SECRET                                     22 FEB 45

FROM:       5TH MAR DIV
TO  :       VAC                     INFO:  HQ EXPED TRS  X  4TH MAR DIV

DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 211700 TO 221700 FOLLOWS X DURING THE
NIGHT FROM 2100 UNTIL DAWN THE ENEMY COUNTERATTACKED IN SMALL

NUMBERS ALONG THE ENTIRE FRONT X FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE OUR DISPATCH
SUMMARY FOR NIGHT 21-1=22 FEBRUARY X AT 0835 5TH MAR DIV JUMPED OFF TO THE

NORTH AND SOUTH X THE ATTACK TO THE NORTH WAS MADE BY RCT 26 WHO
PASSED THROUGH RCT 27 X BLT 2/27 WAS ATTACHED TO RCT 26 X THE

ATTACK WAS MADE WITH THREE BATTALIONS ABREAST AND ONE IN RESERVE X AT
THE END OF YESTERDAY'S ADVANCE 5TH MAR DIV MADE CONTACT WITH 4TH MAR
DIV

ABOUT 200 YARDS WITHIN 4TH MAR DIV'S ZONE OF ACTION X THIS SITUATION IS APT
TO RECUR UNTIL THE  4TH MAR DIV'S LINES ARE IN ADVANCE OF OURS AS THE

DOMINANT GROUND IS TO THE EAST AND OUR RIGHT FLANK UNIT MUST KEEP
ENTERING 4TH MAR DIV'S ZONE OF ACTION TO TAKE OUT POSITIONS THAT

THREATEN OUR ADVANCE X THE SAME CONDITION EXISTS WITHIN OUR OWN ZONE
WHERE THE RIGHT ELEMENTS ON HIGH GROUND MOVE AHEAD OF ELEMENTS ON THE

LEFT X BY 1400 OUR ADVANCE HAD REACHED THE GENERAL LINE 197Y TO 198UV
SOUTH TO 198W CENTER TO 198X NORTHEAST TO 198T TO 199PX UNITS ON OUR

RIGHT HAVE NOT PARALLELED OUR ADVANCE AND THERE IS A SALIENT ALONG THE
DIVISION RIGHT BOUNDARY X OUR UNITS HAVE ENDEAVORED TO ASSIST THE

ADVANCE OF RCT 21 BY FIRE AND BY ATTACK OF ENEMY STRONG POINTS WITHIN
RCT 21'S ZONE OF ACTION X THE ADVANCE RECEIVED VERY HEAVY FIRE THROUGH-

OUT THE DAY FROM ITS FRONT AND RIGHT FLANK X IN BLT 3/26 THE CO EXEC AND
THREE ARE CASUALTIES X MAJOR RICHARD FEGAN DIVISION INSPECTOR WAS

GIVEN COMMAND OF BLT 3/26 X RCT 28 AFTER A KING HOUR AIR STRIKE JUMPED OFF
IN AN ATTACK TO SEIZE THE SOUTHERN END OF THE ISLAND X ON THE EAST

COAST PROGRESS WAS MADE AT THE FOOT OF THE CLIFF AND THE SOUTHERN TIP OF
THE ISLAND WAS REACHED ABOUT 1400 X ON THE WEST COAST VERY LITTLE
PROGRESS WAS

MADE AS A PILLBOX SUPPORTED BY TWO BUNKERS COVERED THE ONLY AVENUE OF
APPROACH X THIS PILLBOX AND TWO BUNKERS WERE TAKEN OUT

LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND A POSITION CONTAINING A NAVAL GUN WAS THEN
ATTACKED X THE ATTACK ON THIS POSITION IS NOT COMPLETED X ROUTES UP

THE CLIFFS TO THE CRATER WERE RECONNOITERED FOR AND NONE EXISTED AS
NAVAL GUNFIRE HAS DESTROYED THE EXISTING TRAILS X IT IS PLANNED TO

MOVE UP THE CLIFFS WITH SCALING LADDERS TOMORROW X SEVERAL CASUALTIES
WERE SUFFERED FROM THE ENEMY DROPPING GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES OFF THE

CLIFF ONTO THE TROOPS AS THEY ADVANCED AROUND THE BASE X ABOUT EIGHT OF
THE ENEMY WERE SEEN DESTROYING THEMSELVES BY JUMPING OFF THE CLIFF

