Evening star., 1943-05-18
Attu
Continued From First Page.


by permitting. available American
alrpower to be thrown against the
Japanese positions and soften them
up for land attack.
The Navy communique said:
Pacific:
Il. The military situation now
permits the announcement of some
CT the details of the landing of
United States forces on Attu Island
on May II. previously announced
in Navy Department communioue
No. 376)
2. The occupation began with
scouting parties landing at Blind
Cove, Holtz Bay, located at the
northeastern end of Attu. Main
landings of United States troops
were effected at two points: % In
the Holtz Bay area, and 90 at
Massacre Bay, located at the south
eastern end of Attu.
"3. The landings were made under
the cover of United States naval
surface forces, which bombarded
enemy installations in both areas,
and United States Army planes.
which attacked enemy positions In
the vicinity of Chichagog Harbor.
4 Both groups of United States
troops advanced inland, encounter
ing stubborn enemy resistance from
numerous machine gun nests. Jap
anese forces on the island have en-
trenched themselves along a rocky
ridge.
IS. In spite of unfavorable
weather conditions, United States
Army planes have carried out sew
eral bombing and strafing attacks
since the initial landings were made.
Our troops have established their
positions on the island and opera
tions against the enemy are con-
tinuing"
Scant News Given Out.
Prior to today the Navy had an
nounced only that the enemy-held
island had been invaded by Amer
ican troops determined to restore it
to American control, and, yesterday,
that operations against the Japa-
nese on Attu were continuing.
To this Secretary Knox had added
that the forces involved were SOL
diers and that operations as of
week ago were progressing salts
factorily.
Despite today's disclosure of stub
born enemy resistance and the fact
that the fight has now gone on for
full week, Navy men said the
outlook is still optimistic and prog
ress apparently is still satisfactory.
They recalled the tenacious op-
position put up by the japanese
troops around Florida Island when
American marines invaded the
Southeastern Solomons in this coun-
trys first offensive amphibious blow
of the war last August.
In the second amphibious Often
sive, the current campaign in the
Aleutlans, these authorities said, it
must be expected that the enemy
forces will again put up such re-
sistance with result that they will
have to be dynamited or bayoneted
out OF dozens of caves and crevices
In the Islands bleak interior.
Try to Isolate Eastern End.
The Navy's description of the
operations disclosed that the forces
advancing southwark from the Holtz
Bay area and those advancing
northward from Massacre Bay ap-
parently were attempting to isolate
the eastern end of Attu, which is
about IS miles long by 20 miles
wide.
In its general outline the map of
Attu is not unlike picture of big
beetle, the head of which points
east and the legs south.
So far as today's communique in
dicates the extent of military opera
tlons the American effort is to chop
off the head. Presumably this is
the part of the island in which the
japanese have been most active.
Virtually all bombing attacks or
surface bombardment against Attu
since the Japanese moved in early
last June have been directed at
enemy installations in the vicinity
OF either Chichagof Harbor or Holtz
Bay
The name of Massacre Bay has
not heretofore figured in American
reports of assaults on Attu and it
seemed possible that the landings
there might have been in the first
instance lightly resisted.
Whether there are any japanese
troops or installations other than
skirmish or patrol units in the main
body of the island west of the north
south line between Holtz and Mas
sacre Bays was not disclosed.