Tinian

Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Tinian is about 5 miles (8km) southwest of its sister island, Saipan. It has a land area of about 40 sq.mi. (100 km²). Lightly populated, but heavily garrisoned by Japanese forces in World War II, Tinian, with its sister islands, had passed through Spanish and German hands prior to becoming a Protectorate of Japan b World War I. Under Japanese administration, Tinian was largely a sugar plantation.

Related Topics:
Northern Marianas Islands - Saipan - Japan - World War II - Spanish - German - World War I - Sugar - Plantation

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Tinian was captured by the United States in July 1944 in the battle of Tinian. The island was transformed into the busiest airfield of the war, with six 8,000 foot (2400 m) runways. It was from Tinian that the bombers carrying the atomic bombs Little Boy and Fat Man were launched against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The airfields now lie overgrown and abandoned. There is a memorial on the old airfield at the bombbay loading pit, which has been filled in for safety reasons. Much smaller pits still exist where the original pits were created. Originally the pits were dug to fit the bombs in so that the planes could drive over them with their cargo holds open to load the bombs. Each bomb was too large to fit under the respective planes otherwise.

Related Topics:
Battle of Tinian - Atomic bomb - Little Boy - Fat Man - Hiroshima - Nagasaki

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Today the island is still underdeveloped. It only has three gas stations and its main attraction is a casino. The airport is rather small and it takes a 5 minute flight in a small plane with no airconditioning to get from Tinian to Saipan and vice versa.

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