Evening star., 1943-05-23
jap Resistance StifYens.


On May 10 Mr.. Burns ,urote the
tollo1Ctnq account OF the battle
for Attu:
japanese resistance has stiffened,
and a toll is being taken of Amer
ican troops, according to eyewitness
accounts Of two Navy patrol plane
pilots who were cruising over the
Holtz Bay sector for two hours
Thursday. three days after the sue
cessful American landing.
Patrol Plane Comdr. Harry r.
Barnhost, Is. of Cincinnati, Ohio,
said they were taking out a steady
string of stretchers on barges out
Of the northwest corner of Holtz
Bay" There were transferred to a
ship standing offshore.
Each landing barge carried eight
stretchers with four attendants. 1t
q. g. Barnhorst reported. I'VE
few low over them and even the
guys on the stretchers waved at
U.S."
Weather Very 'Soupy.'
1t. Barnhorst's navigator, 1t. q.
g. Maurice w. Chilcote, of St.
Joseph, Mo-, said that "at least IS
barges made the trip to the vessel
during the two hours"
The pilot and navigator could not
see the cove about 31a miles north
west of Holtz Bay where one of
three initial landings we're made.
because the weather was "soupy"
Sea-level temperature was about
40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was
freezing 400 feet up. I'VE never
got over 400 feet all day" said 1t.
Barnhorst. What weather."
BY WILLIAM l.. WORDEN,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
MASSACRE BAY, Attu Island,
May IA Delayed Reinforced
American invasion forces continued
to push toward the high passes of
Attu today against stubborn jap
anese opposition which was selling
each foot Of soggy ground at the
highest possible price
Forces at Massacre Bay were about
miles from the beach in a rough
battle front extending across the
floor Of the last valley before the
pass between Massacre and Holtz
Bays. Forces which landed near
Holtz Bay remained in control Of
heights overlooking that bay and
about 400 yards from it. A third
small force on the north side of the
island in the Blind Bay area was
holding a small section which would
enable it to combine with the Holtz
Bay group at the proper time.
All advances were extremely slow
hampered by japanese machine gun
and mortar fire and snipers who
worked the tops of the ow-cov-
cred, fog-hidden ridges.
Airmen Support Troops.
The first American attempt here
to use air forces in support of 'front.'
line troops was made this afternoon
by a group Of fighting planes which
roared up the valley from Massacre
Bay to Black Mountain. However
fog shrouding the peaks prevented
effective use Of the planes and re-
suited in the loss of one of them
which hit hidden mountain in full
view of the front line troops and
crashed in flames.
Costly frontal attacks by ground
forces were held up pending the
elimination of machine gun nests
and mortar positions which would
at the moment make such assaults
expensive
The artillery barrage continued
all day on the Massacre Bay side
of the island. Shore guns passed
the 500-round mark before the end
of the third day of firing, and were
still pumping shells into the Jap
held passes tonight, with occasional
assistance from naval batteries.
Americans so far have captured
no japanese prisoners on the Mas
sacre Bay front. Numbers of jap
anese snipers and members of reg
ular front-line units have been
killed in hand-to-hand fighting, in
cluding a surprisingly high percen-
ta8e OF junior officers. American
losses so far have been compara-
lively light. casualties consisting
mostly OF non-fatal wounds from
small caliber Jap rife and machine
gun fire.
Dihicult Supply Task.
On this side Of the islands, the
American forces are In the unenvi-
able position Of having TO bring
supplies to their front lines by
hand-or rather. on the backs of
soldiers. No roads exist and the
tundra is so deep Is to make quick
huildin9 Of them difncult II not
inipossible.
| Iieht caterpillAr-type tractors are