The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-05-20
YANKS ATTACK
ON ENTIRE FRONT
Bloody Struggle Has Taken
Lives OF 48,103 Jap
anese In so Days


UP) - Japanese resistance
on Okinawa showed the first
signs of cracking Saturday as
U. S. 10th Army Marines and
soldiers threw t h e ir full
weight against strong enemy
defenses along the entire
five-mile line in the bloody
struggle that has taken 49,
1O3 Japanese lives in 50 days.
Hand-to-hand fighting ragged on
the eastern sector around Yona-
baru. Above Naha and east of the
ruined capital city on the west
coast, Marines fought off vicious
Japanese counter-attacks. In the
hill and ridges around Shuri, CEN
trail sector fortress city, Leather
necks and soldiers fought side by
side against stubborn die-hard Jap.
anese.
In the hills, caves and streets
of the doorstep island to the Jspa-
nese mainland the Pacific wars
bloodiest campaign drew near an
end.
Expending Manpower
Front dispatches said the Japa.
nese were expanding their remain
ing manpower in desperate but
futile effort to hold the strong de-
tense line across OkinaWa's south
ern waist.
Hard fighting which cost the
Americans still heavier losses was
in prospect. But it was believed
possible that once the Naha-Shuri-
Yonabaru line is broken, all or
ganized Japanese resistance will
end. ... %
While Japanese casualties rose
to 8,1O3, American fleet, Army
and Marine losses mounted pro.
portionately.
Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
disclosed that since the start Of
the Okinawa operation and asso.
ciated operations against Japan
on March 10, 30,526 Americans
have become casualties.
He listed American dead and
missing as 1908 soldiers. 1878 Off
GERS and men of the Pacific fleet
and 1899 men of the Fleet Marine
forces.
American wounded were: 12,078
soldiers; 6,180 Marines and 1888
Naval personnel.
The U. S. 10th Army's offensive
every stronghold along the flam-
ing front continued through Sat.
urday.
Slug Ahead
Above Shuri, enemy resistance
was extremely strong. But men Of
the 77th Infantry Division and the
1st Marine Division slugged ahead
for minor gains across the WELL
defended ridges and hills.
The Sixth Marine Division. bat.
Ting in the streets of Naha turn.
ed their attention to their left flank
Saturday and repulsed one couaer.
attack east of Takamotoji, in the
suburbs.
The 96th Infantry Division on the
west coast was developing it's posi-.
tons around "Conical Hill'. They
were pushing west of that point,
won only after fanatical enemy rs.
saults had been beaten off. Violent
hand-to-hand fighting went on in
this sector as the tank-led Amer.
lean soldiers battled on the edge
of Yonabaru city.
The japanese sacrificed great
numbers of troops in vain effort
to hold American forces back at
Sugar Loaf Hill above Naha. This
high ground, an important posi-
ton in the entire western sector
defenses, was bitterly contested.
Marines withdrew from Sugar
Loaf Thursday night. They occus
pied the summit for the fifth time
after heavy fighting Friday morn
ing.
Strong points behind the actual
front we're being eliminated in grim
fighting. Marines and soldiers Used
flame-throwers, grenades and bay.
onets to reduce the Japanese posi-.
lions, defended to the death by the
enemy.
Flame-throwing tanks and air.
craft blazed a path across the ridg.
ed terrain. But progress was slow
in the face of continued Japanese
artillery fire.
Pacific fleet warships poured
hundreds of rounds of shells into
the narrowing southern pocket and
artillery and planes pin-pointed key
defenses in the day-long lombard
ment
Only a few Japanese planes ap.
peared over the Okinawa area
Thursday night and two were shot
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