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May 12, 1945 – Japs Repulse our Dick Hill Attack

On May 12, at 0800, the Division continued the attack. The 382-IR made its main effort in the center of the regimental zone in order to outflank enemy positions deeply entrenched along the south slopes of Item Hill. During the morning, the 1/382, right flank, employed tank-infantry teams to mop up the enemy pillboxes on the northwest slopes of the Zebra Hill while the 3/382, moved one company around the right and into the 1/382 zone, advancing down the southeast slopes of the Zebra Hill closely supported by tanks and by fire from 1/382. By 1200, this company had succeeded in advancing to the draw at (8173-W3) and was in physical contact with the 1/382 and the remainder of the battalion. The 3/382 had cleaned out the enemy positions and pillboxes in the draw and the south slopes of the Item Hill by 1230 and had advanced their front lines for about 400 yards to (8173-V5–8172-C2). At 1330 the regiment reorganized and launched a second coordinated attack against Dick Hill with the main effort by the 1/382. This battalion fought bitterly throughout the afternoon struggling forward through the intense rifle and machine-gun fire, employing smoke, and managed to advance to the lower slopes of the Dick Hill. However, by 1800, the fighting became so fierce that it was evident that the hill could not be taken before dark and the battalion consolidated in positions previously occupied.

While the 1/382 was battling the stubborn resistance to their front, one company of the 3/382 advanced and secured the Baker Hill (8172-G2), and at the close of the period, the 3/382 consolidated their lines on the north slopes of Baker Hill with their right flank tied in with the 1/382 on the south slopes of the Zebra Hill. The 383-IR, in its attack toward the Conical Hill, concentrated the main effort on the regimental left flank making only small gains. The 1/383 on the regimental right flank, spent the day in mopping up by-passed enemy positions on the Fox Hill and Charlie Hill, making slight advances to the west and up to the northwest slopes of the Conical Hill. Tanks were moved forward in the vicinity of the Gaja Hill and by 1130 had cleaned out many enemy positions on the north edge of the town of Yonagusuku (8272-Y), but despite this tank support, Fox Co fought bitterly throughout the day on the north edge of the town and by 1800 were still unable to overcome the resistance to their front. The remainder of the 2/383 moved forward very slowly up the north slopes of the Conical Hill.

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As a result of these activities, the 382-IR on the division right advanced elements of the 1/3822 against extremely heavy enemy opposition to the northern slope of Dick Hill, but were forced to withdraw against this bitter enemy mortar fire and machine-gun crossfire to the south slopes of the Zebra Hill. An advance of 400 yards made by the 3/382 succeeded in seizing the Baker Hill, while the 383-IR, having cleaned out the enemy positions along Fox Hill and Charlie Hill, reorganized and consolidated their lines in preparation for the continued attack on the Conical Hill.

May 13, 1945 – The North Slopes of the Conical Hill Secured

The attack south jumped off at 0800 on May 13, and immediately strong resistance was met on the division’s right flank. The 1/382 initially supported the advance of the 3/382 by neutralizing and softening up heavily fortified enemy positions on Dick Hill with AT guns, medium tanks, and artillery. Many direct hits on enemy positions were observed by elements of 1/382 while destroying numerous occupied caves and pillboxes on the valley floor at (8172-A1) and (8172-A2). After spending the morning softening up the enemy positions to their front, the 1/382 moved forward at 1230 taking the Emily Hill (8073-X1) and (8073-X2), and at 1400 jumped off in a coordinated attack with the 2/306 on the right and the 3/382 on the left. By 1630, the 1/382 had advanced 400 to 500 yards against heavy resistance, fighting all the way with the enemy looking down on their positions. Numerous caves and pillboxes encountered were completely destroyed, and the 1/382 consolidated and dug in for the night on the base of the Dick Hill, at (8273-S3), (8273-XL), (8273-3), (8274-YL), and (8273-2).

During the morning, the 3/382 had pushed strong patrols 200 yards south of Baker Hill while the remainder of the battalion was moving forward to occupy the ridge at (8172-F). At 1400, the battalion jumped off in a coordinated attack with the 1/382 and the 2/306, and by 1630 this battalion had advanced 600 yards to the base of the Oboe Hill (8072-R), at (8072-N2-03) over difficult terrain against heavy resistance. Most of the fighting was done at close range and the battalion engaged in hand-to-hand combat all the way. It is estimated that these two battalions killed 500 to 550 Japs as a result of this action. During the day, the 1/383 made slow progress against determined enemy resistance coming from King Hill and Love Hill.

