ON OKINAWA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 193, 29 May 1945, Page 3

ON OKINAWA

VITAL PORTION CAPTURED. MOST LUCRATIVE AIR BASE. BATTLE OF ATTRITION. ‘(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Ree. 11.20 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 28. The Americans on Okinawa are killing 1000 Japanese daily, says the correspondent of the United Press on the island. Many commit suicide in futile efforts to prevent the complete occupation of the island. The part of Okinawa we wanted is already ours for all practical purposes, hut the slow battle of attrition on the southern tip will probably last several more weeks,” says the correspondent. “Okinawa is within fighter range of 75 to 100 enemy airfields, and already has proved one of the most lucrative air bases in the Pacific. The capture of Yonabaru harbour was a Godsend, with the typhoon season approaching, because it will give us harbour facilities for the first time, and will he indispensable when the typhoons sweep across the reefs and make unloading impossible.” The correspondent added that Ryu-kyus-based Thunderbolts made the first attack on the Japanese mainland on May 24. It was disclosed that the planes attacked runways and hangars at Kanoya, Kushura and Myazaki, and harassed shipping and the Kyushu coast. Marines on the west coast of Okinawa heat off a Japanese counter-attack launched during torrential rain in the early hours of Saturday, says a correspondent. The rain came at a time when the enemy’s fiercely-defended Naha-Yonabaru line across Okinawa had been turned on both flanks, .imperilling the fortress of Shuri from the rear.

The Japanese also counter-attacked in f,he Naha sector hut were repulsed by Marines with rifle and artillery fire. American artillerymen have fired more than 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition during the Okinawa campaign, more than in any Pacific campaign of similar length. The total roes not, include shells fired by tanks and antiaircraft, guns, or tiie 25,000 tons of five-inch and larger ammunition by supporting naval units.