Strength of more than 50,000 troops has managed to stalemate both the 24th army corps and the marine Third Amphibious corps, which has arrived from the north to support them. From the capital city of naha, the enemy defense line runs unbroken for four miles like a stone wall to the east coast. Along this line, marine troops faced the concentrated fire of japanese artillery, which has been the most effective yet encountered in any pacific operation. [gunfire] [gunfire] here are armored units that operate over terrain that is tactically advantageous to the japanese. Volcanic outcroppings and coral knobs enable the enemy to go from one fortified ridge to another. The cliffside emplacements and observation points go over most of the terrain, comprising a stubborn rathole Defense System which must be overcome point by point. Our artillery delivers heavy fire on the central strong point of the enemys defense line, the garrison village of shuri, which is too heavily fortified for frontal assa
Japan
United-states
Ryukyus
Okinawa
Japanese
Americans
American
Simon-bolivar-buckner
Roy-s-geiger
Army-corps
Third-amphibious
Capital-city