M-4 96th Infantry Division

IllustrationAgainst this resistance, the battalion had, at the close of the period, advanced 100 yards along the southeast spur of the Charlie Hill and the left flank was extended to the cut between the Charlie Hill and King Hill. The 2/383 began the attack on the Conical Hill with elements on both sides of Razorback Ridge, running north and south from the base of the hill to the peak at (8271-BG). The right flank immediately pushed forward 200 yards to a point forward of the base of the ridge, but the left flank, Fox Co, was held up by machine-gun fire coming from the vicinity of Yonagusuku. By 1100, Fox 383 supported by tanks, had cleaned out the resistance in this area and the remainder of the battalion moved rapidly up to the crest of the ridge running northeast from the peak of the Conical Hill.

At 1330, Love Co (383-IR) was committed on the right flank of the 2/383 with the mission of securing the west slopes of King Hill. At 1420, Love Co was pushing slowly up the east slopes of King Hill but was unable to reach the high ground between the King Hill and the Conical Hill prior to darkness. At 1525 an estimated enemy company launched a counter-attack against the advance positions of the 2/383 on the Conical Hill but prompt artillery barrages and 4.2­ Chemical Mortar fire directed by an observer in a liaison plane stopped this attack. At 1600, the left flank of this battalion was on the skyline just 50 yards east of the highest peak on the Conical Hill and the front lines, at the close of the period, extended along the high ridge running east and west.

At 1100, the 2/381 was attached to the 383-IR for operational control. This battalion moved to new positions on the Gaja Ridge during the afternoon to protect the division’s left flank and to send strong patrols to the vicinity of the town located at (8372-X). As a result of these activities, the division advanced for approximately 800 yards on the left and about 600 yards on the right. The 382-IR fought bitterly over the extremely contested ground in the face of heavy enemy opposition, while the 383-IR overcame all resistance in Yonagusuku and advanced to within 50 yards of the highest point of the Conical Hill and to a point halfway up the northeast slopes of the King Hill. The 2/381 moved to new positions on the division’s left flank abreast of the 383 on the Conical Hill.

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May 14, 1945 – The Japs Reinforce Dick Hill

There was a really considerable increase in enemy activity during the night of May 13-14 with numerous attempts of infiltration being repulsed by all front-line battalions. It was believed that the enemy reinforced the Dick Hill during the night as, beginning at dawn, on May 14, and lasting throughout the day, the 1/382 received intense machine gun and rifle fire from the vicinity of the Hill. All available supporting weapons were used to neutralize and destroy these enemy positions, and tanks were employed to supply ammunition to our front lines. At 1400, the 1/382 and the 3/382 jumped off in a coordinated attack and fought bitterly throughout the period in an all-out effort to secure the enemy’s strong point on the Hill. Elements of the 1/383 advanced as far as the draw between the Dick Hill and the Flat-Top Hill (8073-W5) and (8073-W4), but the enemy fire became so strong that it was impossible to maintain this position. At the close of the period, the front lines of the 1/382 were the same as the previous night. The 3/383, during the coordinated attack, had succeeded in advancing one company 400 yards to seize the Mary Hill (8072-IL), southeast of the Dick Hill. Although the advances of this regiment were generally small, the fighting in their zone was the heaviest encountered for some time.

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In the 383-IR zone, the 1/383 engaged in a heavy firefight throughout the day against enemy positions located on Love Hill and Mike Hill (8171-M2). Elements of 1/383 on the regimental right advanced 200 yards to secure the high ground southwest of Charlie Hill, approximately 200 yards north of Love Hill. The left flank elements of this battalion were advanced 200 yards and succeeded in knocking out the enemy resistance on the northeast slopes of the King Hill which had been holding up advances in the center of the regimental zone. The 1/383 in the center of the regimental zone advanced 200 yards and by 1800 had secured the high ground just west of the Conical Peak (8271-K), and was abreast of the 2/383. Elements of the 763-TB rendered excellent fire support during this advance of this battalion. The 2/383, during the day, received heavy enemy machine gun and mortar fire coming from the southeast slopes of Conical Hill. This battalion, supported by tanks, concentrated on knocking out enemy pillboxes and softening up enemy strong points to the front and flanks. At the close of the period, the 2/383 had maintained its right flank just east of the highest peak on the Conical Hill and had advanced its left flank 200 yards to (8271-N). During the period, the 2/381 moved to new dispositions with George Co abreast of and protecting the left flank of the 2/383. As a result of these activities, the 382-IR captured the high ground southeast of the Dick Hill, while the 383-IR captured the southwest slopes of the Charlie Hill and high ground, 200 yards northwest of the Conical Peak.

