This week in the War, 7–13 August 1944: Americans recapture Guam

This week in the war, on 10 August 1944, American forces completed their recapture of the island of Guam in the Marianas. Organized Japanese resistance came to an end, although isolated groups of Japanese soldiers continued to hold out and survived for many months.

Guam had been a US territory prior to its capture by the Japanese in 1941. Although little more than 200 square miles in area, the island would provide an air base from which B-29 bombers could strike the Japanese homeland.