Podcasts about Fleet

In Podcast #354, John Davis and the MotorWeek crew have plenty to talk about. Greg starts things off with an update on our Long Term fleet, aka vehicles we test for longer than our typical 2 week period. Then Alex breaks down all of the recent news coming from Toyota; from new models, to new names, to new colors. And Jessica is fresh back from Plano, Texas where Toyota unveiled the next generation of the best-selling vehicle in America…the RAV4. Plus a Lightning Round prompt encourages discussion on the possibility of the EV tax credit going away and a viewer has a question about why mainstream cars feel more luxurious than ever.

'Frozen in Time' is part of the series A Year in Scotland. This is the May episode.In this story, we travel to the southwest of Scotland and spend a few days exploring the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere at the height of Spring. We wander through one of Scotland's most picturesque bluebell forests and listen to the birds of the woodland. We're staying at a tranquil shepherd's hut on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park, go wild swimming in a loch and a river, and we wander through the bustling town of Gatehouse of Fleet.Visit my website to find the full show notes incl. the transcript, photos from my trip and links to all the places & resources I mention in this episode.Help us spread the word about Wild for Scotland! If you hear something you like in this episode, take a screenshot and share what you like about it on your Instagram stories. And tag us @wildforscotland so we can say thank you! Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more. Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!Join our email list to never miss an episode.Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan Bell0:14 Introduction to Ruth2:46 The Invisible Hand of God5:58 A Moment of Prayer7:32 Gathering Witnesses9:05 The Kinsman Redeemer's Dilemma15:30 The Unexpected Proposal20:49 The Reluctant Redeemer23:01 Choices and Consequences24:54 A Customary Exchange30:38 Community Blessings33:28 Celebrating Blessings36:35 Embracing the Outsider39:41 The Birth of Hope42:07 Shifting Focus to Love44:35 A Call to Kindness

This episode features "We, the Fleet" written by Alex T. Singer. Published in the May 2025 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/singer_05_25 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/join/clarkesworld?

Adam Maguire, from the RTÉ Business Desk

FRANCE: NUCLEAR POWER FLEET. SIMON CONSTABLE. 1903 TOUR

#RUSSIA: SANCTIONING THE SHADOW FLEET. MICHAEL BERNSTAM, HOOVER. COSSACK HOUSE

In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, hosts Jordan and Jason dive deep into the world of GPS tracking and dash cameras with Jake from GS Track Me. Learn how this innovative technology can protect your business, prevent fraudulent claims, and improve operational efficiency. Jake shares real-world examples of how dash cameras have saved companies from costly litigation, while Jordan and Jason discuss their personal experiences implementing these systems in their own businesses. Whether you're a small landscaping operation or a growing fleet, this episode offers valuable insights into modern fleet management tools that can save you time, money, and headaches. Show Notes: www.customerinsight.io LinkedIn: Brant Wichman IG/FB- @customerinsightnow https://greensideuppodcast.com/ greensideuppodcast@gmail.com   Geen Side Up Facebook   https://www.instagram.com/greensideuppodcast/   https://www.instagram.com/skyfroglandscape/   www.skyfroglandscape.com   www.indepenttreeservice.com   Mention Green Side Up or use the link below to get $500 off with your SingleOps subscription!   https://referral.singleops.com/l/JORDANUPCA68/   Intrigue Media   GS TrackMe   IG:@imintriguemedia   Podcast Produced by Mr. Producer - https://www.instagram.com/mrproducerusa/

In Episode 177 of The Fleet Success Show, Marc Canton and Steve Saltzgiver unload a truth-packed conversation on the painful realities of outsourcing fleet maintenance. From horror stories about seven visits for the same repair to $3,500 upsell attempts during a routine oil change, this episode explores the downside of putting your fleet's fate in the hands of external vendors — especially without tight service-level agreements (SLAs) in place.Marc vents his real-world frustrations as a fleet leader turned vehicle caretaker for his entire family. Steve, bringing decades of fleet management and consulting experience, breaks down how fleets can build smarter, more accountable outsourcing relationships. Together, they unpack when outsourcing makes sense, how to hold vendors accountable, and why an in-house shop might still be your best line of defense against inefficiency, comebacks, and ballooning costs. 

