Evening star., 1945-04-02
Invaders Press
Toward Islands
Fleet Anchorage
NAVY'S FLOATING BASES aid
INVASION Page AS
MAP on Page A-3.J
BY the Associated Press,

GUAM, April 2.-ThouSands of
United States 10th Army infan-
trymen and Marines invaded
strategic Okinawa - 325 miles
from Japan proper - Easter
morning at little cost and found
the going still surprisingly easy
as they pushed eastward today
toward the important Nakagu-
suku Bay fleet anchorage.
The Yanks went ashore on the
west coast at $50 am. yesterday
$3.50 pm. Saturday, Eastern war
time, quickly captured two air
fields and a dozen virtually deserted
villages and towns BY nightfall
they had carved out beachhead
3 miles deep at points on an isthmus
8 miles wide, Admiral Chester w.
Nlmitz announced today.
Front reports said third airstrip
-unidentitied-also was seized.
american invasion forces have
started landings on Kume Island,
about 60 miles west of Okinawa
and west of the Kerama group,
Tokyo broadcast reported by the
Blue Network said today.
The Yanks who invaded OkinaWa
walked inland from the beaches 200
yards or more without once having
to seek shelter.
Tough Fighting Expected.
Tough fighting is expected, how
ever, as the japanese reorganiZe
for defense. The enemy. surprised
by invasion of OkinaWa's western
shore near Katena after Today
bombing and bombardment of his
eastern shore defenses, was expected
to fight fanaticany from prepared
positions. probably in the low hills
in the center Of the island. Esti-
mates of Japanese strength on
Okinawa range from $4,000 to 1907
900 troops
Size of the Yank invasion force
was not announced but 1t, too. num-
bered perhaps 100000.
Final, decisive victory is assured"
Admiral NimitZ declared as he per-
sonally read his Sunday COM
munique announcing the invasion.
But he warned that Japan itself
still must be conquered.
Capture of Okinawa will afford
airfields for intensified aerial neu-
tralization of the empires home air.
fields and continued devastation of
its war-vital industrial centers.
1T is difficult to overemphasize
the importance of this operation, +"
asserted 1t. Gen. Simon Nolivar
Buckner, jr., commander of the
new 10th Army His command COM
prises the oath Army Corps and
the Marine Sd Amphibious Corps,
made up of probably six divisions
all veterans of Pacific fighting.
Buckner Watches Landings.
Gen. Buckner watched the land
ings from the flagship of Vice Ad-
miral Richmond Kelly Turner. COM
mander of the amphibious operation
in which 1,400 ships participated.
From the standpoint of our Of
fensive, this is the most valuable
island yet invaded" he told Asso-
ciated Press Correspondent Vern
Haugland.
Okinawa is only 1926 air miles
southwest of Kyushu. southernmost
of the Japanese home islands; 1865
miles northeast of Fofmosa, $50
miles from Luzon and 400 miles
from the China coast.
Nakagusuku Bay would afford the
Pacific Fleet new advanced base
Virtual control .of the East China
Sea and much tighter blockade
around Japan's sea lanes to the
southwest also are in prospect.
Two Jima, secured only II days ago
in the Pacific wars bloodiest cam
paign, gave the United States air
bases 750 miles from Tokyo. How
ever. it is too small to mount raids
in strength and the Marianas are
too far from Japan to permit B-29s
to carry quite half their maximum
lotion bomb loads.
Two also has no harbor.
Invasion of Okinawa was the
greatest amphibious operation of
the Pacific War. Admiral Nimitz
placed 1,4OO ships of all types at the
disposal of Admiral Raymond A.
Spruance, commander of the 5th
Fleet and tactical commander Of
the Okinawa operation, while Vice
1See OKINAWA Page A-3l