1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 18–21 MAY1945 ]
18 May
CHINA—In Fukien Province, Chinese recover
Foochow.
BURMA—Movement of CAI (Ch 30th, 38th, and
50th Divs) from Burma to China is begun.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XI Corps area,
149th Inf completes relief of 145th and takes responsibility
for its sector. 145th is held in reserve.
152d Inf renews assault on Woodpecker Ridge but
continues to progress slowly. 43d Div extends control
over Osboy Ridge and opens Metropolitan Road
from Bigti to Ipo.
MINDANAO—In U.S. Eighth Army’s X Corps
area, RCT 108, completing capture of Mangima
Canyon, is able to advance rapidly southward along
Sayre Highway. 1st Bn of 19th Inf, 24th Div,
reaches positions near lower end of Sasa airfield.
Tugbok falls to 2d Bn, 21st Inf, which halts for a
few days to patrol and consolidate.
OKINAWA—In U.S. Tenth Army’s III Amphib
Corps area, Sugar Loaf falls to 29th Marines, 6th
Mar Div; regt also consolidates positions on northern
slope of Crescent Hill and seizes part of Horseshoe,
commanding feature just SW of Sugar Loaf. 1st Mar
Div continues seesaw battle for Wana Draw and
Wana Ridge. 5th Marines further softens enemy
positions with tank and M–7 fire while engineers
clear lower slopes of the ridge. 3d Bn, 7th Marines,
makes another fruitless effort to take Wana Ridge.
In XXIV Corps area, 305th Inf of 77th Div slightly
improves positions on Highway 5; 307th is still unable
to take Chocolate Drop or Flattop but improves
positions about former. 382d Inf, 96th Div, succeeds
in holding crest of Dick Hill under fire from Flattop
and starts clearing reverse slope. 3d Bn, 381st Inf,
opens attack for Sugar Hill.
19 May
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area, 25th
Div, ordered to clear area W of Highway 5 as far as
Imugan and N and W of Santa Fe, is reinf by 126th
Inf, 32d Div. In XI Corps area, 152d Inf confines its
activity against Woodpecker Ridge to local probing
for next few days. Enemy resistance to 43d Div in
Ipo area ends and mopping up is begun.
MINDANAO—In U.S. Eighth Army’s X Corps
area, 19th Inf of 24th Div, passing 2d Bn through
1st, continues NE up coastal road to Panacan. 2d
Bn, 34th Inf, will renew attack on Hill 550.
OKINAWA—In U.S. Tenth Army’s III Amphib
Corps area, 6th Mar Div consolidates positions and
relieves depleted 29th Marines with 4th Marines. 5th
Marines, 1st Mar Div, further neutralizes enemy
positions in Wana Draw. 3d Bn, 7th Marines, continues
assault on Wana Ridge until the 7th Marines
is relieved by 1st Marines. In XXIV Corps area, be-
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leaguered Co E of 307th Inf, 77th Div, withstands
severe pressure on Ishimmi Ridge throughout day;
at night, when relief force arrives, withdraws with
very heavy casualties. Other elements of regt continue
to consolidate positions around Chocolate
Drop. Direct fire is placed on Flattop and Dick Hill.
382d Inf, 96th Div, is slowly expanding hold on
reverse slope of Dick Hill. Elements of 383d Inf reach
W end of King Hill, NW of Conical peak, but
are driven off. 3d Bn, 381st Inf, continues southward
attack toward Sugar Hill.
20 May
CHINA—Japanese are redeploying to defend
Japan. They begin pulling back from Ho-chih, in
Kwangsi Province on branch line to Kweiyang.
MINDANAO—In U.S. Eighth Army’s X Corps
area, 155th Inf of 31st Div drives northward along
Sayre Highway to positions commanding Malaybalay;
meets heavy enemy fire. 3d Bn of 19th Inf,
24th Div, returns to Davao from Samal I. 2d Bn,
continuing N along coastal road, reaches Tibungko.
2d Bn, 34th Inf, begins assault on Hill 550, holding
limited gains against violent night counterattacks.
3d Bn, 34th Inf, renews attack along Bancal–Mintal
road in effort to contact 21st Inf; reaches positions
within 400 yards of road junction E of Mintal.
OKINAWA—In U.S. Tenth Army’s III Amphib
Corps area, 4th Marines, 6th Mar Div, attempts to
clear rest of Horseshoe and Crescent features, which
command Sugar Loaf, making limited progress on
Horseshoe; repels enemy counterattacks at night,
inflicting more than 200 casualties. 5th Marines, 1st
Mar Div, seizes Hill 55 and advances into Wana
Draw; 1st Marines takes crest of Wana Ridge in
2-pronged assault. In XXIV Corps area, 307th Inf
of 77th Div finishes clearing Chocolate Drop and
takes Flattop. 382d Inf, 96th Div, gains additional
ground on reverse slope of Dick Hill. 3d Bn, 381st,
pushes forward slowly toward Sugar Hill.
21 May
INDIA—BURMA—SOS merges with theater Hq,
IBT G–4 replacing SOS commander. SOS is inactivated.
LUZON—In U.S. Sixth Army’s XI Corps area,
38th Div commander orders 149th Inf to patrol
Wawa area carefully. Patrols report enemy established
on the dam itself. 3d Bn, 152d Inf, renews
attack on Woodpecker Ridge with fire support of
1st and 2d Bns; crosses the ridge to draw between
there and Regimental Objective Hill.
MINDANAO—In U.S. Eighth Army’s X Corps
area, 155th Inf of 31st Div, ordered to clear Malaybalay-Kalasungay
region, temporarily halts northward