Truk was a huge naval complex, the "Pearl Harbor of the Japanese".
Japanese aviation facilities was Dublon (Tonoas), Moen (Weno),and Eten Atolls.
There were 10,700 Japanese defenders under Colonel Kunio Nakagawa Saipan was defended by 29,662 Japanese army and navy troops under Lt. General Yoshitsuga Saito and Admiral Chuichi Nagumo The Japanese defenders of this largest Marianas group island numbered some 19,000 troops under Lt. General Hyo Takashina Total: 276 men All units complete the total of: 798 men under command of Lieutenant j.g.
Most of aviation or labor units had no combat training and were not assigned weapons or a battle station, also the number of actual armed combat troops on Makin was no more than 300 men.
A surface vessel and submarine port, with naval coastal defenses, possessed capacity to receive some Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat bombers, Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe" hydrofighters and Aichi E13A1 "Jake" recon-hydroplanes.