Evening star., 1945-05-24
.0kinawa FIanks
Turned /, Shuri
In Pincers Grip
Fighting Fierce Along
Whole Front After
Entry Into Noho
BY the Associs ted Press.

GUAM, May 24-Marines and
DoughboyS of the 10th Army held
the japanese key fortress of
Shuri in a giant cup-shaped
pincers today as they turned
both ends of the OkinaWa battle
line.
Fierce close-in fighting ragged
across the entire front as the
Yanks increased their pressure,
entering Naha on the western flank
and expanding gains made at the
Yonabaru breakthrough on the east.
In the center, the battle continued
unabated as the 77th (Statue of
Liberty Division pressed forward
toward the hill line overlooking
Shuri. There. unit assaulting the
hills was caught in a murderous
crossfire from japanese cave posi-
tions and pinned down.
Jap Attack Hurled Back.
Just to the left of the 77th, a
battalion of the Goth threw back a
fierce Japanese counterattack which
penetrated American lines more
than third of mile before it was
stopped with a loss of between $50
and 200 Japanese
Seventh Division troops expanded
thejr corridor below Yonabaru. in
creasing the pressure against Shuri
on The left and at the same time
heightening the threat of complete
iSols ton for japanese garrisons in
the hills Of Chinen Peninsula COM
mandlng NakaguSuku Bay, former
japanese fleet anchorage.
The east-weSt supply lines to the
Chinen forces already have been
cut.
With mechanical equipment
mlred in the rear, gains were made
on a foot-slogging, slug-it-out basis,
but patrols reaching high ground
west Of Yonabaru reported good
tank country beyond.
House-to-House Battle Seen.
Patrols of the 9th Divisions 4th
Marine Regiment spearheaded the
drive into Naha, rubble strewn Ok
inawa capital, yesterday, wading the
muddy, silt-filled Asato River in a
surprise, predawn strike from the
northeast.
The initial drive carried as deep
as 300 yards into the city, but the
tough former Marine raiders and
paratroopers who make up the 4th
expect fierce house. house fight
ing as they move through the
bombardment-smashed city.
With Naha entered in force, both
of . Okinawa's main cities and
terminals of the Naha -Shuri- Yona-
baru defense line have been pene-
trated. Yonabaru, on the east, with
it's nearby airstriF fell to the Goth
Infantry Division Tuesday while the
7th made a quick encircling move
ment by nightfall, isolating it from
possible japanese reinforcement.
Counterattacks are continuing in
other parts of the front lines but
are being thrown back.
Just west of Conical Hill, key
point on the 4-mile eaSt-west de-
fense line, Maj. Gen. James L..
Bradley's goth Infantry Division
pounded down one counterattack in
which the 382d Regiment killed $50
enemy troops.
Assisted by Rocket Ships.
On the east coast Maj. Gen. Ar
chilbald v. Arnold's 7th Division
veterans of snowy Attu and steam
ing Leyte-captured positions and
hills 1900 yards south of Yonabaru,
enlarging the area of the division
dominates on its drive south and
west.
Part of yesterdays advance was
made with the assistance of two
rocket ships.
The capture of these hills give the
Yanks heights from which their
artillery can dominate the supply
roads to the enemy's defense line
and it lengthens the front on which
to fight the rapidly diminishing
enemy.
In support of the sludgy ground
action, escort carrier planes hit the
potential staging airbases in the
Sakishima group, Southern Ryukyus,
Tuesday and yesterday.
Okinawa based search planes
ranged off Tokyo Harbor, sinking
three small craft.