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charges by the 2nd
Battalion enabled the 383rd to ultimately gain first the western half of Cactus Ridge. On 7 April, similar tactics by the 2nd Battalion allowed the 383rd to capture the rest of Cactus Ridge.
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early on that morning, but subsequent troops assaulting the targeted positions found defensive enemy fire as intense as ever. American forces continued to make direct
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On the following day, 6 April, the fortified
Japanese positions on Cactus Ridge continued to hold up the 383rd. Attempts were made to dislodge the defenders with an
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machine gun, mortar and artillery fire. Ultimately, the 382nd gained approximately 1,300 yards (1,200 m) of east–west ground by the evening of 5 April.
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which commanded much of the ground between
Uchitomari and Oyama, both of which lie along Highway No. 1. The defense of Cactus Ridge to the west, and
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advanced south along
Okinawa's Highway 1 on 4 April, it came under increasing fire from the south and from the ridges on their left (east). Three
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To the west, the 383rd was focusing its efforts on what came to be known as Cactus Ridge. The initial direct assault by a single infantry
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As a result of the offensive actions of 4–7 April, the 383d
Infantry found itself assembled against the formidable Japanese positions on
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On the afternoon of 5 April, well-camouflaged
Japanese troops, supported by tanks, attacked elements of the
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was the name U.S. forces gave to a rise of land approximately 600 yards (550 m) southeast of
Mashiki,
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7th Div G-2 Periodic Rpt No. 10, 11 Apr 45: 32d Army Combat
Instructions, 5 Apr 45.
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to the east, marked the start of resistance by
Japanese land forces on Okinawa.
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Appleman, Roy E.; James M. Burns; Russell A. Gugeler; John
Stevens (2000) .
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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indicated that its forward elements were receiving fire from 20
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pieces. As movement progressed, it encountered a series of
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movements, and resulted in numerous American casualties.
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positions, the approaches to which were often covered by
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were destroyed by a carefully sited and well-concealed
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Former regions and territories of the United States
388:United States Armed Forces in Okinawa Prefecture
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46:showing approximate Japanese positions north of
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368:Geography of Okinawa Prefecture
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24:Part of Battle of Okinawa,
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310:Okinawa: The Last Battle
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203:383rd Infantry Regiment
164:Assault on Cactus Ridge
175:96th Infantry Division
137:96th Infantry Division
183:763rd Tank Battalion
42:Advance of American
187:47 mm anti-tank gun
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207:machine guns
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197:5 April 1945
179:medium tanks
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169:4 April 1945
158:The Pinnacle
150:Cactus Ridge
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98:Belligerents
50:, April 1945
26:World War II
19:Cactus Ridge
30:Pacific War
362:Categories
335:2010-12-12
282:References
227:enveloping
223:minefields
213:, besides
173:As the US
44:XXIV Corps
257:airstrike
219:fortified
215:artillery
181:from the
238:combined
131:Strength
67:Location
245:company
211:mortars
154:Okinawa
144:In the
89:victory
72:Okinawa
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191:rounds
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87:Allied
83:Result
28:, the
76:Japan
48:Shuri
319:ISBN
59:Date
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
