Evening star., 1945-06-21


ended in victory today, produced
some Of the queerest japanese
strategy Of the war.
When the Americans launched
this operation as q follow-up to Two
Jima and to acquire air bases close
to the Japanese mainland, they ex-
pected q bloody job from the first
pebble on the beach.
Okinawa generally was regarded
as kind Of preview to Honshu, the
largest of Nippon's islands and To-
cation Of Tokyo and the enemys
ma ipr industries. The islands are
similar in shape. On both, the
latest country Is In the center.
Both are mountainous, ideally suited
to cave warfare, on which the Japa-
nese apparently put all their hopes.
As Honshu could be, Okinawa was
vulnerable to isolation by sea and
air power. =
1t was widely believed that the
defense Of Okinawa would be the
best, tip-on on the problems the
Yanks would face In = land drive
to the gates Of Tokyo. But opposi-
ton In this key OF the Ryukyus
developed %. .unpredictably that mill
itary thinkers now are not 80 sure.
+ y 4
The great surprise on Okinawa
occurred April / when 1t. Gen.
Simon Bolivar Buckner,s 10th Army
invaded standing up. The ease
with which the japanese let the
Americans come in violated one of
warfade's basic rules, which insists
an invader is easier to hit in q land
ing barge and when pocketed in 4
beachhead than when he has had =
chance to dig in on land.
Buckner not only was given q
free entrance but was allowed to
slice the island and then split his
forces IN offensives moving north
and south. In fye days one-fifth
of Okinawa was under American
control.
Then came another fine surprise
The most mountainous and easily
defendable part Of the island was
the north. Here the japanese con-
ceivably could set a price for every
foot. But Marines sped north with
little oppodtion. They
reached the northern tip on April
10 to give the Yanks four. fifths OF
the island rs \ virtual gift.
In the south, however. around
Shuri and the ports OF Naha and
Yonabaru, where the enemy elected
to night, 1t was vastly different
story. BY May infantrymen Of
Maj. Gen. John r. Hodges oath
Army Corps had come up against
defenses studded with tunnels. caves
and artillery and mortar positions
and looking like a Pacific Siegfried
Line. But by then Buckners posi-
tion was so secure that even the
Japanese knew the island would be
lost.
Nevertheless at this point the
hardest fighting developed and Gen.
Buckner himself was among the
Americans killed. Two Marine and
three Army divisions slogged ahead,
yard by yard. with hand grenades
and flame and oil throwers over the
bodies Of dead Japs. Fleet units
ofIshOre blasting the enemy's
ground positions fought Of stepped
up kamikaze attacks.
Finally In early June q surprise
Marine landing was made on Oroku
Peninsula and sheer United States
power forged 4 break in the lines
below Naha. But whereas the enemy
refused to fight at the beaches
where 1t might have done them
some good, they continued resist
ance to the death at the southern tip
even after Tokyo had given the
island up as lost. s~
How Honshu will differ from Oki-
nawa is OF course impossible to pre-
dict. But Honshu 10 sacred AS the
home of the god-emperor and it is
diff1cult-for the Western mind, at
least-to conceive OF anything but
fanatical Japanese opposition the
moment an invader moves toward
the shore
The enemy reports a huge system
OF interlocking underground fort
resses is being built on Honshu and
all civilians are being mobilized for
suicidal defense. II these reports are
true, 1t is quite possible that Sugar
Loaf Hill-which changed ownership
10 times in the grimmest hand to-
hand fighting on Okinava-may
be the best clue of what is yet to
come.