Evening star., 1944-07-22
Reinforcenlents
Swarm Ashore
Guam Drive
Speedy Recopture
Of Key Defense
Port Expected
MAP on Page A-4.)
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PACIFIC FLEET HEAD
QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, July
22.-The American operations on
Guam were pushed ahead of
schedule today by steadily rein
forced troops swarming off ships
onto that former United States
outpost.
They threatened to pinch of and
quickly capture Port Apra, core of
Guam's defense system on the west
coast. From mile-long beachheads
easily won north and south of the
fine harbor, marines and soldiers
moved inland to scale heights domi-
mating its rear.
Communicates and war corre-
spondent eyewitness reports from
the scene of Thursdays invasion
told of swift progress and light cas-
ualties.
The Toxic radp last night ac-
knowledged the American landings
Shore Defenses Stilled.
John r. Henry. representing the
combined Allied press, reported from
a flagship at Guam that all Japs
and shore defenses were gouged out
of the landing areas by some Of the
10000 tons of explosives spread over
the island through II straight days
by warships and planes. 1t the last
eight minutes before the first
Americans landed at 1928 am
Thursday, the warships alone poured
more than so tons of exploding steel
each minute on the enemy.
I'VE simply blasted the Japs to
hell out of there and up into the
trees" said Rear Admiral Richard
w. Connolly of Washington, D. c.,
commanding the ampribious opera
tions.
The Yanks encountered stiffenins
resistance inland. But they had
tanks to lead them, artillery at their
backs. Offshore, battleships, cruis-
ers and destroyers held unchallenged
command of the seas. Above. Amer
lean planes apparently monopolized
the skies for Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz's communiques made NO
mention Of the enemy air force.
Operation Called Smooth.
Mr.. Henry characterized the Guam
undertaking as the smoothiest
amphibious operation Of the Pacific
war. Less than four hours after
the landings. the beaches were
crammed with incoming necessities
of warfare like ammunition, rations
water and medical supplies and
gasoline"
Tokyo radios claim of ''tremen-
dous losses inflicted by our forces
was refuted by Nimitz communioue
last night stating preliminary esti-
mates indicate that our casualties
are moderate"
Dead Americans were hard to
find" Mr.. Henry wrote.
The preparatory air and naval
attacks quadrupled in length those
which preceded the landings five
weeks ago on Saipan, 125 miles tc
the north of Guam in the same
Marianas chain.
Naval gunfire literally excavated
the Japanese coastal defenses
camouflaged blockhouses and beach
barriers" at Guam, Mr.. Henry said
Planes Establish Record.
On the day preceding the land
ings, carrier planes established 9
Pacific record by dropping 627 tons
of bombs and lat individual rock
cts. The day of the landing, the
warships sprayed Guam defenses
with 1,100 tons of shells.
Admiral NimitZ's communicates
last night listed a new strike by
Navy land-based Liberators, pre-.
sumably operating from Saipan, al
Chichi Jima and Haha Jima. which
are in the Bonin Islands a little
over 600 miles south of Tokyo. A
Jap destroyer was among targets
bombed.
In the Southwest Pacific, bombers
in Gen. Douglas MacArthur's COM
mand area added to their amazing
score of japanese ships sunk OF
damaged. They sank an oil-laden
ship and two coastal vessels of
Northwest Dutch New Guinea and
left another coastal vessel in flames
off Timor.