The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-10
Fitzpatrick Describes
 Asan Beach Engagement
Former Democrat Reporter Has "Ringside" Seat, Own Fox-Hole as Leathernecks Slug It Out With Concealed Nps - Vivid
 Account Received.

Ry Sergeant Ray Kirkpatrick. @ Pleasant street, Waterbury. Conn., a Marine Corps Combat corresp0n- dent, formerly Of the Waterbury Oem0erat.)
 Guam-l delayed)- Heavy black smoke from rockets hung low oyel Asan Beach as the first waves ol amphibian tractors began carrying Marines ashore. Our naval fire had just been lifted from the beach and there was 6 m0mentary air of strange quiet.
 Waves of planes moved inland. bombing and stTafing as they raced across the early morning sky. To this new bedlam was added the roar of guns from arm0red amphi- b!an tractors, which proceeded the first troop carrying amphtracks.
 There was still no return fire from the beach as the amphtraeks clcsed in within i50 yards, Then the Japs went into action, with mortars and artillery, Mortar shells began dropping about the tractors, accompanied by an occasional shell.
 Riding in a command tractor be- hind the second wave, a group oi us saw the first armOred tractor go out of action. A mortar shell caught it squarely ip the turret,
 A second later, a Buffalo tractor ran into a land mine and its tracks were blown off. The JapS' fire grew even heavier as the tractors crunch ed their way across coral on the last few yards to the beach. To our left, and amphtraek was hit and knocked oyer on its side apparently by an apti-tapk or dual purpose gun.
 Sgerying to avoid the last barbed wire and underwater traps, the tFae' tors pulled up on the beach uneeg a hail of mortar shells, The de' parked troops, after first taking cover behind a head-high bank on the beach, began to move inland Just as they did so, and as the tFae' tors were turning to return fol more troops, Jap machine guns be- gan pouring fire down the line ol the beach,
 AS the amphiFacks numbered back into the water, one on each side of us hit mines and were dis abled. Smoke rising from otbel knOcked-Out tractors showed that the first landings had not been made without Loss, Exploding moF' tar shells followed OuF tractors tal out into the water,
 MorlaT fire and occasional Rr' tjllery harassed succeeding Waye' as they went in, and mines cons tlnued to take their toll,
 When tank lighters began head ing for the beach, the enemy be' gan a furious barrage aimed al keeping the tanks from being fer' Tied tO the beach, Geysers 0f wa ter splashed high along the wll0lf beach front Some of the Nghtef' were hit, but most Of them got m
 Another fierce mortar balFaei came jD early afternoon, as bgbt' CTS and tractors gathered 0ffshoff to haul iD supplies and equipment Two or three times, the shells were being l0bbed ip so steadily that fbf lransfeV point had to be moved fartheg back from the beach,
 Going iD HlidFafteFp00n with { tractor load Of higbseKploslVe anl' muDltloD, We found that m0FLali were not causing the 0nly trouble Neag the beach, our tractor became caught OD coral "a high, pointed coral growth, and the Buffalo Rl' most t0ppled over As the drlVel struggled 10 change gears, . m0fial shell dropped so close that waiel splashed into the cargo e0mpaTt' lnent, We had 10 back of, and ai we did, the machine gunner leaned Into the operators cabin and seTeamedl "Pbe other wayl Turn t0 the other sidel" The igaelel eageened into a luFehing wblFl Tbe machine RnnnRr, Wiplng hls brow pointed down to the water, TaaFe