Sacred Band supporting a complex of subcamps, including Oranienburg It is thought that at least 100,000 died at Sachsenhausen See also prisoners of war; Smersh SACRED BAND A small force of several hundred Greek commandos—all officers or cadets—who fought alongside the French and then New Zealanders in Tunisia in 1942, then under British command on Samos in the Dodecanese campaign in 1943 After expanding to a regiment of about 1,000 men, it fought in Athens in 1944 See also Raiding Forces SADO ISLAND “MASSACRE” A sensationalist 1996 book, Betrayal in High Places by James MacKay, purported to show that 387 prisoners of war were massacred by the Japanese on Sado Island in 1945, and that high-level Western authorities had covered up the massacre Serious historians have shown that the allegation is utterly false, a complete fabrication from whole cloth SAFEHAVEN A Western Allied program set up in 1944 to track down escaping Nazis and take control of German resources abroad It targeted many countries, but principally focused on Argentina, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey See also ratlines SAIPAN (JUNE 15–JULY 9, 1944) The Western Allied assault fleet comprised 15 battleships, several fleet carriers, multiple cruisers, dozens of destroyers, and 71,000 U.S Marines Intelligence estimates said the attacking force faced only 12,000 Japanese, whereas 32,000 defenders actually awaited them The Japanese were led by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who commanded the elite carrier attack fleet at Pearl Harbor and in the Indian Ocean, at Midway, and in several smaller battles during the Guadalcanal campaign (1942–1943) By 1944 he was in disgrace and was reduced to command of Saipan’s defenses These included 6,000 crack Rikusentai The amphibious assault commenced on June 15 By the end of the day 20,000 U.S marines had landed, many from 719 amphtracs used in the invasion Some 2,000 were casualties by nightfall The Japanese fought ferociously: instead of victory, most officers and many men spoke of “honorable death.” Nagumo radioed Tokyo: “With 10,000 deaths, we hope to requite the Imperial favor.” After sending this morally vulgar, death cult message to the Shoˉwa Emperor, the top three Japanese commanders ordered their aides to kill them Nagumo died from a bullet fired into his brain by a subordinate Over three weeks of combat each side saw horror and too much death Ragged Japanese survivors close the fight with the largest, most desperate banzai charge of the war In the failing light of July 6–7, some 3,000 or more Japanese carried out the charge Some carried rifles or grenades, others had only sharpened bamboo sticks Wounded and sick men brought up the pathetic rear of the formation, driven and hobbling toward death for the Emperor 952