MARINES' OFFENSIVE
OPENING ANNOUNCED
Rec. 11 a.m. WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.
After a preliminary bombardment by Marine Corps artillery and heavy units of the Fleet, troops of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth. Marine Divisions launched an attack on Iwo Island on February 25, says a communique from Admiral Nimitz. The fighting was heavy all day. By nightfall our forces were in possession of the east-west runway of the central airfield and also about two-thirds of the north-south runway.
Carrier aircraft and Army Liberators supported the attack. A total of 2827 enemy dead was counted by noon on February 25.
The beach conditions continue to show a marked improvement. Shortly before midnight on February 24 a small group of enemy aircraft attacked our forces on and around Iwo causing no damage. Some bombs were dropped in enemy territory on the island. One of our night fighters shot down an enemy plane over Chichi Jima. Three others were destroyed on the ground in the Boniris on February 24.
Army Liberators bombed an airfield on Chichi Jima on February 23 and Omura town on the same island on February 24.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 5
Word Count
186MARINES' OFFENSIVE Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 5
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