The Pittsburgh Press (May 1, 1945)
On Okinawa –
Naha outpost under fire of U.S. tanks
Americans within 2 miles of capital
GUAM (UP) – U.S. troops swept within two miles of Naha, capital of Okinawa, today and brought its northeastern outpost of Shuri under direct tank fire.
The two-pronged drive, supported by an air-land-sea bombardment, was paced by the 27th Infantry Division which overran Machinato Airfield and pushed into the strong Jap defenses on the northern outskirts of Naha.
Sherman tanks of the 96th Infantry Division pushed down the center of the island to shell Shuri, the second largest city of Okinawa.
Japs fight bitterly
Elements of the 7th Infantry Division, pushing down the eastern coast, were closing in on Yonabaru Airfield, five miles across the island from Naha.
The Japs were still fighting bitterly from strong defenses clustered around Naha. An estimated 1,000 Japs were killed in Southern Okinawa in the last 72 hours.
The Japs have also placed expert riflemen in strategic spots. One regimental officer said Jap sharpshooters shot five Americans through the head with five shots last Saturday.
B-29s again active
Tokyo radio, meanwhile, reported that U.S. Superfortresses raided Kyushu, southernmost of Japan’s home islands, for the fifth consecutive day today in an attempt to neutralize the bases from which the Japs have been launching suicide aerial attacks on the Okinawa area.
The report was not confirmed, although the XXI Bomber Command announced that the big B-29s started huge fires yesterday in the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal near Tokyo and at Hamamatsu, 60 miles southeast of Nagoya.
It was the first Superfortress raid on Hamamatsu, which was picked as an alternate target when weather closed in over Tachikawa during the attack.
A part of Monday’s Superfortress force also raided airfields on Kyushu, and the XXI Bomber Command announced that the three operations were carried out without loss.
At least nine cargo vessels and a number of smaller craft were sunk or damaged by American planes in attacks through the Ryukyus to as far north as Kozu Island, just south of Tokyo.