"On June 14, 1944, little more than a week after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, another mighty fleet steamed towards its own D-Day landing. A huge U.S. flotilla of 800 ships carrying 162,000 men was about to attempt to smash into the outer defenses of the Japanese Empire. Their target: the Marianas Island group, which included Saipan, home to an important Japanese base and a large population of Japanese civilians, and Guam, the first American territory captured in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor." "During the next eight weeks tens of thousands of men, hundreds of airplanes, and dozens of major warships were locked in mortal combat. When it was over, 60,000 Japanese ground troops and most of the carrier air power of the Imperial Navy were annihilated; Japan's leader, Tojo, was thrown out of office in disgrace; and the newly captured enemy airfields were being transformed into launching bases for the B-29s that would carry the conventional and, later, atomic bombs to Japan. After the U.S. victory in the Marianas, the road to Tokyo was clearly in sight." "Hell Is Upon Us describes the entire Marianas campaign - World War II's most ambitious combined service operation (Army, Navy, and Marines) and the largest carrier battle in history."--BOOK JACKET.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 333-335) and index.

1. Rendezvous at Casablanca 2. The balance of forces 3. Securing the flanks 4. The battle of the conference rooms 5. Baptism of fire 6. Storming the outer walls 7. Aftermath of Operation Flintlock 8. Countdown to Operation Forager 9. Closing the ring of steel 10. D-Day on Saipan 11. Voyage to battle

12. Dragons over the sea 13. Twilight raid on mobile fleet 14. Battle beyond the beach 15. Death valley to purple heart ridge 16. North to Marpi Point 17. Invasion on Jig Day 18. Tinian Heights 19. Assault on Guam 20. Raising a fallen flag 21. The cost of victory.