Evening star., 1945-05-22
Yanks Hit Shuri rom 3 Sides:
Fierce Jap Attacks Smashed;
Early Okinowo Victory Forecast
Both Sides Suffer
Heavy Losses on
Sugar Loaf Hill
BY the Associated Press.

GUAM, May ZZ.-Amerlcan IN
fantrymen and Marines today
fought toward the battered
fortress city of Shuri from three
sides against fierce japanese re-
sistance as Yank partols entered
the port of Yonabaru ano
bloody enemy counterattacks
were baten back by determined
Marines.
c'The Japanese courage on
Okinawa is the courage of
desperation" said Vice Admiral
Richmond Kelly Turner aboard
his flagship as he confidently
predicted I'VE will capture this
island in the comparatively near
future"
eff the weather doesn't impede p
u.s." said Maj. Gen. Roy Geiger,
commander of the Sd Marine
Amphibian Corps. II think we
will break Jap resistance soon.D
An estimated 500 japanese, some
of them wearing American Marine
uniforms and carrying American
weapons, counterattacked f1ercely
agaist the 4th Marine Regiment of
the 9Th Marine Division on Sugar
Loaf Hill, with heavy casualties
eXacted on both sides.
Two hundred dead japanese were
found after the attack was repulsed
and at least 100 others were believed
killed, but Marine casualties also
were heavy.
Pfc. Paul r. Hunter of Lake
Worth, Fla, commented after look
ing over one slope where about 80
Marines and Is japanese lay dead
That's the first time 1 have ever
seen hill with more Marine bodies
than Jap bodies
Patrols Enter Yonagaru.
Across the island. the 391st Regi-
ment of the 96th Infantry Division
sent two patrols into Yonabaru, one
along the seawall and the other
along the road. The latter went all
the way through town without see
ing the enemy, although it drew a
slight amount of rifle fire
The 77th Division, in the center
of the line, caught the enemy off
balance with surprise predawn at
tack and within an hour and a
quarter had captured the town of
Taira, 500 yards from Shuri, where
from high ground they looked on
the smoking ruins of the one-time
second largest Okinawa city.
The 307th Regiment, using tanks,
f1amethroWers, and self-propelled
guns, made a surprise assault on
hill 1,100 yards east of Shuri late
Sunday, killing nearly 300 Japa-
nese in taking the hill and paving
the way for later advances in ex-
tremely bitter fighting.
Associated Press War Correspon-
dent Al Dopking said the Sugar
Loaf Hill action was preceded by an
hour and half of intense Japa-
nese artillery and mortar shelling.
Will Not Be Occupied at Once.
Brig. Gen. Walter Dumas of the
10th Army staff told Associated
Press Correspondent Vern Haug-
land that Shuri, in the center of the
line, no longer has military import
ance and the break-through to the
city will not be followed by imme-
date occupation.
ALI high ground around Shuri,
whose ancient castle fortress is shat
tered by shells and bombs, must be
secured before any use can be made
of that second city of Okinawa.
One of the heights yet to be taken
is Half Moon Hill, a few hundred
yards from dearly won Sugar Loaf
Hill in the 9Th Marine area on the
west flank.
Marines led by 1t. Col. Reynolds
Hayden of Washington were in
fierce battle for Half Moon Hill
They had reached the crest of the
hill, but were unable to take the re-
verse slopes because the enemy held
a tiny knoll from which they were
covering the crest with machine gun
fire.
Japs Routed From Caves.
Half Moon Hill is believed con-
nected with Sugar Loaf by tunnels.
This means of reinforcement and
supply aided the japanese in driv-
ing the Marines off Sugar Loaf's
summit 10 times before the crest
finally was held after the 18th at
tack.
The 5th Regiment Of the 1st
Marine Division scared the Jap
anese from caves and holes on the
south slope with. flaming oil.
The 1st Marine Division under
Maj. Gen. Pedro del Valle, Alex
andria, Va, an artillery expert,
gave the northern approaches to
Shuri a night-long shelling in prep
aration for tank-led advance.
Gen. del Vale noted definite
dropping off in Japanese artillery
fire as observation posts on the
ridges are captured by the relentless
Yanks.
Three groups of suicidal japanese
carrying satchel demolition charges
tied to their waists tried to destroy