Evening star., 1945-02-20
Marines Seize AirfieId on Two,
After Beating Back Jap Attacks;
Reds Breach German Lines Anew
Tokyo Reports
New Landing on
Northern Shores
MAP on Page AZ
1y the Associated Press.

1y the Associated Press.
PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUAR
TERS, Guam, Feb. 20.-America,
marines today seized the south
ern airfield on Two Jima afte
smashing through Japanese de
lenses as "fanatically" defende,
as any in the Pacific, Admira
Chester w. Nimitz announced.
Veteran marines moved a patl
clear across the island extending il
an irregular wedge shape from ~
miles long on the east coast to LOO
yards on the west.
Newly captured territory reache
from the northern slopes of Surf
bachi, Japanese volcano fortress OF
the southern top of the island nov
cut of from the northern defenders
to the northern. edge of prizes
Motoyama .Airfield No. /.
Jap Attack Beaten Back.
Last night battalion of Japanes'
attacked in full strength down tn,
runway to the southern edge of tn,
air strip, but the 9th Marine Regi
ment beat it back fiercely and drov,
of the Japanese remnants.
(The 9th Regiment is COM
n1anded by Col Thomas A. Worn
ham, Al, of Arlington, va.)
Sporadic artillery and mortar fire
fell on American beaches on bott
sides of the island throughout the
night, but American forces con.
tinued to unload more supplies, rein.
forcements and artillery.
"a new American landing
somewhere along the northern
shores of Two was reported to-
day in an unconf1rmed Tokyo
radio broadcast. Tokyo said the
landing was made last night
north of the main American
beachhead of the southeastern
shores.
marines, the broadcast said,
landed where the cliffs were
from 10 to Is meters high" and
were intercepted at the waters
edge and furious fighting Is at
present in progress.
Bombardment Continues.
American night fighters broke ur
several japanese air attempts to
counterattack, while Pacific Fleet
units maintained continuous bonn
bardment of the highly priced air.
drome island 750 miles south of
Tokyo.
Territory captured by the veteran
5th Marine Corps in two days OF
fighting represents about one-quar-
ter of the 8-square-mile island.
Admiral Nimitz's communique
was the second somber- toned re-
lease issued by advanced Pacific
Fleet headquarters tonight on the
toughest battle in the American
marines history.
In his first report Admiral Nimitl
said American losses in smashing
across the southern end of the is.
land were relatively light, but wers
heavier on the northern flank O.
the original beachhead where tn,
Yanks battered up unprotected
slopes to envelop the airdrome.
Toughest Fight, Gen. Smith Says.
''The fight is the toughest view
run across in 1853 years." 1t. Gen
Holland M. Smith, commander O.
Marine Corps forces in the Pacific
told Associated Press Correspondent
Morrie Lansberg aboard sea force.
standing off the island.
Mr.. Landsberg reported thou.
sands more marines were pouring
ashore to smash down the japanese
entrenched in a network of caves
on the rugged, volcanic island ano
apparently in dread of losing the
airdrome island from which Tokyo
could be raided by light bombers
and fighter planes.
The japanese, still holding the
wide, northern end of the island
poured artillery, mortar and rife
fire down on the Yanks and put ur
their stiffest fight for the southern
airdrome.
Motoyama Airfield No. lies Just
north Of the American-held terri
tory, won in the f1ercest fighting of
all on the island.
No Mention Of Tanks.
Admiral Nimitz made no mention
of tanks which eyewitnesses said
had been thrown into the battle
Toxic radio reported a tank battle
under way on the plateau in the GEN.
ter of the island occupied by the
priced southern airfield.
Earlier Admiral Nimitz had said
unequivocally that the Leathernecks
ARE taking the island"
The Toxic radio, reporting from
bomb-flred city where American
raiding planes have knocked out 725
enemy aircraft since Friday, con-
ceded that more than 10000 Devil
dogs already had been landed ''by
this morning"
From the 800 ships committed to
the operation, the invaders are
bringing up reinforcements and
landing them," Tokyo acknowl-
edged. It reported $50 Yank tanks
'in one sector"
All front-line reports today agreed
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