SECRET 27 FEB 45 FROM: 5TH MAR DIV TO : VAC INFO: 4TH MAR DIV X 3D MAR DIV THIS IS THE 5THMARDIV DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 261700 TO 271700 CT-27 MOVED FORWARD TO RELIEVE CT-26 IN THE LINE X THE RELIEF WAS EFFECTED PRIOR TO KING HOUR AND AT KING HOUR CT-27 JUMPED OFF AN ATTACK TO SEIZE O-2 X THE ADVANCE WAS VERY SLOW UNDER HEAVY MORTAR AND MACHINE GUN FIRE X SMALL UNITS ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED TO KNOCK OUT THE EMPLACEMENTS WHICH WERE IN CAVES AND CONCRETE EMPLACEMENTS X THE ADVANCE WAS AGAINST THE POSITIONS THAT FORMED THE INLAND DEFENSE OF THE NORTH OF THE WEST COAST BEACHES X THE CLIFFS THAT LEAD UP FROM THE COAST WERE EVER PRES- ENT ON THE RIGHT FLANK AND STUDDED WITH CAVES AND EMPLACEMENTS CONTAINING MORTARS AND MACHINE GUNS X THE ADVANCE WAS SLOW BUT STEADY AND BY 1700 THE FOLLOWING LINE WAS REACHED X 198G EAST CENTER TO 198H NORTH EAST TO 198I NORTHEAST TO 198E CENTER TO 199ABCD CENTER X TANKS COULD NOT BE USED IN ANY STRENGTH AS ALL TERRAIN PASSABLE TO TANKS WAS HEAVILY MINED WITH ALL TYPES OF MINES X REAR AREAS CONTINUED TO BE MOPPED UP AND MINE FIELDS OF ALL TYPES REMOVED X THE SIXTH WAR DOG PLATOON ATTACHED TO THE DIVISION HAS SUFFERED THE FOLLOWING CASUALTIES TWO DOGS KIA X TWO DOGS WIA X DOGS HAVE BEEN USED ON THE ENTIRE DIVISION AREA X IN THE VICINITY OF SURIBACHI DOGS PICKED UP FOUR SNIPERS AND ALERTED TROOPS TO THE PRESENCE ON AN ENEMY PATROL X THE TERRAIN HAS NOT BEEN FAVORABLE FOR THE USE OF DOGS HOWEVER THEY HAVE BEEN VERY VALUABLE FOR SECURITY X THE TROOPS LIKE TO WORK WITH THE DOGS AS IT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF SECURITY X THE DOGS ALERT THE TROOPS UPON THE APPROACH OF ANYONE AND THIS ALLOWS THE TROOPS MORE REST X THE 5TH TANK BN HAS 26 TANKS IN OPERATION X 1STLT R G MILLER OF VMO-5 LANDED ON MOTOYAMA AIRFIELD NO. 1 AT 1331 FROM LST 776 AT SEA X THE REMAINING TWO PLANES OF VMO-5 IN LST 776 ARE EXPECTED TO LAND ON 28 FEBRUARY X OUR CASUALTIES TO DATE AS OF 1200 ARE KIA 32 OFFICERS 550 ENLISTED X WIA 134 OFFICERS 2360 ENLISTED X MIA 2 OFFICERS 168 ENLISTED X TOTAL 168 OFFICERS 3058 ENLISTED X AT 2016 APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 ENEMY TROOPS MOVED OVER THE CLIFF LINE SOUTH OF HILL 362 AND HEADED ACROSS THE FRONT OF CT-26 IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WEST COAST WATER WELLS X IN THE BRIGHT MOONLIGHT THEY WERE OBSERVED FROM AN OP OF LT-226 AND ARTILLERY AND NGF IMMEDIATELY REGISTERED ON THEM X THEY WERE EFFECTIVELY PINNED DOWN X ABOUT 2155 SOME 50 TO 60 ENEMY WERE OBSERVED RETIRING FROM THIS AREA CARRYING DEAD AND WOUNDED X ONCE AGAIN THEY WERE HIT BY ARTILLERY X AT NO TIME DID ANY OF THESE JAPS SUCCEED IN REACHING OUR FRONT LINES ON THE WEST COAST WATER WELLS X THE FOLLOWING TARGETS WERE FIRED ON BY THE 13 TH MARINES AND REPORTED DESTROYED BY THE AERIAL OBSERVER X ARTILLERY FIELD PIECE IN OPENING OF CAVE IN TA 234 Y SOUTH AT 0855 