SECRET 8 MAR 45 FROM: 5TH MAR DIV TO : VAC INFO: EXTROPAC X 3D AND 4TH MAR DIVS DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 071700 TO 081700 FOLLOWS X THE NIGHT WAS REASONABLY QUIET WITH LIGHT CONTACT ALL ALONG THE FRONT X THE JAPS USED SMALL ARMS FIRE INTERMITTENTLY AND LIMITED AMOUNT OF KNEE MORTAR AND HAND GRENADE FIRE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT X PATROLS WERE ACTIVE WITH THE MOST DETERMINED THOUGH UNSUCCESSFUL INFILTRATION ATTEMPT BEING MADE BY 20-25 JAPS ON THE FRONT OF LT 1/26 IN 234S X OUR TRIP FLARES WERE REPEATEDLY SET OFF BY THE JAPS AND THE SILHOUETTED JAPS MADE GOOD HUNTING PARTICULARLY IN THE LEFT FLANK POSITION OCCUPIED BY THE DIV RCN CO X TODAY'S ATTACK CONTINUED TO DRAW HEAVY FIRE FROM A DEFENSIVE POSITION BASED ON CAVE POSITIONS X THE STRONGEST POSITION WAS ENCOUNTERED ON THE FRONT OF LT 2/27 IN 235S WHERE AN INTERCONNECTED SERIES OF CAVES AND PILLBOXES ON THE ROCKY LEDGES MADE PROGRESS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT X AFTER STORMING UP THE FACE ON ONE OUTCROP WE WERE IMMEDIATELY FACES WITH POSITIONS ON THE NEXT ROCKY OUTCROP IN ADDITION TO COPING WITH THE PROBLEM OF ELIMINATING THE JAPS WHO OCCUPIED THE REAR FACE OF EACH ROCK AND LEDGE X IN ANOTHER PART OF THE DIVISION Z OF A THE TERRAIN PROVIDED AS MUCH OPPOSITION TO OUR ADVANCE AS DID THE JAPS X THE ROCKS MADE PROGRESS PAINFULLY SLOW X JAPS RESISTED WITH SMALL ARMS FIRE AND LIMITED AMOUNTS OF MORTAR FIRE X SNIPERS IN BY-PASSED CAVES AND ROCKY LEDGES WERE A PARTICULAR NUISANCE X CT 26 ESTIMATED THAT AS MANY JAPS WERE BY-PASSED IN THE ROCK POSITIONS AS WERE KILLED DURING THE ADVANCE X THERE WAS A LIMITED USE OF TANKS IN SUPPORTING THE ATTACK X 34 TANKS OF WHICH TWO ARE FLAME THROWERS ARE OPERATIONAL X THE FOLLOWING TARGETS WERE DEFINITELY DESTROYED BY ARTILLERY BY AERIAL PRECISION ADJUSTMENT X AN AA GUN AT TA 234J X A MORTAR AT TA 234G X ONE 75MM PACK HOWITZER WAS MOVED FORWARD TO TA 235U ARRIVING THERE AT 1200 X THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS TO TAKE PILLBOXES AND CAVES UNDER DIRECT FIRE X THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON 122 ROUNDS WERE FIRED INTO TA 235L SOUTH AND Q NORTH X FRONT LINES AS OF 1700 WERE 233 EASY EAST TO 234 FOX CENTER X 234 GEORGE NORTHWEST TO 234 GEORGE SOUTH CENTER TO 234 HOW CENTER TO 234 MIKE SOUTHEAST TO 234 NAN SOUTH TO 234 OBOE SOUTH TO 235 KING SOUTH TO 235 LOVE SOUTH TO 235 ROGER SOUTH CENTER TO 235 SUGAR SOUTHWEST TO 235 TARE SOUTHWEST X OWN CASUALTIES AS OF 1500 KIA 62 OFF 1053 ENL X WIA 188 OFF 4118 ENL MIA 1 OFF 208 ENL X SK 12 OFF 418 ENL X TOTAL 263 OFF 5797 ENL X TOTAL INTERRED IN DIVISION CEMETERY 1200 X TO BE INTERRED 25 X ENEMY DEAD 7446 X POW 31 X SUPPLY X 68 AIR EVACUATIONS DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 120 PATIENTS IN DIVISION HOSPITAL X 21755 GALLONS OF WATER PRODUCED DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 40000 GALLONS IN DIVISION DUMP X DURING LAST 24 HOURS FOLLOWING NUMBER OF ROUNDS OF ARTILLERY HE AMMO RECEIVED X 75MM 180 RDS X 105MM 2180 RDS X AT 1500 THE FOLLOWING NUMBER OF RDS OF ARTY HE AMMO ON POSITION X 1ST BN 6400 RDS 75MM X 2D BN 3154 RDS 105MM X 3D BN 2697 RDS 105MM X 4TH BN 2286 RDS 105MM X DIVISION BAKERY IN OPERATION IN TA 198X X THERE ARE 27 LVT(A)'S SERVICEABLE X LOST OR DESTROYED 120 LVT'S SERVICEABLE X 12 UNDER REPAIR X 61 LOST OR DESTROYED X 30 DUKW'S SERVICEABLE X 6 UNDER REPAIR X 64 LOST OR DESTROYED X 9 WEASELS SERVICEABLE X 1 UNDER REPAIR X 8 LOST OR DESTROYED X 9 AMPH TRAILERS SERVICEABLE X 9 UNDER REPAIR X 6 LOST OR DESTROYED X LOCATION OF CP'S NO CHANGE X RAY A. ROBINSON COLONEL, USMC CHIEF OF STAFF