| Original caption: “Jap Snipers, hiding in the hickets, hit two Marines (center and left), toppling them into the sands as a landing party storms ashore in final mop-up operations in the final stages of the conquest of Saipan, Jap[anese] stronghold in the Marianas. This striking picture of battle action was made by a Coast Guard Combat Photographer just as the two Marines dropped wounded to their knees. The photographer had gone in with the invading party.” Coast Guard Photographer’s Mate Edwin H. Latcham (December 21, 1916 – September 10, 1964) took this photo of 2 United States Marines just after a Japanese sniper shot them during the landings on Saipan. Latcham’s home newspaper, the Camden, New Jersey, Courier-Post, recounted the story on July 18, 1944: “Latcham had made his ‘shots’ of enemy positions and was heading to his ship to develop the pictures, when Jap[anese snipers opened fire. Crawling, he reached the boat. Shortly afterward, the pier was demolished by shell fire.” At dawn on June 15, 1944, fire support vessels took their stations and soon commenced firing at Saipan and Tinian. In the meantime, the transport and Amtrac (LVT) groups, carrying the troops, artillery, tanks, ammunition, supplies, and other equipment, arrived off the western coast of Saipan. A heavy air strike along the landing beaches was made between 0700 and 0730 Hours, and intense pre-assault close-range naval bombardment of the landing beaches commenced at 0800 Hours. A diversionary demonstration by 2 divisions was made in the north, while the actual landing occurred on the southern part of Saipan’s west coast. H-hour was finally set at 0840 Hours. The assault was carried out without difficulty despite heavy mortar and other fire from the enemy, which resulted in the loss of several LVTs. Some were overturned in the heavy surf, but casualties during the approach to the beaches were light. Between 0840 and 0910 Hours, about 8,000 troops, with nearly a 150 LVT(A)’s operating as light tanks in support, were landed on the shores of Saipan. A beachhead was established, but casualties soon became heavy because of the effective and concentrated enemy mortar and artillery fire. Throughout the remainder of the day, reserve troops, emergency supplies, ammunition, tanks, and artillery were landed, and by 1800 hours, nearly 20,000 soldiers had been landed on Saipan. In the evening, most of the American ships retired from the area, leaving designated fire support vessels, the majority of the Tank Landing Ships (LSTs), the United States Coast Guard-manned USS Cambria (APA-36), United States Navy Admiral Harry W. Hill’s (April 1890 – July 19, 1971) Task Force 52 flagship, and various small craft. About dusk, a small-scale Japanese air attack was made on the naval forces present, but no damage was done. Latcham enlisted after Pearl Harbor, quitting his job as a title examiner at the West Jersey Title Company, a real estate insurance business. After training as a photographer, he worked in various locations, including Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Majuro, and Saipan. After the war, he specialized in aerial photography, taking photos of Levittown, Long Island, New York. He was killed in an automobile accident when his sports car crashed on Tuckerton Road in Trenton, New Jersey, crushing his skull. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1507.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.12 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 4260 x 2672 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Coast Guard |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 15, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Saipan |
| Country | Marianas |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 26-G-2649 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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