Evening star., 1945-05-19
|Japs' Reserves
Battle ID Hold
|0kinawa Hill
Marines Beor Brunt
Of Fight for Poth
To Nuhu and Shuri
B.: the Associated Press.

B: the Associated Press.
GUAM, May 19.-One of the
most crucial battles of the Oki-
nawa campaign is being fought
for tunneled Sugar Loaf Fort
ress, a 150-foot hill covering the
eastern approaches to the island
capital of Naha and to moated
Shuri, central hinge of the forti-
fled line defended by an esti-
mated 10000 Japanese
Japanese commanders desperately
are throwing reserve troops into the
struggle to hold the hill, even try
ing to move columns up in broad
daylight with little chance to escape
observation.
The 18th Regiment of the United
States 9Th Marine Division is bear
ing the brunt of the battle for Sugar
Loaf. The Marines clung to the
northern slope of the hill which
they finally seized in the ninth at
tack in seven. days.
Japs Hold Slope.
japanese still hold the southern
slope and until it is cleared it
apparently would be futile for the
Marines to try to sweep through
the empty ruins of Naha, through
which increasing numbers of Yank
patrols are prowling.
Maj. Gen. Lemuel c. Shepherd, jr.,
6th Marines Division commander,
expressed the opinion that Japanese
resistance may be broken on the
present Naha Shuri Yonabaru
fighting line because the Japanese
are sacrificing so many men and SO
much ammunition to hold Sugar
Loaf and other key hills.
Admiral Chester w. Nimitz's COM
munique today gave no reports on
Operations yesterday. He issued a
unique official account of bloody
feats Of such small units as G Com.
pany of the 383d Regiment of the
96th Division beating of counterat-
tacking japanese in an hour long
close-quarter grenade battle on
Conical Hill.
Japs Prepare for Death.
These Japanese were led by an
officer dressed formally, even to
white gloves and polished dress
boots. This gave evidence that
some Japanese commanders realize
their eventual death is certain and
characteristically are preparing for
q ceremonious exit.
Marines of Maj. Gen. Pedro A.
del Valle,s LIST Division have killed
several japanese officers dressed in
ceremonial white uniforms, presum-
ably formal mourning dress.
Dead and wounded Yanks were
gathered up under artillery and
mortar fire sprayed from hills and
Notifications to the east toward
Shuri Castle, in the center of Oki-
nawa's tough, 4-mile defensive wall.
Grenades Rolled Down Hill.
| Many of the casualties were suf-
fered when japanese rolled grenades
| down the ash gray slopes into Amer
ican positions.
Field commanders said the enemy
threw his full weight into the de-
tense of Sugar Loaf Hill to guard
the flank Of the vital Shuri defense
line.
I Army Thunderbolts of the 3l8th
Fighter Group are flying from the
first new American airfield on Oki-
nawa. Marine and Navy planes
have been in Okinawa skies for
many weeks, operating off captured
dromes. The airfield was completed
IN IL days by a veteran Army avia-
ton engineer battalion which con-
structed airdromes in the Aleutians
and Alaska for rs months.
i Increased air strength materially
stifened American defenses against
Japanese Kamikaze (suicide) plane
raids launched from the Japanese
mainland, 325 miles to the north:
The Japanese Domei News Agency
claimed, totally without confirma-
ton, that five American warships
had been sunk or heavily damaged
yesterday at Okinawa by japanese