STILL FIGHTING FIERCELY

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 5

STILL FIGHTING FIERCELY

JAPANESE ON IWOJIMA AMERICANS MAKE GOOD PROGRESS WASHINGTON, March 3. Under heavy fire from small arms and mortars, the Fifth Division on the left flank and the Third Division in the centre, generally advanced 200 to 400 yards at Iwojima to-day, says an Admiral Nimitz communique. The progress of the Fourth Division on the right has been slow, due to the extremely heavy enemy resistance. Infantry attacks have been supported by artillery, but close carrier aircraft are limited by the small dimensions of the enemy area. A strong enemy pocket near Minami continued^to hold back our lines in that sector. Ships are unloading on both the eastern and western beaches on the island, and land-based aircraft have begun to use the southern airfield for the evacuation of the wounded. The destruction of enemy caves and strongpoints is continuing and the restoration of the southern airfield is proceeding. Carrier-borne planes on the night of March 1 bombed and rocketed Omura town, and the airfield at Chichijima causing an explosion and a fire. Army Liberators on March 1 bombed - Chichijima and Hahajima, and Venturas bombed and strafed airfield installations on Wake Island. Corsairs have continued neutralising the Marshall bases. GEISHA GIRLS.

Advance patrols, storming Motqyama on Friday night, found the bodies of Japanese' women, presumably geisha girls, among a shattered cluster of buildings, says the New York ' HeraldTribune's' correspondent. The women had apparently been stabbed to death to prevent their becoming (prisoners. Previously women's garments had been found in 'blockhouses, and it is believed others may be alive with the troops in the northernmost caverns. Squads cleaning up a series of concrete pillboxes on the eastern escarpment found Japanese officers who had committed suicide laid out in spotless dress uniform, with Samurai swords in silver cases.