The Wilmington morning star., 1945-05-17
D0UCHB0YS
Die ON 0KINAWA
46,505 JAPS KILLED
Sixth Marine Division
Makes Small Gains In
Naha Fighting

GoAM, InurSQay, May l1.-A10
OklnaWa, longest, bloodiest cam
palgn of the central-far western
Pacific, has cost the lives of 1871
Doughboys and Marines and total
U. S. casualties of 2O,95O, Fleet
Adm. Chester w. Nimitz reported
today.
Japanese losses on Okinawa were
46,505 killed and 1893 captured
through Tuesdays fighting.
Total U. S. causalties on that
far western Japanese bastion, only
325 miles south of the enemy's
homeland, exceed American losses
On Two lima G9,938) by 1,O12.
However, more Americans were
killed on Two, 4,189, than so far
have fallen on Okinawa. The Qkin-
ava battle is far from ended To-
days communique said the front
lines there remained substantial
ly unchanged, with the Yanks
still trying to take the towns OF
Naha and Shuri.
Americas Okinawa casualty re-
port, through Monday, was for As
days of savage battling on an is
land Of some 300 square miles.
Two figures were for the rs days
it required to capture that volcanic
heap of only eight square miles.
japanese casualties on OkinaWa
are nearly double their losses
on Two, where 1924 were killed
and 1888 taken prisoner. these
figures include some 1000 killed
since victory-day on that island.
U. S. casualties for the Oki1l.
awa-Ryukyus campaign, including
carrier plane raids on japanese
home islands, are n, 803, including
6,853 Navy officers and men dead,
wounded or missing. Navy figures,
March 10 through May 9, were L..
283 killed, 3,498 wounded and g.
or missing. Nimitz has not esti-
mated japanese casualties result
ing from Naval strikes, including
sinking of the super-battleships
Yamato and other ships.
U. S. casualties on Okinawa re-
ported by Nimitz today were:
Killed - 2,771 soldiers; 1,010
Marines.
Wounded-11, e75 soldiers; 1923
Marines.
Missing - 129 soldiers; &c
Marines.
These figures were evidence OF
the fierceness of the fighting on
the southern Okinawa line the past
week, where Doughboys and
Leatherneclzs are fighting des-
perately to smash the little Sieg-
fried Line
The Sixth Marine Division yes
terday made small gains around
Naha, the Islands capital city,
on the west coast but the front
lines remained substantially I'm
changed" Nimitz's communicate
stated.
/ Fighting for Naha and Shuri,
considered the key to cracking
the Naha- Shuri- Yonabaru line ex-
tending four miles across waist
of the island, cost the Americans
1,O97 killed in the past week alone.
Total casualties for the week were
4,425. Thus, in that seven days
from May z to May ID, American
dead were a far greater proper
ton of total casualties than, for
the full Okinawa campaign, now IN
its 47th day.
Nimitz' figures for May Z were
2,107 soldiers and SIT Mari ,es
killed; 10,4O2 soldiers and $500
Marines wounded and sol soldiers
and SO Marines missing, total OF
14,625.
The big increase in Marine cas-
ualties was directly due to trans
fer of the First Sixth Marine Di-
visions to the southern front after
they had conquered the northern
half of Okinawa against COM
paratively light opposition.
Last previously announced Jap
anese casualties were 38,857
Continued on Page Ten; Col. y