Word: okinawa
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That was the mission of all Marines-the 2nd at Tarawa, the 3rd, 4th, 5th at Iwo Jima. The new 6th Marine Division was also fighting on Okinawa (see WORLD BATTLEFRONTS), and the Marines had gallant Army company. Until recently when the 6th Marine Division joined them, all the heaviest fighting in the south had been done by the seasoned 7th, 27th and 77th Divisions, veterans of the Pacific campaign, and the 96th Division, blooded last year on Leyte...
Fighting was like that last week on Okinawa. In one Jap counterattack, a U.S. company was reduced from 240 effectives to two, and three company commanders were killed by artillery. In another Jap assault, which lasted from dusk until the next afternoon, U.S. cooks, bakers and clerks were shoved into the fighting line...
Like Saipan and Iwo Jima, Okinawa was a base absolutely essential to the U.S. plan; it had to be taken, no matter how bloody the price. It was clear now that the final price would faithfully reflect Okinawa's ample size (921 square miles) and its suitable nearness to Japan (325 miles). For the moment, Okinawa was the vortex...
Whoever held 300-ft. Sugar Loaf controlled the western approach to Shuri castle, as well as the eastern flank of Naha, Okinawa's capital city. Leathernecks of Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd's 6th Marine Division assaulted Sugar Loaf nine times, and were four times blown off the crest before they could move down the far side. Hundreds of Japs piling out of caves and tombs were slaughtered by the 6th's tanks...
...been put out of action. U.S. casualties were also high-more than 30,000 of whom 8,000 were dead or missing-but the U.S. units could expect reinforcements and the Japs could not. The Tokyo radio took a "grave view" of the situation on bloody Okinawa...