ON THE EAST COAST OF SURIBACHI X 13TH MARINES WITH BATTERY "C" OF 2ND
155MM HOW BN ATTACHED RENDERED SUPPORT TO THE ATTACK TO THE NORTH AND

SOUTH X 3D BN 13TH MARINES COMMENCED DISPLACEMENT TO A NEW POSITION
AREA TO THE WEST OF AIRFIELD NO. ONE AND HAD NOT COMPLETED THIS
DISPLACEMENT BY

THE TIME OF THIS REPORT X ONE AND FOUR-TENTHS UNITS OF FIRE ARE AT THE GUN
POSITIONS X 5TH TANK BN HAS TWENTY-SEVEN TANKS IN OPERATION BUT

EXPECTS TO HAVE THIRTY IN OPERATION BY KING HOUR TOMORROW X OUR OWN
CASUALTIES TO DATE AS OF 1200 KIA 25 OFFICERS 301 ENLISTED X WIA

71 OFFICERS 2225 ENLISTED MIA 1 OFFICER 526 ENLISTED X TOTAL 97 OFFICERS 222
5
ENLISTED X BURIALS HAVE BEEN DELAYED BY ENEMY

SNIPERS IN THE CEMETERY AREA X MANY DEAD ARE REGISTERED AND AWAITING
IMMEDIATE INTERNMENT X RECON COMPANY COMBED THE AREA AND ELIMINATED

TWENTY-FOUR SNIPERS X IT IS BELIEVED INTERNMENT CAN START IMMEDIATELY X
FIRST PRISONER TAKEN DURING THE OPERATION WAS CAPTURED BY BLT 1/28 IN

THE SURIBACHI AREA X THIS POW REVEALED IN PRELIMINARY AND INCOMPLETE
INTERROGATION THAT SURIBACHI CONTAINS FIVE MAIN CAVES ON THREE LEVELS

CONNECTED UNDERGROUND X THE LARGEST CAVE OPENS TO THE SOUTH IS CAPABLE
OF HOUSING THREE HUNDRED MEN AND HAS FIVE OPENINGS THE AREA SOUTH OF

AIRFIELD NO ONE WAS DEFENDED BY ABOUT ONE THOUSAND TROOPS HE ESTIMATES
TEN THOUSAND TROOPS ON THE ISLAND WITH FOUR THOUSAND BEING

NAVAL PERSONNEL X THE DIVISION COMMANDER OF THE 109TH DIVISION IS HERE
AND HAS HIS HEADQUARTERS NEAR MOTOYAMA X PLENTY OF AMMUNITION

IS IN SURIBACHI BUT FOOD AND WATER ARE SHORT X WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE
REMOVED FROM THE ISLAND IN JUNE BUT SOME FEW MALES WERE CONSCRIPTED

X ENEMY DEAD IS 1152 X ONE POW WOUNDED X SUPPLIES LANDED DURING THE
PERIOD OF THIS REPORT  X RATIONS FIVE DAYS X WATER FIFTY THOUSAND

GALLONS X SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION ONE AND ONE-HALF UNIT OF FIRE X

MORTARS ONE AND ONE-HALF UNIT OF FIRE X ARTILLERY ONE AND ONE-HALF UNIT
OF FIRE X FUEL SEVENTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY GALLONS X
CONDITION OF BEACHES X ALL CRAFT BUT LCVP'S CAN LAND X THERE ARE THE
WRECKED

LANDING CRAFT ON OUR BEACHES X HAVE BEEN SUPPLYING DIRECT FROM BEACH
DUMPS X EXPECT TO START DIVISION DUMPS TOMORROW X BEACH EXITS X RED

ONE X ONE FOR TRACKED VEHICLES X ONE FOR WHEELED VEHICLES X RED TWO X
TWO EXITS FOR TRACKED VEHICLES X ONE FOR WHEELED VEHICLES X GREEN X

TWO EXITS FOR TRACKED VEHICLES X BEACH CONDITIONS SATISFACTORY FOR
SUPPORT OF UNITS LANDED BUT IS FAR FROM IDEAL X COMMAND POSTS X 5TH DIV
148G X 13TH MARINES 147J X RCT 26 148F X RCT 27 X  164GX RCT 28 147S X


                                   RAY A. ROBINSON
                                        COLONEL, USMC
                                   CHIEF OF STAFF