Cactus Ridge Cactus Ridge was the name given to a rise of land approximately 600 yards southeast of Mashiki , Okinawa which commanded much of the ground between Uchitomari and Oyama , both of which lie along Highway No . 1 . The defense of Cactus Ridge to the west , and The Pinnacle to the east , marked the start of iron resistance by Japanese land forces on Okinawa . Assault on Cactus Ridge . 4 April 1945 . As the American 96th Infantry Division advanced south along Okinawa ' s Highway 1 on 4 April , it came under increasing fire from the south and from the ridges on their left ( east ) . Three medium tanks from the 763d Tank Battalion were destroyed by a carefully sited and well - concealed 47 mm anti - tank gun . Firing twenty rounds , Japanese gunners set the three tanks afire . Japanese Army commanders later described this feat as an illustration of the effectiveness of 47 mm guns . " Great results , " Japanese combat instructions stated , " can be obtained by concealing the guns and opening surprise fire on the tanks at close range . " 5 April 1945 . By 5 April , the 383d regiment indicated that its forward elements were receiving fire from 20 machine guns and from 15 to 20 mortar s , besides artillery pieces . As movement progressed , it encountered a series of fortified positions , the approaches to which were often covered by minefield s . Dislodging the Japanese from these positions required coordinated enveloping movements , and resulted in numerous American casualties . On the afternoon of 5 April , well - camouflaged Japanese troops , supported by tanks , attacked elements of the 382d , but were broken up by combined machine gun , mortar and artillery fire . Ultimately , the 382d gained approximately 1 , 300 yards of east - west ground by the evening of 5 April . To the west , the 383d was focusing its efforts on what came to be known as Cactus Ridge . The initial direct assault by a single infantry company , supported tanks , proved to be disastrous . Cactus Ridge was protected by a tank ditch , barbed wire , and a long mine field . When American tanks tried to pass through a gap in the mine field , they came under direct 47 mm fire . Two were hit and had to be abandoned . Heavy Japanese machine gun , rifle and mortar fire halted the assault and American forces were forced to withdraw . 6 – 7 April 1945 . On the following day , 6 April , the fortified Japanese positions on Cactus Ridge continued to hold up the 383d . Attempts were made to dislodge the defenders with an airstrike early on that morning , but subsequent troops assaulting the targeted positions found defensive enemy fire as intense as ever . American forces continued to make direct frontal assault s , through heavy Japanese mortar fire , against the ridge . Such assaults ultimately resulted in charging and reducing Japanese positions with hand grenades and small arms fire . By the end of 6 April , these " Banzai " type charges by the 2d Battalion enabled the 383d to ultimately gain first the western half of Cactus Ridge . On 7 April , similar tactics by the 2d Battalion allowed the 383d to capture the rest of Cactus Ridge . As a result of the offensive actions of 4 – 7 April , the 383d Infantry found itself assembled against the formidable Japanese positions on Kakazu Ridge .