Tails Up

At Okinawa the future moved in on the Japanese, gun in hand. New York's 27th Division, its regiments adding new laurels to laurels won in the Civil War and World War I, captured the northern half of the Machinate airstrip, reached within two and one half miles of Naha, the capital.

The 96th Division, in the center of the line, fought its way atop and over "Skyline Ridge" dominating the field. The 7th Division, on the left, pressed toward the Yonabaru airstrip.

Against these units, supported by the fire of warships, planes and artillery,, the Japanese fought skillfully. In three caves U.S. soldiers found more than 300 enemy bodies, all huddled together, but in most places the Japanese no longer clung stubbornly to a position until they died there.

Instead, they withdrew to new ridge entrenchments and fought on. Their artillery, firing 7,000 shells a night, covered their movements.

The U.S. Tenth Army paid for its advances in blood. Casualties reached 11,413,* including 9,148 wounded. Without warning, the Japanese record for respecting hospital ships (they have permitted U.S.

hospital ships to sail within 15 miles of their base at Truk) was suddenly thrown overboard. Out of a clear moonlit night a Kamikaze plane dove into the U.S.S. Comfort, steaming southeast of Okinawa with its lights ablaze, in accordance with international law. The crippled 700-bed mercy ship, with 29 dead, limped toward port.

To the battlefield came Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, overall commander of the operation. Generals and admirals in varied uniforms, sun helmets, marine wool jackets, coveralls, khakis and tin hats, ac companied him on an inspection tour. The task ahead was tough -- a process of digging the Japs out of one fortified ridge after another to the end of the island, twelve miles away. But the Admiral was confident. As his amphibious-force commander, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, expressed it: all the troops have "got their tails over the dashboard and are going to town."

*Latest estimate of Japanese casualties: 21,269 killed; 399 prisoners.

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