World War II
Tinian, with its sister islands, passed through Spanish and German hands prior to becoming a protectorate of Japan after WW I. Under Japanese administration, Tinian was largely a sugar plantation.
The island was lightly populated but heavily garrisoned by Japanese forces in WW II. It was captured by US forces in July 1944 in the Battle of Tinian. The island was transformed into the busiest airbase of the war, with two B-29 airfields (West and North) having six 8,500 foot (2700 m) runways. The four runways at the North Field are now overgrown and abandoned. The West Field runways are still in use as the Tinian International Airport.
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Famous quotes containing the words world and/or war:
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