The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1945-04-06
Island Fight
Bloody Tilt
Continued from Page ID

Air scouts reported that Naha
showed no signs Of civilians OF
troops. The ruins of OkinawaG
largest city still were burning fit
fully from a mauling by U. s. air,
sea and artillery forces.
Field reports said the Japanese
appeared to be preparing for a
defense in depth. When the hill
line before Naha is broken they are
expected to undertake a stand on a
secondary line several miles south.
Already the defenders were dig
ging in along the line based on the
triangular cluster Of hills before
Naha. Assault forces pushing down
the isthmus were slowed up, and
bloody fighting was forecast.
ut looks like both sides will start
shedding blood now" 10th army
spokesman said.
Heavy fighting ragged on the ap-
proaches to hill mass extending
across the three and-a- half mile
wide southern ankle Of Okinawa
some four miles above the key
vities OF Naha on the west coast
and Shuri Inland.
Japs Entrenched
The Japanese, deeply entrencheti
in the hills and ravines, were laying
down a heavy bombardment on the
American oath Army Corps lines.
American artillery ranging up to
1856 millimeter Long Toms answered
with a pincers barrage from the
Okinawa plains north Of the hills
and from the little island of Keise
about eight miles west of Naha
Naval guns offshore supported the
land artillery.
Army troops rammed up to the
defense line in advances Of a mile
and a half yesterday against stead
ily-increasing resistance. Upwards
of 60, 900 Japanese were believed de-
Tending southern Okinawa.
A Tokyo broadcast said Army
units were advancing down three
parallel roads, on the east and wesf
coasts and in the interior. The west
column tnfiltrated hill positions
southeast of Oyama, while the CEN
trail forces were attacking Gainiku
village, Tokyo said.
The east coast column, totallne
900 infantry and 200 tanks, was APP
preaching Ougi. three and a half
miles southwest Of Kuba, Tokyo
said. The enemy said 80 American
warships, including 10 battlesh1p''
and cruisers, had begun mine-sweep''
ing operations in Nakagusuku Bay
naval anchorage on the southeas;
coast.
Marines of the Third An1phibious
Corps at the northern end OF the
expanding beachhead drove COM
pletely through the Ishikawa 18th
mus separating southern and Cen
tral Okinawa in advances Of flve TO
five and a half miles yesterday.
On the east coast. the Marines
were in the vicinity of kin. 10 miles
northeast of Naha, after clearing
almost the entire shore Of Kin Bay.
Resistance continued light in the
Marine sector and 1t appeared the
japanese had written OF central
southern Okinawa.
A marine reconnaissance outfit
landed on Yabuchi Island just on
the tip of Katsuren Peninsula
northern end of Nakagusuku Bay,
and found 1t unoccupied.
Light Casualties
American casualties for the first
four days of the Okinawa invasion
through Wednesday were revealed
as ITS dead and 1893 wounded,
further evidence that the Japanese
were caught off balance by the
American landing cn the west
coast.
A front dispatch said that scores
of thousands of ship tons Of sup
plies, equipment, rations, water and
ammunitions were unloaded by the
Navy every day during the first