SECRET 3 MAR 45 FROM: 5TH MAR DIV TO : VAC INFO: EXTROPAC X 3D AND 4TH MAR DIVS DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 021700 TO 031700 FOLLOWS X ON THE FRONT DURING THE NIGHT THERE WERE INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS AND ACTIVE PATROLLING BY THE ENEMY X THE REAR AREAS WERE GENERALLY QUIET X THE DIV LESS LT 2/27 JUMPED OFF AT KING HOUR WITH TWO REGIMENTS ABREAST X THE PROGRESS WAS VERY SLOW AND DIF- FICULT X ON THE LEFT THE TERRAIN CONTINUED TO BE OF THE SAME RUGGED TYPE CONSISTING OF CAVES ND CLIFFS AND STUDDED WITH EMPLACEMENTS X ON THE RIGHT THE TERRAIN WAS LESS DIFFICULT HOWEVER THE FIELDS OF FIRE WERE BETTER FOR THE ENEMY AND THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEM X ON THE EXTREME RIGHT A UNIT WAS ENGAGED IN TAKING HILL 362 IN TA 235U X IT WAS NOT OCCUPIED AT 1700 X CAS- UALTIES WERE HEAVY ALONG THE ENTIRE FRONT X THE 5TH TANK BN SUPPORTED THE ATTACK X 35 TANKS OF WHICH 4 ARE FLAME THROWERS ARE OPERATIONAL X AT 1700 OUR FRONT LINES WERE 233U CENTER TO 216D CENTER TO 217A CENTER TO 217B NORTH CENTER TO 234X NORTHEAST TO 234Y NORTHEAST TO 235U SOUTHEAST X THE OBSER- VATION POST ON SURIBACHI MT WAS SECURED AT AN EARLY HOUR THIS DATE X THE FLASH RANGING UNITS AND OBSERVATION POSTS WERE ESTABLISHED FORWARD IN THE VICINITY OF HILL 362 X THE FOLLOWING TARGETS WERE DEFINITELY DESTROYED BY PRE- CISION ADJUSTMENTS BY AERIAL OBSERVERS X AT 0805 DIRECT HIT ON FIELD PIECE LOCATED AT 234I X AT 0927 DIRECT HITS ON GUN POSITION LOCATED AT 251U X AT 1310 DIRECT HITS ON A FUEL DUMP LOCATED IN 234H WAS LEFT SMOKING X OWN CAS UALTIES AS OF 1500 KIA 46 OFF 773 ENL X WIA 175 OFF 3370 ENL X MIA 1 OFF 187 ENL X TOTAL 222 OFF 4330 ENLISTED X ENEMY DEAD 4155 X POW 19 X CT 26 EX- PERIENCED SPORADIC KNEE MORTAR AND RIFLE FIRE DURING THE NIGHT AND OBSERVED ENEMY INFANTRY ACTIVITY TO THEIR FRONT X NO ATTEMPT TO PENETRATE CT 26 LINES WAS MADE BUT DURING THE NIGHT 45 JAPS WERE KILLED AND 1 WOUNDED PW WAS TAKEN MINOR INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS WERE MADE ON THE FRONT OF CT 28 X IN CT 28 REAR AREAS ABOUT 65 JAPS ATTEMPTED TO COME OUT OF CAVES 64 BEING KILLED AND 1 TAKEN PRISONER X DIVISION REAR AREAS WERE QUIET X THROUGHOUT THE DAY OUR ATTACK WAS OPPOSED BY HEAVY RIFLE MACHINE GUN AND KNEE MORTAR FIRE DELIVERED FROM CLOSE RANGE WITH GREAT ACCURACY X FIELDS OF FIRE ARE REDUCED BY THE DENSE VEGETATION AND BROKEN NATURE OF THE GROUND X CAVES ABOUND AND FIRE IS RECEIVED FROM CLOSE QUARTER AND UNSUSPECTED DIRECTIONS X THE DEFENSIVE POSITIONS BEING ENCOUNTERED LACK THE REINFORCED CONCRETE FEATURES OF POSITION ENCOUNTERED PREVIOUSLY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ISLAND BUT THE NATURAL DEFENSIVE STRENGTH OF TH GROUND AND THE MASS OF TROOPS AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BEING USED MORE THAN COMPENSATE FOR THE ABSENCE OF CONCRETE AND THE ATTRITION TO THE ENEMY'S ARTILLERY LAND ROCKET WEAPONS X CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN NOTED IN TA 234 AND INDICATIONS POINT TO A FINAL STAND IN THAT AREA X SUPPLY X 550 RDS 81MM AMMO RECEIVED BY AIR DROP X NEW DIVISION RATION WATER FUEL AND MISCELLANEOUS DUMPS LOCATED IN TA'S 181 CD AND 198X X PREPARATION OF NEW AMMO DUMPS BEGUN IN SAME GENERAL AREA X DIVISION MOTOR TRANSPORT BN MOVING INTO 199U X AT 1605 THE FOLLOWING AMOUNT OF HE AMMO WAS AVAILABLE ON POSITION OF THE BNS OF THE 13TH MAR X 1ST BN 6700 X 2D BN 1141 X 3RD BN 990 X 4TH BN 1484 X 27 LVTA'S ARE SERVICEABLE 8 LOST OR DESTROYED X 106 LVT'S OF WHICH 7 ARE IN LST'S AND NOT AVAILABLE ARE SERVICEABLE 27 UNDER REPAIR 18 INOPERATIVE 42 LOST OR DESTROYED X 31 DUKWS ARE SERVICEABLE 8 UNDER REPAIR 3 INOPERATIVE 58 LOST OR DESTROYED X 12 WEASELS ARE SERVICEABLE 6 LOST OR DESTROYED X LOCATION OF CP'S 5TH MAR DIV 148G X 13TH MAR 147J X 26TH MAR 199Q X 27TH MAR 215Y X 28TH MAR 199K X RAY A. ROBINSON COLONEL, USMC CHIEF OF STAFF