Detroit evening times., 1945-09-17

WorId
In Review

WIN the ETtdl pdillt ny WNlCn
the armed forces of the United
States won IT.
That battle began the first of
April and did not end until
June 23-a duration of S4 days.
Toward tho end, the Ameri-
can Army commander, Gen
Simon Bolivar BuCkner, was
killed by a shell at his advanced
command post.
ON the morning of June II,
when what remained of the
Japanese army had been pushed
10 the southern tip Of the island.
its commander, 1t. Gen. Ushi-
lima. having spent the night in
a final banquet with his officers,
spread mats on the ledge he
fore his cave. and with his chief
Of staff, tremendously COM
mitted "hara-kiri."
American officers here who
fought through this sd-daN cam
pagn, and are still here, regard
the Japanese resistance as the
most resolute and clever that
has occurred in the Pacific.
II was the last battle of the
Japanese army and the best
planned. most skillfully directed,
and the hardest fought.
THESE American officers who
fought it to the finish. give
the enemy quite unstinted
praise. He made no futile
heroiCs, delivered no suicidal
banzai charges, suffered no
loss of control.
The Japanese soldier had
found himself; had learned the
value of the bullet over the
blade.
His rifle and machine gun
fire was accurate and sustained.
Furthermore, these officers
give testimony that the enemy
here made a moral recovery.
He fought honorably. There
were no acts of barbarism and
cruelty; only very brave and
skiiifut fighting, with hundreds
choosing suicide at the end.
/ have spent hours going over
this battle field with the CD
officer of the Tenth Army,
Major J. Bayard Shindel, and
his assistant, Capt. Arthur w.
Becker. No matter how studi-
ously one examines maps and
reports of a battle. close ex-
animation Of the ground always
changes preconceptions. This is
true of Okinawa,
TNHE sector which saw or.
l. ganized, protracted resist
ance is the southern end Of
Okinawa, and 1t is shaped like
a rough, stone spearhead.
T he extreme distance be-
tween the two "prongs' of this
spear is about II miles,
~ lllt NOuNH ~ VI avs w
blunt point, and To the north
narrowS into A peninsula which
is the haft OF the spear.
From the line across this
haft. where better organized re-
sistance began, to the point is
Is miles.
Every mile has natural de-
fense that had been built up in
strong points, gun positions.
trenches, tunnels and caves.
Every line of approach, every
little open space was covered by
cross fire.
The Japanese used rifles, ma
chine guns. field pieces, anti
aircraft guns, and naval rifles
over six inches in caliber with
22-foot barrels, buried IN con-
crete positions
Extending for many thousand
Yards across the enemys main
line Of resistance, is a natural
eScarpment.
It's northern lace Is preClpltous
and several hundred feet high.
For weeks the American At
tack beat against this obstacle.
Artillery bombardment was IN
creaSing.
Naval vessels pounded 1t from
waters of both shores
Hundreds of American tanks
were used; 300 of them were
disabled. Most of them now
have been pulled out and re-
hahilitatcd. but scores lie COM
pletc wrecks on the hillsides
and the plateaus
Slowly the infantry worked
It's way IN.
At LAST this eScarpment
n was enveloped at both ends.
The Sixth Marine Division
worked down the west beach 10
the port OF Nsha, and on the
other side the Seventh Infantry
Division thrust deep into the
enemy's right rear lie was
pocketed. ready to be "pinched
Off.
Yet here Gen. Ushiiima ef-
feCted the one orderly japanese
retirement of this war TO new
lines south of Shiuri.
But the real enemy strength
was gone, and further success
ful resistance became impos-
slble.
The casualties OF this battle
were very high OF enemy
troops. organized in an esti-
mated 30 battalions about
100000 were killed and 1900
made prisoners of war.
LaNtl-