Tinian

Tinian Black & White Slides

Fall 1944– June 1945

As a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Lt. Irving Winkler was stationed in Tinian, in the Mariana Islands, from Fall 1944 through June 1945. Tinian was invaded by U.S. Marines on July 4, 1944 and secured August 10, but “mop-up” operations continue until December 31. Tinian was the busiest “airport” in the world in 1945, as the U.S. Armed Forces used it as a base to bomb the Empire of Japan.  This culminated in August 1945, when B-29 Superfortresses, stationed on Tinian, dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, hastening the end of World War II.

Over 1,100 35 mm frames of negatives, taken on Tinian during Winkler’s tour of duty there, have been digitized at 2400 dpi.  Thumbnails of these can be viewed here.

Subjects include:

  • Wounded from Okinawa
  • U.S. Navy Hospital Ship: Relief
  • Military Personnel
  • B-29s bombers
  • Incendiary Bomb loading
  • P-51s fighter planes
  • Chamorros (Natives of Tinian)
  • Koreans
  • Japanese
  • Baseball
  • U.S.O. Show
  • Construction
  • New Docks
  • Flag-raising