Evening star., 1945-06-09
B-29s Blast Jap Aircraft Plants
In ; Cries With High Explosives;
Final Okinawa Battle Launched
InfontryC|oses|n In
On Foe Supplied
Only by Parachute
The Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
GUAM, June 9.-American in
fantry, attacking with flame
throWers and demolition charges,
today began flanking the last
ditch japanese defense line on
Southern OkinaWa along the
Yaeju-Dake escarpment, which
the Tokyo radio said was being
given arms and supplies" by
parachute.
Marines of the 1St Division drove
500 yards to the west coast yes
terday, sealing off the only possible
escape corridor of Japanese in the
Naha airfleld area, where the enemy
was compressed by the 9th Marine
Division into a 3-square- mile trap
Heavy Navy rifles, field artillery
rockets and bombs doomed across
the entire southern tip front as the
final battle for Okinawa was joined
and the Japanese returned to all
out attacks by suicide pilots against
the feet in OkinaWa waters.
Flame -Throwers Used.
The 84th Regiment of the 7th
Infantry Division pushed southwest
from Gushichan toward Hanagu-
suku village in the opening move
to skirt the eastern flank of the
japanese line, of which Hanagusuku
is the anchor The 18th Regiment
overran stone fortiflcation in a
parallel advance, Wlping out re-
sistance pockets with flame -throwers
and grenades.
Admiral Chester w. NimitZ re-
ported the return of japanese kami-
kaze (suiclde) pilots to the attack
Wednesday and Thursday and said
two small ships in the United States
fleet were damaged, bringing to IS
sunk and so damaged the an
nounced casualties of the feet in
operations connected with the Oki-
nawa campaign. SiXty-seven Japa-
neSe planes were shot down, Is by
the Tactical Air Command based
on OkinaWa, Admiral Nimitz said
The Tokyo radio, however,
claimed two enemy warcraft of the
larger type" and one large cruiser
were sunk Two additional cruisers
and three aircraft carriers were
damaged in the two-d day attack,
Tokyo said.
Airfields Damaged.
kamikaZe attacks likewise in
f1icted damage to two airfields on
Okinawa and one on Ie Island, the
Japanese said.
The Tokyo radio, quoting Domei
news agency, indirectly admitted the
hopeless position of its southern tip
garrison in reporting the hemmed
in troops along the 450-foot escarp-
ment were receiving only supplies
dropped from planes.
The japanese have been split into
two groups. The other. on Oroku
Peninsula, is compressed in a small
pocket, unable to join the major
Yaeju-Dake defense line stretching
from Itoman Town on the southwest
coast to Hanagusuku on the south
east.
Clearing weather which permitted
aerial and heavy gun support of the
ground troops also allowed the
japanese to renew their aerial as
saults on American forces in the
OkinaWa area.
Fighters Attack Kyushu.
Admiral Nimitz reported Mus
tangs and Corsair fighters swept
Southern Kyushu airfields which the
japanese had used to launch kam-
ikaze attacks. The Army and Marine
pilots shot down eight interceptors
but found the fields virtually empty.
indicating the japanese are flying
from Northern Kyushu now
1t. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckners
10th Army troops made gains on all
fronts yesterday. Maj. Gen Roy S.
Geiger's Sd Marine Amphibious
Corps reduced the Oroku Peninsula
japanese into three square mile
pocket. half the area the enemy had
held Thursday.
Maj. Gen. John R. Hodges oath
Army Corps virtually Strengthened
the Yaeju-Dake front, where there
is every indication the bulk of the
$4,000 to 10000 japanese defenders
(See OKINAWA, Page A-3)