SECRET 17 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 161700 TO 171700 FOLLOWS X ALL FRONT LINE ELEMENTS OF CT 26 HAD ACTIVITY ON THEIR FRONT DURING THE NIGHT X LT 3/26 ON THE RIGHT KILLED 16 JAPS WHO WERE ATTEMPTING TO INFILTRATE X LT 3/28 IN THE CENTER KILLED 8 JAPS AND TOOK 1 PW DURING A HAND GRENADE EXCHANGE X LT 1/26 ON THE LEFT KILLED 26 JAPS DURING THE NIGHT X THESE JAPS WERE DIGGING EMPLACEMENTS IN FRONT OF OUR LINES USING TWO MEN TO DIG AND ONE MAN TO COVER THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DIGGERS X CONSIDERABLE SMALL ARMS FIRE AND HAND GRENADES WERE EXCHANGED ON THIS FRONT X AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF JAPS WERE NOTICED ENTERING CAVES AND THEN USING DEMOLITIONS TO BLOW] SHUT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE X CT 28 WAS QUIET ALONG THE ENTIRE FRONT WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL SMALL ARMS FIRE BEING RECEIVED X FOLLOWING AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO INDUCE COL IKEDA TO SURRENDER CT 26 ADVANCED AT 0900 AGAINST RESISTANCE WHICH RAPIDLY IS BECOMING DISORGANIZED X SMALL ARMS FIRE AND DIFFICULT TERRAIN WERE THE MAIN OPPOSITION TO OUR ADVANCE X AT 1045 A FORMATION OF 150 JAPS IN 250Y WAS BROKEN UP BY ACCURATE MORTAR FIRE X CT 26 REACHED THE COAST OF KITANO POINT AND ARE WORKING SOUTH TOWARDS THE ROCKY GORGE FACING CT 28 X THE JAPS CONTINUED TO PUT UP BITTER ORGANIZED RESISTANCE IN THE AREA OF 234J AND RESISTED OUR EVERY ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE RADIO STATION LOCATED THERE X THE ROCKY GORGE FACING CT 28 REMAINS COMPLETELY IN JAP HANDS X MORTAR FIRE HAS GREATLY DECREASED AND SNIPER FIRE IS DECREASING IN ACCURACY THOUGH NOT IN VOLUME X MINIMUM RANGES WERE SUCH THAT ARTILLERY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE DIVISION X TANKS SUPPORTED THE OPERATIONS OF THE DIVISION X FLAME TANKS DID THEIR USUAL GOOD WORK IN ELIMINATING ENEMY RESISTANCE X THERE ARE 32 TANKS OPERATIONAL OF WHICH 4 ARE FLAME THROWERS X 2 OF THESE FLAME THROWERS ARE FROM THE 4TH MARDIV X FRONT LINES AS OF 1700 X 250N SOUTH TO 250T WEST TO 250Y WEST CENTER TO 234E CENTER TO 235F WEST TO 235K NORTHWEST TO 234O CENTER TO 234I EAST CENTER TO 250W CENTER X OWN CASUALTIES AS OF 1500 X KIA OFFICERS 83 ENL 1646 X WIA OFFICERS 243 ENL 5775 X MIA OFFICERS 4 ENL 204 ENL SK OFFICERS 17 ENL 783 X TOTAL CASUALTIES 347 OFFICERS 8408 ENL X INTERRED IN DIV CEMETERY 68 OFFICERS 1697 ENL 38 UNIDENTIFIED X TO BE INTERRED 23 X ENEMY DEAD 10028 X PW 44 X SUPPLY 74 AIR EVACUATIONS DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 25 DISTILLATION UNITS IN OPERATION X 23010 GALLONS OF WATER PRODUCED DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 40000 GALLONS IN DIV DUMP X FOLLOWING NUMBER OF RDS INFANTRY AMMUNITION RECEIVED DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 75MM GUN SC 1000 X 75MM GUN NORMAL 500 X HAND GRENADES FRAGMENTATION 4000 X ILLUMINATING HAND GRENADES 2000 TRIP FLARES M49 1000 X COMMENDED PREPARATIONS FOR LOADING X LVTA'S SERVICEABLE 18 LOST OR DESTROYED X WEASELS SERVICEABLE 8 UNDER REPAIR 2 LOST OR DESTROYED 8 X AMPHIBIOUS TRAILERS SERVICEABLE 10 UNDER REPAIR 14 X NO CHANGE IN LOCATION OF COMMAND POSTS X RAY A. ROBINSON COLONEL, USMC CHIEF OF STAFF