Battle of Okinawa – (Report) – (May 1945) – 96th Infantry Division

There was a 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 strongpoint on the Dick Hill. Elements of the 1/382 advanced as far as the draw between the Dick Hill and the Flat Top Hill – (8073-W5) at (8073-W4), but enemy fire became so strong that it was impossible to maintain this position. At the close of the period front lines of the 1/382 were in the exact same positions as of the previous night. The 3/382, during the coordinated, attack had succeeded in advancing one company 400 yards to seize the Mary Hill – (8072-I1) southeast of the Dick Hill. Although advances of this regiment were generally small, the fighting in their zone was the heaviest encountered for sometime. In the 383-IR zone, the 1/383 engaged in a heavy fire fight throughout the day against enemy positions located on the Love Hill and the Mike Hill – (8171-M2). Elements of 1/383 on the regimental right advanced 200 yards to secure the high ground southwest of the Charlie Hill, approximately 200 yards north of the 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 the advance of this company.

The 2/383, during the day, received heavy enemy machine gun and mortar fire coming from the southeast slopes of the Conical Hill. This battalion, supported by tanks, concentrated on knocking out enemy pillboxes and softening up enemy strongpoints 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 the high ground, 200 yards northwest of the Conical Peak.

Dick Hill Finally Reached

Continued 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 the 3/307 to capture the Dick Hill and supported the 3/307 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 ridge line 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 on the division left made little advances during the day. Extremely heavy enemy fire from the Love Hill and the Mike Hill prevented any advance of the 1/383 on the regimental right. This 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 the 1/383 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 – Gaja Area with negative results.

In spite of the day’s rain, the 382-IR advanced four reinforced rifle companies just short of the skyline on the 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, 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 Commanding Officer of the 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.

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 the Dick Hill. The enemy met this attack with heavy knee-mortar fire, grenades, 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 the 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 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 tanks. The right flank of this attack was stopped almost immediately by the intense machine gun fire from the Love Hill, and from the vicinity of the Victor Hill – (8071-D2). However, Charlie Company on the left flank succeeded in bypassing the King Hill and by 1700, had pushed one platoon up the northeast slope of the Love. At this time an estimated 50 enemy machine guns opened up from the enemy fortified position on the Love Hill to their front, from the vicinity of the Victor Hill on their right, from the southeast slopes of the Conical Hill on their left and from the south slopes of the King Hill to their rear. Extremely heavy casualties were inflicted on our own forces as no elements of this platoon which had reached the Love Hill were able to return to our front lines.

Only slight gains were made by the 2/383 during the day as they attempted to advance down the southeast slopes of the Conical Hill against heavy machine gun and small arms fire. However, one platoon of Baker Company, 763-TB, had pushed forward to reach the northwest corner of Yonabaru and immediately began bombarding the town with 75-MM and machine gun fire. The heavy enemy fire covering the south slopes of the Conical Hill prevented the infantry from exploiting the tanks’ rapid advance and at the close of the period, after exhausting their ammunition supply, the tanks withdrew to positions held previously.

As a result of these activities, the 2/382 on the division right flank gained slightly more than 100 yards down the south slopes of the Dick Hill. On the division left, the 2/383 made only slight gains along the southeast slopes of the Conical Hill, as medium tanks penetrated the enemy right flank 1000 yards in a reconnaissance in force along the coastal road to the outskirts of Yonabaru

381st Infantry Regiment Committed

Field Order #22 (Hq 96th Infantry Division) issued on May 16, ordered the 381-IR (less 1st Battalion) into the line on the left flank of the division. New regimental boundaries were established. The 381-IR was ordered to relieve elements of the 383-IR in its zone of action on May 17 and to attack with the main effort on its right. The 382-IR was to continue the attack in its assigned zone and seize the Oboe Hill, the Peter Hill and the Victor Hill mass; the 382-IR was to continue the attack in its assigned zonemaking the main effort on its left. The attack jumped off at 0630 on May 17 as tank-infantry teams and demolition teams from the 382-IR covered the west, southwest and south slopes of the Dick Hill cleaning out a number of enemy fortified positions along these slopes. A net advance of 200 yards was made by the 2/382 on the division right flank as this battalion worked slowly down the southwest slope destroying numerous caves and pillboxes with pole charges and flamethrowers. Extremely heavy fire coming from the high ground to their front made further progress slow. The 3/382 spent the day sending out mop-up patrols to work along the high ground at (8072-OL) cleaning out the numerous enemy positions and fortifications between the right flank of the 3/382 and the 2/382.