With the threat of the Japanese Navy eliminated, General Smith and his Fifth Amphibious Corps on Saipan were free to continue the fight without fear of being stranded. For Saitō’s men on the island, however, Ozawa’s defeat made their own eventual annihilation a fait accompli.
American strength would continue to build while the isolated Japanese force steadily weakened as it was ground down and destroyed. With no hope of reinforcements and resupply, the defenders resigned themselves to suffer the same end as would every Japanese island garrison across the Pacific unfortunate enough to have the weight of U.S. power come down on them with no line of retreat. All that remained was to fight as hard as they could and make the Americans pay for every inch of ground before selling their lives for their god-emperor.
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