SECRET                                    18 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 171700 TO 181700 FOLLOWS X
ONLY MINOR ACTIVITY OCCURRED ON THE DIVISION FRONT DURING

THE NIGHT X IN CT 26 Z OF A THERE WERE LIGHT INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS AND
OCCASIONAL HAND GRENADE EXCHANGES X THE JAPS USED SMOKE AT 2210

ON THE FRONT OF LT 3/26 FOR AN UNDETERMINED PURPOSE X IN CT 28 Z O A HEAVY
SMALL ARMS FIRE WAS RECEIVED ON THAT PART OF THE FRONT

OCCUPIED BY THE PIONEER BATTALION BUT NO ATTACK DEVELOPED X AT DAWN LT
1/28 OBSERVED THAT 4 OUT OF A PARTY OF 7 JAPS IN FRONT OF THE LINES

WERE WEARING MARINE UNIFORMS X DURING DAYLIGHT THE JAPS OFFERED BITTER
RESISTANCE IN THE NATURALLY STRONG DEFENSIVE POSITIONS IN 234J  AND IN

THE ROCKY GORGE RUNNING TO THE SEA IN 250W X MANY CAVES WERE FOUND IN
THE AREA NORTH OF THE GORGE BUT FLAME TANKS WERE QUITE SUCCESSFUL IN

FLUSHING JAPS FROM THESE CAVES X THESE CAVES FURNISHED THE STRONGEST
DEFENSIVE POSITION AVAILABLE TO THE JAPS COUPLED WITH THE DIFFICULT

TERRAIN WHICH MADE MOVEMENT OF TANKS AND BULLDOZERS SLOW AND
TORTUROUS X THE FIRE RECEIVED TODAY WAS MAINLY SMALL ARMS MACHINE GUN
ND LIMITED

AMOUNTS OF LIGHT CALIBER MORTAR FIRE X THERE ARE 33 TANKS OPERATIONAL OF
WHICH 5 ARE FLAME THROWERS 2 OF THESE FLAME THROWERS ARE FROM THE

4TH MAR DIV X FRONT LINES AS OF 1700 X 250W CENTER TO 234I EAST CENTER 234O
CENTER TO 235K NORTHWEST TO 234E CENTER TO

240X CENTER X CASUALTIES AS OF 1500 X KIA 84 OFFICERS 1674 ENL X WIA 246
OFFICERS 5819 ENL  X MIA 4 OFFICERS 208 ENL X SK 17 OFFICERS

813 ENL X TOTAL CASUALTIES 351 OFFICERS 8514 ENL X INTERRED IN DIV CEMETERY
68 OFFICERS 1729 ENL 43 UNIDENTIFIED X AWAITING INTERMENT

20 X ENEMY CASUALTIES 10197 X POW 51 X SUPPLY 36 AIR EVACUATIONS DURING
LAST 24 HOURS X 26 DISTILLATION UNITS IN OPERATION X 28150

GALLONS OF WATER PRODUCED DURING LAST 24 HOURS X 65000 GALLONS IN DIV
DUMP X FOLLOWING NUMBER OF RDS INFANTRY AMMUNITION RECEIVED DURING

LAST 24 HOURS X 60MM MORTAR ILLUMINATING 672 X FRAGMENTATION HAND
GRENADES 2000 X ILLUMINATING HAND GRENADES 1500 X 13TH MARINES BEGAN

REEMBARKING OVER WHITE BEACH X HIGH SURF AND ROUGH SEAS INTERFERING
WITH LOADING X SUPPLY SITUATION SATISFACTORY X NO CHANGE IN LOCATION

OF COMMAND POSTS X




                                   RAY A. ROBINSON
                                   COLONEL, USMC
                                   CHIEF OF STAF