Bloody Gorge

Northern Mariana Islands / Northern Islands / Settlement /
 valley, battlefield, interesting place, historic landmark
Also known as Death Valley.
As of Sunday, 11 March 1945, Lieut.General Kuribayashi figured he was down to his last 1,500 men, including the wounded. He moved out of his command bunker and took several hundred remaining defenders into this area of rugged ravines and caves for a desperate last stand. The Japanese were able hold out until at least 23 March, when they were finally over run by the US Marines Fifth Division. A small number (circa 300) of Japanese survivors retreated into the caves of Kitano Point to continue the fight. On the night of 25 March they infiltrated southward along the beach, their target being the newly arrived XXI Fighter Group some two miles to the southwest. The Japanese mounted a well co-ordinated "banzai" suicide attack at about 4:45 a.m. and quickly over ran the 72nd Fighter Squadren, inflicting severe casualties. That event marked the end of organized Japanese resistance on the island.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   24°48'22"N   141°19'19"E

Comments

  • Most of sources refuse that it was a banzai attack, but a guerilla
This article was last modified 15 years ago