Underwater Archaeology of a Pacific Battlefield: The WWII Battle of Saipan

173 Pages·2015·6.78 MB·English

by  Jennifer F. McKinnon

SPRINGER BRIEFS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY
Jennifer F. McKinnon
Toni L. Carrell
Editors
Underwater
Archaeology of a
Pacifi c Battlefi eld
The WWII
Battle of Saipan
SpringerBriefs in Archaeology
Underwater Archaeology
Series Editor:
Annalies Corbin
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/13636

Jennifer F. McKinnon • Toni L. Carrell
Editors
Underwater Archaeology
of a Pacifi c Battlefi eld
The WWII Battle of Saipan
Editors
Jennifer F. McKinnon Toni L. Carrell
Department of History Ships of Exploration and Discovery
Program in Maritime Studies Research Inc.
East Carolina University Santa Fe , NM , USA
Greenville, NC , USA
Department of Archaeology
Flinders University
Bedford Park, SA, Australia
Ships of Exploration and Discovery
Research Inc.
Santa Fe, NM, USA
ISSN 1861-6623 ISSN 2192-4910 (electronic)
SpringerBriefs in Archaeology
ISBN 978-3-319-16678-0 ISBN 978-3-319-16679-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16679-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015937619
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© The Author(s) 2015
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Foreword
The Pacifi c region covers about one-third of the total surface area of the Earth and
comprises over 1,000 islands and atolls. The Pacifi c Ocean’s long history of human
settlements and interactions with other regions endows it with a wealth of Underwater
Cultural Heritage (UCH), ranging from submerged human settlements, venerated
sites, shipwrecks, and indigenous aquaculture infrastructure such as fi sh weirs to
World War II-related shipwrecks and aircrafts. This extremely rich submerged heri-
tage represents great potential for scientifi c research, education, and sustainable
development for the Pacifi c region.
I n the twentieth century, the Pacifi c was among the major theaters of World War
II. The Battle of Saipan, fought from June 15 to July 9, 1944, is especially known
for its intensity, claiming numerous lives, including those of civilians and indige-
nous peoples. Since then, Saipan has undergone a great deal of change. What was
once a battleground is now a popular travel destination with hotels and other tourist
infrastructure.
T his publication is a result of a project on an archaeological survey off the coast
of Saipan on submerged and coastal cultural heritage relating to World War II.
The publication compiles papers written by leading UCH experts who took part in
the project from diverse perspectives, including maritime archaeology, marine biol-
ogy, education, and public outreach. This book provides invaluable information for
the monitoring and preservation of UCH sites, which will assist in developing a
long-t erm management plan that also addresses the ethical issues of preserving
UCH sites that are still part of the living memory of families and communities
affected by World War II.
In 2001, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage that establishes a protection regime for UCH. Its Preamble
acknowledges “the importance of UCH as an integral part of the cultural heritage
of humanity and a particularly important element in the history of peoples, nations
and their relations with each other concerning their common heritage.” In its
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vi Foreword
Annex, it also provides the important principle of preferencing in situ preservation,
as well as practical rules for the UCH treatment and research, based on internationally
recognized best practices.
T his publication supports many of the principles promoted by the Convention.
Congratulating the excellent work done by the project team, I would like to recom-
mend this publication as an invaluable resource for not only scholars but also the
general public.
UNESCO Offi ce for the Pacifi c States Etienne Clement
10 September 2014
Apia, Solomon Islands
Contents
1 Underwater Archaeology of a WWII Battlefield ................................. 1
Jennifer F. McKinnon
2 A Historical Overview of the Battle for Saipan .................................... 15
Genevieve Cabrera
3 Archaeological Survey of WWII Landing Beaches
on the West Coast of Saipan ................................................................... 27
Jason M. Burns and Michael C. Krivor
4 The Archaeological Survey of WWII Underwater
Cultural Heritage: A Multiagency, Collaborative Approach ............. 39
Jason T. Raupp , Jennifer F. McKinnon , Peter Harvey ,
and John San Nicolas
5 In the Drink: Sunken Aircraft of the Battle of Saipan ........................ 49
Samantha Bell
6 Whatever Works: Amphibious Tractors and Field
Expedient Armor Modifications ............................................................ 63
W. Shawn Arnold
7 Landing at Saipan: The Three M4 Sherman Tanks
That Never Reached the Beach .............................................................. 73
Matthew Hanks
8 Between Land and Sea: Surveying the Shoreline ................................ 85
C. Rachel Katz
9 On-Site Conservation Surveys ............................................................... 97
Vicki Richards and Jonathan Carpenter
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viii Contents
10 Fish Habitat Provided by Saipan’s WWII
Submerged Heritage ............................................................................... 117
Ashley M. Fowler and David J. Booth
11 Captured in Color: The Making of an Interpretive Film .................... 135
Toni L. Carrell
12 “They Drank Their Own Tears”: Archaeology of Conflict Sites ........ 147
Jennifer F. McKinnon
Index ................................................................................................................. 157
Contributors
W. Shawn Arnold Department of Archaeology , Flinders University, Bedford Park,
SA, Australia
Naval Facilities Marianas , Yigo , Guam , USA
Samantha Bell Department of Archaeology , Flinders University , Bedford Park ,
SA , Australia
David J. Booth F ish Ecology Laboratory, S chool of Life Sciences, University of
Technology Sydney , Sydney , NSW , Australia
Jason M. Burns SEARCH , Pensacola , FL, USA
Genevieve Cabrera S hips of Exploration and Discovery Research, Inc., S anta Fe,
NM , USA
Jonathan Carpenter Western Australia Museum , Fremantle , WA , Australia
Toni L. Carrell Ships of Exploration and Discovery Research, Inc. , Santa Fe , NM ,
USA
Ashley M. Fowler F ish Ecology Laboratory, S chool of Life Sciences, University
of Sydney , Sydney , NSW , Australia
Matthew Hanks Department of Archaeology , Flinders University , Bedford Park ,
SA , Australia
Peter Harvey Maritime Heritage Unit , Heritage Victoria , Melbourne , VIC , Australia
C. Rachel Katz Florida State University , Tallahassee , FL , USA
Michael C. Krivor SEARCH , Pensacola , FL , USA
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