Evening star., 1945-05-15
Yanks0penPath
To Inner Lines
On 0kinawa
Face Bitter Fight
After Capturing
Hill and AirfieId
SMOKE PREVENTS survey of big
B-29 raid on Nagoya. Page Az

SMOKE PREVENTS survey of bis
B-29 raid on Nagoya. Page Al
By the Associated Press
GUAM, May 15.-With the
capture of the strongly defended
Yonabaru Airfield yesterday
American forces squared away
today for the final drive on
Okinawa's inner Shuri defense
area.
Yonabaru and Conical Hill, CHIEF
remaining japanese observation
point, fell to Maj. Gen. James L
Bradley's 96th Infantry Division.
Two rifle companies which gained
its 480-foot summit late Sunday
held tenaciously to their position
despite Japanese counterattacks
Yesterday the 383d Regiment of the
96th completed the hills capture
and paved the way for the mile-and-
a-half gain to Yonabaru, fourth
airf1eld to fall to the Americans in
the Okinawa campaign.
Must Cross Asato River.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Lemuel
Shepherd, jr's, 9Th Marine Division
was fighting in Northern Naha, Oki-
nawa's capital, which has been
leveled by weeks of naval gunfire
and artillery. The Yanks still have
to cross the Asato River to reach
the main part of Naha.
Looking across the muddy Asato
Estuary, Col. Merlin F.. Schneider
commander of the 22d Marine Regi-
ment, said: Wen take her. but the
cost may be high"
Conical Hill lies about 420 yards
east of the final Shuri defense line
and its seizure will provide a good
toehold for the final assault on Shuri
Notifications.
A ranking officer said the breach
ing of the Shuri line will be the
climax to the CORY fight on the
island Threshold to Japan's home
land and that the rest of the
Okinawa campaign will be down
hill pull
Naval Shells Bounce Off.
Associated Press War Correspond
ent AL Dopkipg reported that as the
battle ragged along the eastern
sector. with little gain reported in
the center and west, a battleship
stood offshore pounding away at
Shuri Castle. One Marine observer
reported it scored 25 hits on this
medieval-like fortress but they
seemed to bounce off like rubber
ball"
Tanks and planes are being used
to supply American troops in the
rugged center where enemy artillery
and wild terrain are hampering
truck lines to the bloody front.
Troops led by Capt. John P. Lani-
gan, London, Ohio, who has been
overseas 81 months. were the first
to enter Northern Naha. Second 1t
David Curtin, Rochester, N. Y, was
among the first to reach the north
bank of the Asato with his Devil
Dogs.
Chavez Finds Tunnel Defense.
1t. Dennis Chavez, jr.. Albu-
querque, N. Mex, son of the New
Mexico Senator, found one rea-
son why the approaches to Naha
had been so tough, Mr.. Dop-
king reported. 1t was an elaborate
tunnel system on a ridge before
Naha which had been bored from
one concrete tomb to another
There was narrow-gauge track on
which the japanese could roll their
artillery around underground to new
firing positions.
cit. Chavez once practiced law
in Washington
In renewed air attacks on the
American Pacific Fleet, Japanese
aircraft Sunday evening and yester-
day morning damaged a major unit
and two light units at cost of &c
planes-8 of them downed by one
destroyer's guns.
Since the first wave of 1t. Gen
Simon Bolivar Buckner's 10th Army
hit Okinawa's beaches, April l
Yanks have captured or destroyed
1856 enemy guns of 70-millimeter
caliber or larger. The japanese
were using $50 nm. guns on Oki-
nawa-comparable to American g.
inch pieces.