Evening star., 1944-07-25
2 "THE EVENING STAR, washington. D. G.
Americans Drive M1t
Inland on Tinian and
Take Third Of Airfie|d
BY the Associated Press.

uuNV Iu1uuV VI All luVIU
BY the Associated Press,
PACIFIC FLEET HEAD1UAR-
TIERS, Pearl Harbor, July 25.-
Americans bent on complete
conquest OF the Marianas have
stormed nearly a mile inland on
Tinian and captured the western
third of the islands main air.
drome. ,xe.pa a.
At Guam, 125 miles to the south
they have isolated another major
airstrip and are hanfmering at the
approaches to Agana, capital of the
former American possession.
OF Tinian, where the Marines
landed at TAO am. Sunday, Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz said in q COM
munique: Our casualties through
July % Sunday were light. The
situation is considered well in hand. u
American casualties on Guam
through July % were 348 killed, ITO
missing and 1900 wounded.
Japanese Fire Light.
War Correspondent Clinton Green
said Marines went ashore on Tinian
after probably the greatest half
hour air, naval and land-based bonn
bardment yet concentrated on q
single island in the Pacific
The Japanese did not open fire
until the ninth landing wave, and
then only with mortars and ma
chine guns - lightly, compared to
Saipan" The Marine progressed at
least 600 yards during the first two
hours.
Mr.. Green said Tinian's civilian
population of $4,000 apparently went
underground as in the early days at
Saipan, three miles north of Tinian.
Hiding in the bushes were several
children. including one 18 months
old They were taken to Saipan.
Americans invaded Saipan June
IA and, suffering the heaviest cas-
ualties of the Pacific war, completed
its conquest July 8.
Only major island in the South
ern Marianas on which Americans
have not yet landed is Rota, midway
between Guam and Tinian. It was
attacked by carrier aircraft Sunday
Bombers from the NimitZ area
and from the New Guinea theater
commanded by Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur, continued joint assaults on
the Caroline Islands, striking Yap
Palau, Woleai and Ponape. Two OF
eight intercepting enemy planes
were destroyed at Yap.
Ventura search planes also at
tackled ShimuShu in the Northern
Kuriles Saturday, starting a large
fire near the airfield.
In BRITISH New Guinea the van
guard of $4,000 Japanese trapped
near Wewak again three times at
tackled American lines east of
Aitape in a desperate new attempt
to break through to Japanese held
Dutch territory.
They drove straight into Ameri-
can lines in column of companies,
only to be moved down by 75-mm.
and l05-mm. artillery fire. Quickly
closing Yank jungle fighters cleaned
out the few who survived
Jap Supply Lines Deteriorate.
Gen. MacArthur'S communiuue
today said prisoners of war give a
vivid picture of deterioration on the
japanese line of communications
and the starvation level of his for
ward supplies. His casualties al
ready run into the thousands and
his fight for survival is becoming
more acute"
The landings on Guam and
1inian, four days apart, were on
western beaches, as they were at
Saipan. 49,
At Tlnian, troops of the I'd and
4th Marine Observation-Disclosures of
Saipan-took control of 212 miles of
coastline.
Pushing along a mile inland in
their effort to cross the 5,0O0-yard
island, the marines by nightfall
held one-third of the l,5OO-yard-
long Tinian airstrip. The island.
less mountainous than Guam or
Saipan, is more difficult for the
Japanese to defend
Admiral Nimitz said that at Guam
troops of the lst Provisional Ma
rlne Brigade and the 77th Infantry
Division pushed entirely across the
base of Orote Peninsula. southern
arm of Port Apra, completely cut
ting off the peninsular airstrip.
The advance left them less than
) miles from juncture with the
Sd Marine Division, which has cap
tured Pitt village and Cabras Is
land, on the north arm of Port Apra,
and holds Smile beachhead ex-
tending to within a mile of Apana