The Pittsburgh Press (March 7, 1945)
Victory nears in Iwo battle
Leathernecks gain in close-quarters fighting
GUAM (UP) – Assault units of three U.S. Marine divisions hacked out local gains in close-quarter fighting on Iwo today.
A late dispatch said they appeared confident they would crush the final Jap defenses soon.
The Marine onslaught was described as a general offensive to break up the last organized resistance on the island 750 miles south of Tokyo.
Attack pillboxes
A report from a warship off Iwo said desperately fighting Japs stalled the Marine push in some sectors, but in others small gains were made.
The Marines were fighting through a maze of interlocking defenses and pillboxes. The enemy toehold on Iwo was lashed yesterday with “staggering amounts” of grenades, small arms and artillery fire, the late report said.
Gains were measured in feet and yards. The end may come suddenly under unremitting Marine pressure, or the last thirst-crazed Japs may expend their remaining strength in a bloody “Banzai” suicide charge.
Hold four-fifths of Iwo
A total of 14,456 Jap dead had been counted by 6 p.m. yesterday for the 16-day campaign. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, more enemy dead remained behind the Jap lines. Though the garrison originally was estimated at 20,000, officers now believed the number was actually closer to 25,000.
The 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, already firmly holding four-fifths of Iwo, launched their general offensive against the remaining enemy positions yesterday morning after the most intense American artillery bombardment of the entire campaign.
Naval guns and carrier planes also supported the attack.
Army fighters have begun using the southernmost of the three captured airfields on Iwo.