SECRET 2 MAR 45 FROM: 5TH MAR DIV TO : VAC INFO: EXTROPAC X 3D AND 4TH MAR DIVS DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 011700 TO 021700 FOLLOWS X THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY DURING THE NIGHT X VERY MINOR INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AGAINST THE FRONT LINES X THERE WAS LITTLE MORTAR AND ARTY FIRE IN THE REAR AREAS X THE DIVISION JUMPED OFF AT KING HOUR AGAINST THE RIDGE RUNNING EAST FROM NISHI X THIS RIDGE WAS PRECIPITOUS WITH MANY CAVES AND REINFORCED EMPLACEMENTS X THE CAVES ENCOUNTERED WERE ENORMOUS WITH MULTIPLE ENTRANCES X THE PROGRESS WAS VERY SLOW AND AN ADVANCE COULD BE MADE ONLY AFTER THE ENEMY WERE DUG OUT OF EACH EMPLACEMENT X THE POSITIONS WERE ON THE FORWARD AND REVERSE SLOPES OF THE RIDGE X AT ABOUT 1430 CT 28 OCCUPIED NISHI X AT ABOUT 1530 APPROXIMATELY 150 OF THE ENEMY LAUNCHED A COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST THE RIGHT FLANK BATTALION OF CT 28 X THE COUNTER-ATTACK WAS BROKEN UP AND MOST OF THE ENEMY DESTROYED X AT 1700 THE FRONT LINES WERE FROM 215E WEST CENTER TO 215G NORTH CENTER TO 215H SOUTH TO 2150 NORTHEAST TO 217K NORTH WEST TO 217B CENTER TO 217H CENTER X LT 2/26 IS MOVING INTO THE GAP BETWEEN THESE LINES AND THE 3D DIV X THE 5TH TANK BN SUPPORTED THE ATTACK BUT WERE UNABLE TO USE TANKS IN LARGE NUMBERS BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN X AN ANTI-TANK DITCH WAS FILLED IN NORTH OF HILL 362 WHICH PER- MITTED A MORE EFFECTIVE USE OF TANKS X A MINE FIELD ON THE RIGHT FLANK DE- LAYED THE USE OF TANKS IN THAT ZONE X AT 1700 THERE WERE 28 TANKS OPERATIONAL OF WHICH 3 ARE FLAME THROWERS X TWO ARTILLERY OBSERVATION PLANES OF VMO-5 WERE MAINTAINED ON STATION THROUGHOUT THE DAY X ARTY OBSERVERS IN THESE PLANES FIRE ON TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY CONDUCTED SURVEILLANCE OF FIRES, AND MADE PRECISION ADJUSTMENTS ON PINPOINT TARGETS X THE BELOW LISTED TARGETS WERE DEFINITELY DESTROYED BY PRECISION ADJUSTMENTS BY AERIAL OBSERVERS X AT 1015 DIRECT HIT ON TRUCK LOCATED AT 233Y X THE TRUCK WAS LEFT BURNING X AT 1137 DIRECT HIT ON BUILDING LOCATED AT 234K LEAVING IT AFIRE X AT 1315 SEVERAL DIRECT HITS ON BUILDING LOCATED AT 234K NORTH X AT 1345 A DIRECT HIT ON A FIELD PIECE LOCATED AT 235P X AT 1430 A DIRECT HIT ON FIELD PIECE LOCATED AT 251U NORTH X THE PRIMARY MISSION OF ARTILLERY FOR THE DAY WAS THE NEUTRALIZATION OF ENEMY MORTARS TO AID THE ADVANCE OF THE FRONT LINES X IN ADDITION THIS REGIMENT FIRED THREE BNS ON A PREPARATION PRIOR TO THE ATTACK OF THE 3D MARINE DIVISION AT 1530 X OWN CASUALTIES AS OF 1500 X KIA 43 OFFICERS 726 ENLISTED X WIA 158 OFFICERS 3020 ENLISTED X MIA 1 OFFICER 174 ENLISTED X TOTAL 202 OFFICERS 3920 ENLISTED X TOTAL IN- TERRED IN DIV CEMETERY 720 X TO BE INTERRED 14 X ENEMY CASUALTIES 3570 DEAD X 16 POW X JAP INFANTRY WAS MORE ACTIVE DURING THE NIGHT THAN USUAL X BOTH CT 26 AND CT 28 REPORTED SNIPER AND INFILTRATION ACTIVITY ON THE FRONT BY SMALL GROUPS OF ENEMY X SPORADIC MORTAR AND ARTILLERY FIRE FELL ON THE FRONT LINES 34 ENEMY WERE KILLED DURING THESE NIGHT ACTIVITIES AND 1 KOREAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER CAPTURED X DIVISION REAR AREAS WERE QUIET X IT WAS NOTED THAT DURING THE PERIODS WHEN VMO-5 PLANES WERE OVERHEAD THE ENEMY CEASED HIS MORTAR AND ARTILLERY FIRES X MORTAR FIRE WAS THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO OUR ADVANCE TODAY COMING FROM THE BROKEN COUNTRY IN THE VICINITY OF NISHI X ALL INFANTRY TYPE WEAPONS WERE USED TO OPPOSE OUR ADVANCE BUT WE ARE NOW THROUGH THE MAJOR DEFENSIVE POSITION ON THE ISLAND X THE TERRAIN IS NOW EVEN MORE RUGGED AND OFFERS MORE NATURAL CON- CEALMENT FOR THE JAPS THAN ON THE AREA SOUTH OF THE MAIN DEFENSIVE POSITION X TERRAIN NOW REPLACES PREPARED DEFENSIVE POSITIONS AS THE ENEMY'S CHIEF MEANS OF IMPEDING OUR ADVANCE X THE AREA NEAR THE WEST COAST IS A SERIES OF ROCKY GORGES ACROSS WHICH WE MUST ADVANCE WHILE THE AREA FURTHER INLAND IS SPOTTED WITH ROCKY ANTCROPS THAT ARE OBSTACLES TO ALL TYPES OF MOVEMENTS X UNLOADING OF AMMUNITION RESUPPLY SHIP CONTINUED BY MEANS OF DUKWS X BETWEEN 0700 AND 1500 896 ROUNDS OF 105MM WERE LANDED FOR THIS DIV- ISION X THERE ARE 7000 ROUNDS OF 75MM HE ON POSITION FOR 1ST BN 13TH MAR X 600 ROUNDS OF 105MM HE ON POSITION FOR 2D BN 13TH MAR X 700 ROUNDS 105 MM HE ON POSITION FOR 3D BN 13TH MAR X 500 ROUNDS OF 105MM HE X RATIONS 5000 ALL TYPES X WATER 7500 GALLONS X FUEL X 80 OCTANE X 12980 GALLONS X 100 OCTANE X 6325 GALLONS X LVT(A)'S SERVICEABLE ARE 27 X DESTROYED 8 X LVT'S SERVICEABLE 109 X UNDER REPAIR 32 X INOPERATIVE 17 X DESTROYED 42 DUKWS SERVICEABLE 33 X UNDER REPAIR 8 X INOPERATIVE 1 X DESTROYED 58 X WEASELS SERVICEABLE 12 X DESTROYED 6 NO CHANGE LOCATION OF CP'S X RAY A. ROBINSON COLONEL, USMC CHIEF OF STAFF