The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-22
Casualties At Two
 Increased To 1858
(Continucd from Page l.)

mated 385 killed and 4,168 wounded.
 As Of a. m. yesterday, 3,65O Ma rines were killed, wounded or miss ing.
 (The figures indicated more than 900 casualties in one dayD
 Today the Marines at the center of the Two line attacked northWard toward the airport in the center of the island. They breasted heavy fire from small arms, mortars and automatic weapons.
 At neon the troops were adyanc- ing slowly through hard rain and knocked out numerous enemy gun positions and generally weakened the airdrome'B defengcs," the com munique reported.
 Coupled with repeated counler-at- tacks during the night were lnccs- sant Japanese attempts to infiltrate the American positions. Nimitz said that on the line across the is- land the Marines successfully re- sisted the pressure" of the counter attacks.
 On the southern end of the island, Marine 'orces at noon began an as- Bnult on the face of Mt. Suribachl, from the heights of which the Jap anese were smelling the Anlcrican- held strip across Two.
 U. s. warships standing off Two maintained q steady, lnVa0lon-long bombardmcnt of the Japanese positions. Naval planes deflcd rain and other unfavorablc weather con- ditions to support the Marines Wlth heavy bombing btrafing and rocket attacks.
 A force of Japanese bombcrs and fighters attacked the ships off the island at sunset yesterday. NimitZ said they caused some damage. | Seven Japanese planes were shot down by air patrols and anti-air- craft gunncr8.
 Unloading of supplies is continu- ing on the beaches under difficult ties caused by the loose conposi- ton of the volcanic ash 8horcline." the communiquc reported
 The combat correspondent re- ported that the volcanic sand on the beach was 50 soft that many of the invasion fofcc's vehicles were inircd down before they had gone 1 10 feet. Only Il few trucks got ashore at the outset he said, and for two days practically All of the sup plies were moved by hand to the front. with "cvcn the unconqucrablc jeep stuck"
 Tough, batLlc-Wise It. Gen. Hol- land M Smith, commander of the eXpcditionary Force, threw elements of third division into the battle yesterday. Never before in the Marines lGD-ycar history have SO many divisions fought together in q single operation.
 S50 Dead Japs
 "A Mutual BrOadca8ting corrcs- pondcnt at Guam cstimt ted that 45 000 to B0.000 marines .re fight Ing on IwoJ
 The invasion, entering It's fourth day, was proving the toughest of the Pacific campaign Only sin gle Japane.e prisoner has been cap tpred. but more than $50 Japanese bodies have been counted, Hun dreds more probably were taken away by the ecnmy.
 American dead in the first two days of the invasion were estimated at fewer than 800 of the 3,G50 Am crican casualties announced by Ad- miral Chester w. Nimitz in il com | IpnVi(IIn yHut Ernuu ,n all caSuaIty figure was the highest for comparable period in the his- tory of the marine corps.
 Tokyo broadcagts set American casualties at l2000 men killed or wounded up to la8t night and as- serted that a third diViglon had to be brought in because the original two divisions suffered 50 per cent losses. re reinforccmcnts were said 10 have landed from 90 large trhn8pOrH.
 All units of our garrison force on Two lima simultaneously carried out suicidal attacks beginning at midnight Feb. 20 and All artillery likewise went into action, cOncen- trating cross fire on the massed enemy line and inflicting still greater losGe8 on the enemy" To- kyo said
 Maj Gen. Clifton E. Gates fourth marine division fought uphill with Tommy guns. bay0nctS and gre nades to within less than 200 yarda of the plateau-t0p M0tOyama Air | field No. Z in il frontal assault.
 The marines were advancing in the face of almost point-blank ma chine-gun, mortar and rifle fire poured down on them from Jap anese positions on commanding heights. Casualties rose steadily but the advance continued
 The Japanese were resisting from steel shielded foxholes, OonCTete end steel piilboxeS and recessed caves Many had to bc rooted out with bayOpets,
 Elements Of the Fifth Marine D.