The Wilmington morning star., 1945-05-22
SUICIDAL GROUPS
HIT YANK TROOPS
Some OF The Fiercest
Fighting In Campaign
Is Reported /

GUAM, Tuesday, May 22.-R-
A large force Of Japanese-soms
Of them wearing American Ma
rine uniforms and using captured
U. S. weapons-strongly attacked
Naha sector Of Okinawa Sunday
night, but were repulsed with hea.
Wy losses.
Fierce action, some of the hot
test of the long southern Okinawa
campaign, ragged all along the Ma
onabaru line but Fleet
Adm. Chester w. Nimitz said thu
10th U. S. Army made advances
on both TANKS and in the center.
Attacking before dawn, 77th Di-
vision Infantry captured Taira
Mach, north of Shuri, despite in
tense small arms fire. This Statue
Of Liberty Division already was
within 800 yards of Citadel Shuri's
northeast fringes. Fighting dog.
gedly all day and throwing back
enemy attempts to retake Tara.
the 18th moved south of the town
in the evening.
Three groups Of Japanese, In sui-
cidal demolition missions, tried
to destroy tanks in the first Ma
rine Division sector. All were re.
pulsed. =.
The 96th Infantry Division moved
slowly south toward Yonabaru town
on the east coast although 1t was
subjected to intense interlocking
machine gun fire throughout Mon
day.
About IS japanese planes, maxi
ing their first strong air attack
on Okinawa shipping in several
days, damaged five light American
vessels Sunday evening: Twenty
six of the attackers, which came
in at low level, were destroyed by
fighter planes and ships anti-air-
craft.
Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce's
18th Division launched its surprise
attack at a.m.-not long after
Mai, Gen. Lemuel c. Shepherd.
Jr., Sixth Division Marines had
fought off the Naha counterattack
by 400 to 900 Japanese. Halt OF the
attackers were killed and the rest
driven back by the Leatherneck
veterans.
1t, Gen. Union Bolivar Buckner.
Jr., 10th Army attacked heavily
along most of the Okinawa front
throughout yesterday against con-
tinued stiff resistance from cave
and pillbox-entrenched Nipponese.
Fleet arriving one search planes
have sunk $3.50 tons Of Japanese
shipping and damaged 81,50O tons
since Inauguration Of their sw eeps
to Korean and Japanese waters.
They also have destroyed 81 Japa-
nese planes and damaged Is. These
flour-motored Privateers and Lib
orators twin engined mariners
went into action from Okinawa
bases only few weeks ago.
Their latest raid was bomb
ing attack on Yaku Island, north
ern Ryukyus, where they started
large fires.
Marine planes attacked the
Palaus and Marshalls.
One Army Mitchell bomber was
lost to antiaircraft fire in an at
tack on Minami cape, Shumushu
Island, northern Kuriles, Sunday.
Navy search planes attacked tar
gets mr., Param11rhiS0
Maj. John R. Hodge, commands
err of the 10th Army's oath Corps.
said decrease of Japanese NOR
tar and artillery fire at night indi-
Gated American bleeding tactics
nave cut the strength of the "a.
envy, denied outside reinforce,
mentS.
But the Nipponese, believed to
have still around 10000 troops
massed along the four-mile line,
piled from caves and tunnels of
their hill defenses and fought the
Yanks to the death. Front reports
said the First Marine Division
in a mighty tank-supported thrust
drove to the crest of the last ridge
overlooking Shuri, second largest
city on the island.
Shuri is mass of rubble, blasted
by Naval and land artillery and
aerial bombs, but Shuri castle,
thick-walled and moated home of
Medieval Ryukyuan warlords, re-
NAMED a tough bastion to be
cracked.
The 77th Divisions attack in
Continued on Page Eight; Col. 81