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May 15, 1945 – Dick Hill Finally Reached

77-IDContinued enemy infiltration attempts, were prominent all along the front during the night of May 14-15. Heavy rains during the night which lasted until noon of May 15, resulted in little progress initially in the attack by the Division due to poor footing. However, at 0900, the 382-IR attacked in conjunction with 3/307 (77-ID) to capture Dick Hill and supported the 3/307 (77-ID) in the capture of the Chocolate Drop Hill on the boundary between the 77-ID and the 96-ID.

At 1430, the 3/382 began to advance up the steep slopes of Dick Hill by infiltration. In order to conceal this advance, fires from the Division Artillery were placed on the enemy position by numerous heavy artillery concentrations before the all-out assault was made. By 1600, one company had reached the skyline on Dick Hill and by 1700 the remaining elements of the 3/382 and one company of the 1/382 were on top of the hill. As these four companies attempted to cross the skyline, intense machine gun and rifle fire opened up raking the ridgeline from end to end, making further advance impossible. At 1300 these four companies were digging in on the north slopes of the hill just short of the skyline within 50 yards of the Japs dug in on the south slopes. The 383-IR with the 2/381 attached, on the division left, made little advances during the day. Extremely heavy enemy fire from Love Hill and Mike Hill prevented any advance of the 1/383 on the right flank.

Grenade, fragmentation, Japanese, Type 97. The Model 91 grenade could either be thrown by hand or fired from a 50-MM grenade dischargerUS MK-2A1 Fragmentation Hand GrenadeThis battalion, however, employed all supporting weapons, knocked out considerable enemy emplacements, and definitely killed 105 Japs. The 2/383 advanced George Co approximately 200 yards to the top of the Conical Hill and adjusted their position to tie in with Love 383 on their right. During the day, strong feeler patrols were sent 200 yards forward of the front lines to probe enemy positions while the 2/381 continued to patrol the Yonagusuku and the Gaya Areas with negative results.

In spite of the day’s rain, the 382-IR advanced four reinforced rifle companies just short of the skyline on Dick Hill against strong enemy resistance and poor footing while the 383-IR continued to knock out strong enemy positions and to consolidate and reinforce their position on the Conical Hill. Contact was maintained with the enemy during the night of May 15-16, as troops were engaged in hand grenade duels with the Japs dug in on the south slopes of the Dick Hill and the Conical Hill. The Regimental CO of the 382-IR stated that the reason the troops had taken the Dick Hill and had held it was due to the fact that they were able to get a larger supply of grenades up the hill than the Japs before dark.

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May 16, 1945 – Rain Delays Advance

On the morning of May 16, the 2/382 passed through and relieved the 1/382 and at 0930, the 2/382 and the 3/382 attacked the peak of Dick Hill. The enemy met this attack with heavy knee-mortar fire, hand grenades, and satchel charges, making the ground untenable. Heavy fire was placed on these positions on the south slope of the hill, and by 1100 one company of each battalion had succeeded in getting advance elements over the skyline.

By 1200, one company of the 2/382 had crossed the peak of the hill and was working down the southwest slopes, engaged in bitter hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets and grenades. By 1400, the 2/382 had been successful in gaining slightly more than 100 yards down the south slope of the hill. At 1430 the remainder of the 3/382 renewed their attack and attempted to cross the skyline southeast of the hill but made little progress. Heavy machine gun and rifle fire from the enemy positions on the Oboe Hill completely covered the exposed terrain just forward of the crest of Dick Hill making any further advance during the day impossible. The 1/382 after being relieved, supported by fire the assault of the 307-IR (77-ID) on the Flat-Top Hill.

During the day, extremely heavy fighting throughout the regimental zone resulted in only slight advances for the 383-IR. The 1/383 continued mopping up during the morning and attempted to bring up tanks to support their advance. The roads were impassable due to previous rainy conditions, but at 1430 this battalion resumed their attack against the King Hill and the Love Hill without the aid of the tanks. The right flank of this attack was stopped almost immediately by the intense machine-gun fire from Love Hill, and from the vicinity of Victor Hill, (8071-D2). However, Charlie Co on the battalion’s left flank succeeded in bypassing King Hill and by 1700 had pushed one platoon up the northeast slope of Love Hill. At this time an estimated 50 enemy machine guns opened up from the enemy fortified position on Love Hill to their front, from the vicinity of Victor Hill on their right, from the southeast slopes of the Conical Hill on their left, and from the south slopes of King Hill to their rear.

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