The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-23

daylight U s. planes from carriers joined in the bombardment.
 The ships ringing the island alst were pouring in steady flow o1 supplies and equipment for the three marine divisions fighting the hard est battle of the war in the Pacific
 Engineers and construction crews had constructed several roads over the treacherous volcanic ash ter races, and the movement of supplies to the fighting zones was improving
 Admiral Chester w. Nimitz re- viewed the situation on Two in his third communique of the day.
 Two For One
 Three Americans fell dead or wounded every two minutes during the first 56 hours of battle on Two NimitZ announced, but the Marines were killing two Japanese for every American killed.
 Some 5,372 Marines were killed wounded or missing through 6 p. m. Wednesday. 58 hours after H-Hour, Nimitz said. He estimated the dead at 644, wounded at 4,168 and miss ing at 560. A majority of the miss ing probably were dead.
 He said 1,222 Japanese dead had been counted.
 The campaign was the most cost ly for comparative period in the Pacific war. In the entire 76-hour battle on TaraWa, previously the bloodiest, 3,151 Marines were killed or wounded
 Front dispatches said 25 per cent of one battalion in the first assault waves ashore on Two was killed or wounded In the first two hours after H-Hour. Twenty per cent of sec ond battalion was felled.
 The latest casualty estimate re- vised totals announced yesterday for the period through 5:45 D. m. We'd nesday. The number of American dead alone was jumped from 385 to 644.
 The communique indicated that American casualties had increased from 76 an hour for the first 48 hours of the invasion to 172 an hour three minute - during the next 10 hours, but it was more likely that number of those reported in the late bulletin actually had been hit during the earlier period and not reported
 The 28th Marine Regiment reach- ed the top of Mt. Suribachi l6 hours after surrounding the Volcano. First its crest, the Americans for the first time can observe Japanese move ments around the central airfeld atop plateau and pour artillery fire into the enemy ranks in sup port of infantry attacks.
 The assault also knocked out a number of enemy guns which had been laying down murderous bar rage on the American beaches and exposed positions in the valley be- tween the peak and the central plateau.
 Many gun supplements on Mt. Suribachi remained in Japanese hands, however, and these will have to be Stormed one by one. Tunnels and caves honeycomber the peak.
 Japanese troops counter attacked late yesterday against both Hanks of the marine spearhead pointed to- ward the central airdrome. Newly landed artillery, backed up by the big guns of warships, apeared to have repulsed the assault from tne left by p. m., but no reports were available on the action to the right.
 The marines made only slight gains" uphill toward the airfield- Motoyama No. 2-yesterday before the enemy unleashed his counter attacks, Nimitz said.
 At last reports. the marines still were POO yards from the airfield, though some units had passed its southern tip from the west.
 Heavy rains also hampered the marines.
 A small group of Japanese planes made a second attempt to attack American warships off Two, but it was unsuccessful and fighters and anti-aircraft batteries shot down six of the raiders.
 Tn the first attempt at sunset Wednesday, some American fleet units were damaged, Nlmitz said yesterday.
 All sources agreed that the battle on Two was the toughest and bloodi- est of the entire Pacific war. Vice. Admiral John H. Hoover. command CT of forward areas in the Central Pacific, said Saipan was easy" by comparison.
 Natural Barriers