SECRET                                    12 MAR 45

FROM:       5TH MAR DIV
TO  :       VAC                     INFO: EXTROPAC  X  3D AND 4TH MAR DIVS

THIS IS SECRET X DISPATCH SUMMARY FOR THE PERIOD 111700 TO 121700 FOLLOWS X
THE PERIOD FORM 2045 TO 2300 FOUND THE FRONT SEETHING WITH

ACTIVITY X AT 2045 IN THE CENTER OF THE LINE OPPOSITE LT 2/26  15-18 JAPS COULD
BE HEARD CHATTING IN TA 234K X WHILE 60 MM MORTAR FIRE WAS

DISPERSING THIS GROUP 7 OR 8 ADDITIONAL NIPS WORKED UP TO THE FRONT LINES
AND HEAVED HAND GRENADES X ALL OF THIS LATTER GROUP WERE KILLED X

AT 2100 ON THE RIGHT OF THE LINE IN LT 1/27 Z OF A  A HAND GRENADE EXCHANGE
OCCURRED IN WHICH 3-4 NIPS WERE KILLED X AT ABOUT TH E SAME TIME

A DEFINITE INFILTRATION ATTEMPT BY 15 NIPS WAS REPELLED ON THE FRONT OF LT
3/27 X 7 JAPS WERE  KILLED IN THE 81MM POSITION OF LT 3/27 X ONE

OF THESE MEN WAS WEARING A MARINE UNIFORM AND CARRYING AN M-1 RIFLE
WHILE THE OTHER 6 WORE JAP NAVAL UNIFORMS AND WERE ARMED ONLY WITH
GRENADES

X AT 2100 ON THE LEFT OF THE DIVISION FRONT OPPOSITE LT 1/28 AND LT 2/28 THE
JAPS WERE REPORTED FORMING  UP X A THUNDEROUS ARTILLERY AND

MORTAR BARRAGE WAS LAID DOWN EFFECTIVELY BREAKING UP THE FORMATION X
28 JAPS WERE REPORTED KILLED BY THIS BARRAGE IN TA 234D X AT 2200

 IN 235A THE JAPS WERE DISPERSED WHILE TRYING TO SET UP A MORTAR IN THE
VICINITY OF A PILLBOX X BY 2300 ALL ACTIVITY HAD SUBSIDED ON THE

FRONT AND QUIET PUNCTURED BY OCCASIONAL SMALL ARMS FIRE PREVAILED FOR
THE REST OF THE NIGHT X THE SAME BITTER RESISTANCE OF PREVIOUS DAYS

WAS ENCOUNTERED TODAY X THE ROCKY GORGE IN FRONT OF CT 28 IS SWEPT BY
CROSSFIRES FROM ITS EASTERN ENTRANCE AND ITS WESTERN TERMINUS X RIFLEMEN

IN SPIDER TRAP FOXHOLES AND MACHINE GUNNERS IN CLEVERLY CONCEALED
POSITIONS HELD THEIR FIRE UNTIL A DEFINITE TARGET IS OBTAINED X THIS

GORGE IS FURTHER COVERED FROM THE RIDGE IN 250Y AND 234E X OUR TANKS LEAD
ATTACK ON THE RIGHT FLANK MADE SLOW PROGRESS  AGAINST A NETWORK

OF PILLBOXES AND INFANTRY WERE IN PREPARED POSITIONS X 15-18 PILLBOXES
WERE DESTROYED IN THIS ADVANCE THROUGH AN AREA WHICH IS DENSE WITH JAPS
X

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF MANPOWER WEAPONS OR AMMUNITION FOR THE AREA
THE JAP HAS LEFT TO DEFEND X THE JAPS DEFINITELY ARE CROWDING OUR LINES
AND

MAINTAINING CLOSE CONTACT AT ALL POINTS IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE OR ESCAPE
THE EFFECT OF OUR AIR AND ARTILLERY FIRE POWER X THE ARTY REGIMENTS OF

THE THREE DIVISIONS PLUS CORPS ARTY SUPPORTED THE ATTACK X TANKS
SUPPORTED THE ATTACK BUT HAD TO BE USED INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE OF
DIFFICULTY OF

TERRAINS X ARMORED BULLDOZERS WERE UTILIZED IN PREPARING ROUTES OF
ADVANCE FOR THE TANKS X THE ARE 34 TANKS OPERATIONAL OF WHICH THREE ARE
FLAME

THROWERS X AT ABOUT 0800 AIR STRIKE WITH 500 POUND BOMBS WAS MADE ON A
BLOCKHOUSE LOCATED IN 250T A CLOSE MISS WENT INTO THE MOUTH OF A CAVE

FLAME AND SMOKE WERE OBSERVED COMING OUT OF CAVES IN 250S X AT ABOUT
1330 AN AIR STRIKE WAS PUT IN AGAINST A BLOCKHOUSE IN 251V X ONE OF THE

500 POUND BOMBS WENT INTO A CAVE ENTRANCE AND CREATED A VIOLENT
EXPLOSION X  OUR FRONT LINES AS OF 1700 250W WEST CENTER TO 234I CENTER  TO

CR 291 TO 235K TO 235M SOUTH CENTER TO 235T SOUTH X OWN CASUALTIES AS OF
1500 X KIA 77 OFF 1350 ENL X WIA 224 OFF 5073 ENL X SK 13 OFF 530 ENL

X MIA 2 OFF 201 ENL X TOTAL 316 OFF 7154 ENL X 45 OFF 1357 28 UNIDENTIFIED
INTERRED IN DIVISION CEMETERY X 30 TO BE INTERRED X ENEMY

DEAD 8324 X POW 35 X SUPPLY X DURING THE LAST 24 HOURS THERE WERE 77
EVACUATIONS BY AIR X THERE ARE NOW 26 DISTILLATION UNITS IN OPERATION

WITH 29200 GALLONS WATER PRODUCED DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 50000 GALLONS IN
DIV DUMP X AT 1500 FOLLOWING NUMBER RDS OF HE ARTY AMMO ON POSITION

AS LISTED 1ST BN 3403 X 2D BN 1292 X 3D BN 1321 X 4TH BN 1263 X THE 81MM AMMO
SITUATION REMAINS CRITICAL X AT 1200 THERE WERE ONE

POINT EIGHT UNITS OF FIRE OF HEAVY AND ZERO POINT SEVEN UNITS OF FIRE OF
LIGHT WITHIN DIV X 60MM MORTAR ILLUMINATING AMMO SUPPLY ALSO

CRITICAL X AT 1200 THERE WERE 879 RDS WITHIN DIV X 105MM HOWITZER HE AMMO
WILL BE NEEDED BADLY BY TOMORROW X FOUR POINT FIVE INCH ROCKET

AMMO ALSO NEEDED X LVTA'S X 27 SERVICEABLE X 8 LOST OR DESTROYED X LVT'S X
106 SERVICEABLE X 7 UNDER REPAIR X 62 LOST OR DESTROYED X DUKW'S

X 14 SERVICEABLE X 4 UNDER REPAIR X 32 LOST OR DESTROYED X WEASELS X 10
SERVICEABLE 8 LOST OR DESTROYED X AMPHIBIOUS TRAILERS X 13 SERVICEABLE X

11 UNDER REPAIR X 3 LOST OR DESTROYED X NO CHANGE IN LOCATION OF CP'S X


                              RAY A. ROBINSON
                              COLONEL, USMC
                              CHIEF OF STAFF