noise the upper 4 5 of okinawa are already in our hands. The principle remaining japanese strength of more than 50,000 troops has managed to stalemate both the marine 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, the most effective yet encountered in any pacific operation. [gunfire] here are explosions armored units that operate over terrain that is tactically advantageous to the japanese. Volcanic outcroppings and choral knobs enabled the enemy to go from one fortified ridge to another. Operation points go over most of the terrain, comprising a stubborn rathole Defense System which must be overcome point by point. music our artillery delivers heavy fire on the central strong point of the enemy defense line, the garrison village of shuri, which is two heavily fortified for frontal assault which is too heavily fortified for frontal assault. [gunfire] [explosions] seasonal rains, persisting for weeks, force curtailment of our artillery operation due to the difficulty maintaining ammunition supply. Virtually all vehicular transport is bogged down by roads that are two to three feet deep in mud. As the rain continues, Many Organizations manage to maintain at least a minimum of supply by manhandling small units of food, ammunition, and parts up to the forward area. music a lot of rain has flowed. Where there is no other means of supply, there are regular parachute airdrop. With the main road west of shuri severely damaged by shell fire and apparently impassable from weeks of rain, the japanese have withdrawn most of their strength to the eastern side of shuri to thwart a possible flanking movement from that direction. A marine unit without heavy support, proceeding through ravines and gullies, succeeded in breaking the western flank, opening the way to the fortress. The strongest aboveground fortification on okinawa was shuri castle. This medieval structure with walls more than five feet withstood over 25 direct hit from our naval gunfire. The citadel was a keystone of the shuri defense area, 120 acres of village and barracks installation which were totally destroyed. Outflanked and almost encircled, many of the garrison had been evacuated, leaving a skeleton force which was completely wiped out. With the fall of this garrison, the eastern flank of naha is exposed and the main Japanese Defense line begins to crumble into pockets. Simultaneously, we were pushing the attack against the western anchor of the enemy defense line, the sea and airport city of naha. What was soon to develop into a drawnout siege opens with intense bombardment of the approaches into the city. [explosions] advanced marine units penetrating deep into the outlying suburbs of naha engaged an enemy patrol. [machine gun fire] as japanese resistance withdraws within the city proper, our troops advance to positions in the suburbs. We are denied entry into the downtown districts by the mud flats of a river and the effective fire of the japanese artillery. [gunfire] our carrier and okinawa based aircraft aid in support of the ground action. [plane flying] [explosions] offshore, supporting units of our fleet execute Fire Missions against the naha area. The intensive sea and air bombardment delivered against japanese positions, as well as troop concentration, aids in making untenable the high ground commanding naha, from which the enemy is directing his defense of the city. Ashore, against stubborn, one step at a time withdrawal, our troops fight their way through the suburban perimeter of the island capital. With the elimination of japanese observation points, the mud flats of the river, the only other barrier, are bridged, and our advance units enter the downtown area of naha. [gunfire] cautious, house to house, street by street investigation of the city finds only scattered pockets of lastditch defenders. They are troublesome, but relatively ineffectual remnants of the garrison that had successfully stopped our advanced for more than a month stopped our advance for more than a month. [machine gun fire] [explosions] naha, with a normal population of 65, 000, is practically deserted. Falling to our troops at the same time as shuri, it is the largest city ever taken by the marine corps. And with its capture, the enemys cross Island Defense line has ceased to exist. To the south of naha, clearing weather permits an Early Morning Amphibious Landing on the peninsula behind the enemy line. Here is contained a large pocket of japanese, controlling the strategic naha airfield, the largest and best air installation on okinawa. Making a surprise landing, the Marine Amphibious force quickly exploits its beachhead. [gunfire] our primary effort on ryukyu is directed at securing the ground overlooking and approaching the airfield. Another Marine Assault force striking overland from naha, south across the neck of ryukyu, has sealed off all enemy escape from the peninsula. [gunfire] charges are used to blast many of the japanese defenders from their underground placements. The capture of the naha field gives us all the major airstrips on okinawa and forces japanese aviation to operate from other islands in the ryukyus. music to reach the southern tip of the island now becomes the objective of the Third Amphibious corps. South of naha, our advance is confronted by open terrain, not easily defensible by the japanese, whose resistance area is being compressed down to 15 square miles. With the death and action of a general, the interim command is assumed by marine general roy geiger. [explosions] after more than two months of fighting to hold okinawa, the enemy now occupies only seven of the entire 921 square miles. Although individual units put up desperate opposition, almost all organized resistance is at an end. Using the few undamaged roads as runways, the planes are utilized to transport wounded from the forward zones to rear area medical facilities. With an actual flight time of 10 minutes, this air Evacuation Service enabled frontline casualties to be treated at hospitals within an hour and a half from the time they are picked up by navy corpsmen. [explosions] advance in the southern half of the island has developed into a sporadic, less difficult mopping up action. Many japanese soldiers like these prefer to commit suicide rather than surrender. Marine aviation units are assigned to help mop up stubborn resistance in areas that were bypassed. These enemy units are often located in caves and mountain galleries, accessible only to firebombs. [planes flying] these men reconnoiter an open field, searching for stragglers and isolated japanese units. Here, a crew uses White Phosphorus grenades. When the area to be covered is too large for a small patrol to investigate quickly and safely, a flame throwing tank is employed to mop up enemy holdouts. Many disorganized enemy personnel are captured during the last phase of the operation. [gunfire] the round up continues, swelling the total of combatant prisoners to a total of 8000, a Record Number for a pacific operation. Of the entire Japanese Garrison of 100,000 troops, at least 90,000 were killed. The vast majority of these prisoners did not give up until the action was almost over, and then only when they had exhausted every possible means of resistance. After more than 80 days of continuous fighting, the island of okinawa is completely in the hands of the 10th army. The marines Third Amphibious corps has completed its mission in the operation, an operation that has given the American Forces an vital sea and airbase, a base that strikes the enemy supply route to the south and is only 400 miles from the mainland nerve center of the japanese empire. music up next reel america, okinawa, keystone of the pacific, in 1958 u. S. Army big picture episode that tells the story of okinawa. How the island evolved from a world war ii battle site to a korean airfield to an important overseas American Military base in the 1950s. Produced between 1951 and 1971, the big picture was a Weekly Television report for the army and the american public. music the United States army presents the big picture. , an official
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