X AN AMMUNITION DUMP IN THE CLOSE VICINITY WAS ALSO DESTROYED WHILE ADJUSTING ON THIS TARGET X FIELD PIECE DESTROYED AT 218 H SOUTHWEST AT 1015 X DUAL PURPOSE GUN DESTROYED IN 216M AT 1430 X IN ADDITION ONE OTHER FIELD PIECE WAS DEFINITELY DESTROYED BY A FORWARD OBSERVER ADJUSTMENT AND ONE LARGE MOR- TAR WAS COMPLETELY NEUTRALIZED BY AN AIR OBSERVER ADJUSTMENT EVEN THOUGH THE MORTAR DID NOT RECEIVE A DIRECT HIT X THESE TARGETS WERE ALL DESTROYED IN ADDITION TO THE CLOSE SUPPORT FIRES RENDERED THE FRONT LINE TROOPS X THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOWITZERS FIRING IN THE REGIMENT ARE AS FOLLOWS X 1ST BN X 15 75'S X 2D BN X 10 105'S X 3D BN X 12 105'S X 4TH BN X 11 105'S X THROUGHOUT THE IWO JIMA CAMPAIGN THE ENEMY HAS MADE REPEATED BUT NEVER LARGE USE OF SMOKE FROM WHITE PHOSPHOROUS AS A MEANS OF SCREENING HIS GROUND MOVEMENTS X THIS MORNING 21 MINUTES AFTER OUR KING HOUR ATTACK WAS LAUNCHED WHITE PHOSPHOROUS WAS USED TO SCREEN A MINOR MOVEMENT ON THE FRONT OF LT 1-27 X SNIPERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN REAR AREAS AT ALL TIMES X A TABULATION OF SNIPER HUNTING INDICATES 515 KILLED TO DATE X BOX SCORE FOLLOWS X 13TH MARINES X 6 X 26TH MARINES X 70 X 27TH MARINES X 25 X 28TH MARINES X 312 X SHORE PARTY X 67 X 5TH TANK BN X 17 X 5TH ENGR BN X 6 X SUPPORT GROUP X 12 X TOTAL 515 X ENEMY ARTILLERY POSITIONS SUFFERED FROM OUR COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE IN WHICH PLANES WERE USED TO MAKE PRECISION ADJUSTMENTS ON LOCATED ARTILLERY PIECES X DESTRUCTION NOT MERE NEUTRALIZATION WAS OUR AIM AND IT WAS ACHIEVED IN REPEATED INSTANCES X TOTAL ENEMY CASUALTIES TO DATE ARE 2667 KILLED X POW 6 X THE 5TH MARINE DIVISION CEMETERY LOCATED IN TA 147J IS A PERMANENT INSTALLATION IN THE SHAPE OF A CROSS SUITED TO THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ISLAND X INDIVIDUALS INTERRED ARE BEING PROCESSED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE 5TH DIVISION SOP NO 4 BURIAL AND GRAVES REGISTRATION X AS OF 1500 THIS DATE 420 BODIES HAVE BEEN INTERRED AS FOLLOWS X 5TH MARDIV 21 OFF X 352 MARINE ENLISTED X 42 NAVY ENLISTED X CORPS TROOPS X 2 MARINE ENLISTED X 2 ARMY ENLISTED X 4TH MARDIV X 1 MARINE ENLISTED X SUPPLIES LANDED X SMALL ARMS X 1/3 UNIT OF FIRE X 81MM MORTAR X 1 1/2 UNIT OF FIRE X ARTILLERY AMMUNITION X 1/2 UNIT OF FIRE X FUEL AND OIL 5,500 GALLONS X 80 OCTANE 9350 GALLONS X 100 OCTANE 7315 GALLONS X WATER 52890 GALLONS X RATIONS 1 DAY X ALL APA'S AND AKA'S UNLOADED EXCEPT AKA 22 X BEACH CONDITIONS GOOD X BEACHES BEING CLEARED RAPIDLY X ORDNANCE COMPANY AND SALVAGE SECTION IN FULL OPERATION X DIVISION HOSPITAL WILL BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE CASUALTIES BY 0800 TOMORROW X 12 DISTILLATION UNITS IN OPERATION X ROADS IN REAR AREAS BEING IMPROVED X ROADS TO FORWARD AREAS BEING CONSTRUCTED X NO CHANGE IN LOCATION OF COMMAND POSTS X RAY A. ROBINSON COLONEL, USMC CHIEF OF STAFF