipan, and Guam are the major island in the Marina Group. This American territory was captured by the Japanese on December 8, 1941 three hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

During the war, the islands contained major Japanese airfields and defenses.   At the height of its defense, there were 19,000 men under General Takashuina based on the island.   The Marianas Islands owe much of their historical significance to a single month: June 1944. The June 1944 air battle off the coast of Saipan, known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", saw the destruction of over 300 Japanese aircraft. The same month, the US Navy opened one of the greatest naval expeditions yet attempted: "Operation Forager" the invasion of Saipan, Tinian and Guam.  

All three islands were liberated during the summer of 1944. Following liberation, the islands served as bases for the B-29 Superfortress bombing campaign against the Japanese home islands. The bombers that delivered the first atomic weapons used in combat took off from Tinian.