On 15 June 1944, United States Marine and Army forces landed on the southwest coast of the island of Saipan in the central Marianas chain. US forces declared Saipan secure on 9 July.(Main article: Battle of Saipan) Marine Corps forces landed on the nearby island of Tinian on 24 July. Tinian was declared secure 1 August.(Main article: Battle of Tinian) The naval forces involved can be summarized as follows: * Combat ships: 7 escort carriers, 7 old battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 5 light cruisers, 69 destroyers, 28 destroyer escorts * 150+ amphibious landing and support ships * 85+ auxiliaries