The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-02
.Yonks Seize
 Dozen Towns
(Continued from Page D

(Continued from Page D of shells into enemy positions ahead of the ground forces. Some 1,50O carrier planes also shuttered back and forth over the island.
 A Japanese communique conced- ed that the Americans were con- tinuing to reinforce the beachhead, but claimed that Japanese forces had intercepted the invaders in furious fighting"
 The enemy communique also as- serted that Al more ships in the invasion Armada had been sunk or damaged.
 The landing on Okinawa brought American forces nearly twice as close to apan proper as they are on Two, 750 miles south of Tokyo. The northern tip of 65-mile-long Okinawa lies only 330 miles south west of Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese home island.
 Capture of the island would give the Americans strategic air, land and sea bases from which to mount an eventual invasion of Japan proper or the China coast, only 400 miles to the west.
 Admiral Chester w. Nirnitz, commander of the Pacific fleet hailed the invasion as assuring "our final decisive victory"
 Admiral Richmond Kelley Tur- ner, commander of the invasion fleet, said capture of Okinawa would severe Japans lifeline to her south ern empire and make it impossible for her fleet to operate or base in southern Japan. Traffic on the Yangtze river, lifeline of the Japa- nese army in China, also would be shut of, he said.
 The main landing on Okinawa was preceded by landings beginning last Monday on the Kerama Islands 10 to 20 miles west of Okinawa.
 Major General Andrew D. Bruce's 77th Army Division quickly seized all eight islands in the group and set up heavy artillery to support the Okinawa invasion. A seaplane and harbor base was established at one island.
 Unprecedented BOmbardment
 An unprecedented 10-day air and sea bombardment, during which warships alone hurled 5000 tons of steel and explosives into the Jap anese defenses, paved the way for the landing on Okinawa by the 10th Army, under Lieutenant Gen. eral Simon Bolivar Muckner, Jr., former commander in Alaska.
 Front dispatches said Major Gen. eral John H. Hodges 24th Army Corps, veterans of Leyte. landed at the southern end of the beachhead against little more than occasional sniper fire.
 The first regiment ashore swept a mile south across rice paddles and grain fields to the burning farm village of Kue, then swarmed down onto the flat, rolling shoreline lead- ing south to Naha.
 Command post radios reported battalion troops along the shore be- fore dusk last night had driven through Chatan, eight miles north of Naha, against light oposition, ir- cluding some mortar and rifle fire.
 Thew hole area south of the land- ing beach was honeycombed with tombs, caves and pillboxes, but all had been abandoned by the Jap- anese.
 Other army troops, spearheaded by amphibiOuS tanks, struck inland and seized the Kadena airfield, then famed out against still bafflipgly- light resistance. The Japanese blew up 8 few bridges. but others were captured intact by the army troops.
 Another army column captured a strategic height at Nozato, north- ernmost point of a hill mass dom- mating the southern sector of the assault area.
 Late reports from the army front said heavy American equipment was rolling inland over narrow roads six to eight-feet wide and through sandy fields. Many troops walked boldly upright through rolling fields of sugar cane, sweet potatoes and grain.
 Even lighter resistance, if possible, was met by Major General Roy s. Geiger's Third Marine Amphibious Corps, conquerors of Guam, at the northern end of the beachhead.
 Not g single Marine was killed Oz founded in the 1irgt half hour oi