Mop-Up

South of the Bonins 900 miles, the battle for Guam was near its end. The unpredictable Japs had elected not to defend the southern half of the island after Orote Peninsula fell. Last week U.S. ships swarmed into Port Apra, found the harbor in excellent shape for moving in supplies.

The enemy retired to the northeastern peninsula, giving up the shattered capital of Agana with so little struggle that its recapture was not even mentioned in Admiral Nimitz' communiques.

The 3rd Marine Division, under Major General Allen Hal Turnage, formed the left flank of the drive north, and the Army's 77th (Statue of Liberty) Division, under Major General Andrew D. Bruce, formed the right. The ist Provisional Marine Brigade had mopped up Orote, whose airstrip was put to U.S. use.

Day after day the Japs were blasted by III Corps artillery, by rocket-firing aircraft from carriers and from captured airfields on Saipan and newly captured Tinian, by surface ships which stood off to east and west.

Day after day the U.S. forces advanced one to three miles. This week they had but five miles to go, beating the bushes for the skulking enemy. They had tallied 7,893 Jap dead; lost 1,327 of their own in dead and missing, 4,946 wounded.

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