The Justice Dept. launches an investigation into Cuomo - he calls it election interference... Fleet week starts today with the parade of ships up the Hudson River... Today is the latest deadline the Trump admin full 470 Wed, 21 May 2025 09:46:45 +0000 E99ReiMe0MpTmEtP1UoLMrckZjsviaFo news 1010 WINS ALL LOCAL news The Justice Dept. launches an investigation into Cuomo - he calls it election interference... Fleet week starts today with the parade of ships up the Hudson River... Today is the latest deadline the Trump admin The podcast is hyper-focused on local news, issues and events in the New York City area. This podcast's purpose is to give New Yorkers New York news about their neighborhoods and shine a light on the issues happening in their backyard. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Jake Bebber discusses his work related to the concept, challenges, and potential responses to cognitive warfare. Jake explains how cognitive warfare uses technology to manipulate cognition and behavior, emphasizing its distinction from traditional information warfare and its potential impact across various domains. The conversation covers the need for a structured ontology to understand and address cognitive warfare, as well as the importance of maintaining American values while developing strategies to combat these threats. Recording Date: 5 May 2025 Research Question: Jake Bebber suggests an interested student or researcher examine several topics, such as: How to protect personal privacy in an environment of persistent cognitive manipulation. The legal, moral, and ethical boundaries related to cognitive warfare. How cognitive warfare impacts alliance structures. How to fortify critical infrastructure against attacks that blend tangible and intangible elements in the cognitive space. How to ensure democratic systems remain tenable. The best ways to organize and compete in the cognitive warfare space, including identifying key stakeholders beyond traditional national security ecosystems. Lessons that can be drawn from the past, especially the Cold War, regarding competition with a long-term peer competitor. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #212 Libby Lange on Algorithmic Cognitive Warfare Cognitive Competition, Conflict, and War: An Ontological Approach by Jake Bebber Cognitive Competition, Conflict, and War by Jake Beber Neurotechnology in National Security and Defense by James Giordano Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense by Jonathan D. Moreno Minds at War: China's Pursuit of Military Advantage through Cognitive Science and Biotechnology By Elsa B. Kania James Giordano Cognitive Security Institute Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Robert “Jake” Bebber is an officer in the United States Navy. He has served at various locations throughout his career, including Fort Meade, US 7th Fleet, Carrier Strike Group 12, Information Warfare Training Command-Corry Station, and US Special Operations Command. He holds a PhD in public policy from the University of Central Florida. His writings have appeared in Proceedings, Orbis, Journal of Information Warfare, Journal of Political Risk, Comparative Strategy, and elsewhere. He is supported by his wife, Dana, and their two boys, Vincent and Zachary. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports the E.U. and U.K. have imposed fresh sanctions on Russia.

This week's edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast features C.W. Express small fleet owner Steve Wilson, reigning Small Fleet Champ in the 11-30-truck division after a bit of a growth spurt for the fleet followed Wilson's brush with death in 2022. The team he'd built around the dry van fleet sustained while he was in hospital for the better part of that entire year, and in the aftermath has only continued to not just sustain, but excel, on dedicated lanes for a central broker in Avenger Logistics. Wilson's up to near 20 trucks and drivers today, and doesn't have all his freight eggs in that single basket, as you'll hear in today's podcast, with customers in his area helping build lanes loaded both ways -- in one case out to Arkansas and back to the Louisville, Kentucky, area, where he's headquartered in Sellersburg, Indiana. The podcast amounts to a tour around C.W. Express headquarters on Avco Boulevard in Sellersburg, right off I-65 and purchased and moved into in 2023, marking a significant upgrade to the former location. Wilson, a wear-all-the-hats small fleet owner for decades, continues to build out support for C.W.'s trucks and drivers with deft delegation, too, particularly on the time-consuming maintenance side of the business. He's added an expert lead mechanic you'll hear hear who oversees the operation and a younger diesel tech, Clayton Higdon, to provide an assist and a well for education and growth, no doubt. Listen on for an update with reigning champ Wilson and C.W. Express.

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan Bell0:14 Introduction to Chesed1:27 The Nature of Chesed3:33 Personal Reflections on Love5:19 Romance Amid Struggles6:39 Exploring Ruth Chapter Three8:23 The Role of Security9:55 Insecurity in Relationships11:23 The Challenge of Commitment13:44 The Importance of Dedication15:04 Community and Commitment15:40 The Plan for Ruth25:19 The Risks of Ruth's Plan31:29 Ruth's Response to Naomi38:02 Boaz's Blessing40:53 The Proposal43:16 Boaz's Integrity46:26 The Closer Relative49:44 Messiness of Life and Faith52:02 Trusting God in Uncertainty52:58 Conclusion and Call to Action

Farmers Market, Blessing of the Fleet and Lights of Honor on this week's episode of Things to Do, Places to Go with Nikki Tramper from the West Mi. Tourist Assn. WMTA.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Fleet management touches everything in the community. When a fire truck rolls out, we're behind the scenes making sure it works — not just to get there, but to save lives.”

Day 1,176.Today, we discuss reports of staged anti-Western protests ahead of Russia's Victory Day parade last week, where ‘activists for hire' chanted slogans in front of several EU embassies. We also look at the 17th package of sanctions agreed on by EU ambassadors, which will have severe ramifications for Vladimir Putin's shadow fleet. Finally, we hear about the escalation of strikes on civilians since the beginning of 2025 and their consequences, especially for children. Please note this episode features graphic descriptions of injuries caused by missiles and drones. Contributors:Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Reporter and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to George Graham, Chief Executive of Humanity & Inclusion.SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/ Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.Content Referenced:Learn more about Humanity & Inclusion's work in Ukraine:https://www.humanity-inclusion.org.uk/en/country/ukraine EU backs 17th round of Russia sanctions (POLITICO):https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-backs-17th-round-of-russia-sanctions/ New Report Exposes Russia's Strategic Disinformation Warfare (Global Rights Compliance):https://globalrightscompliance.org/manufacturing-impunity-russian-information-operations-in-ukraine/ Macron open to deploying French nuclear weapons in Europe (DW):https://www.dw.com/en/macron-open-to-deploying-french-nuclear-weapons-in-europe/a-72534138 Türkiye, Ukraine and Peru the first trips of the Pontiff (La Repubblica):https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2025/05/13/news/viaggi_papa_leone_xiv_turchia_kiev_fatima-424183328/?ref=RHLF-BG-P4-S1-T1-EXTRA-CONCLAVE How Joe Biden Handed the Presidency to Donald Trump (The New Yorker):https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/how-joe-biden-handed-the-presidency-to-donald-trump Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump has touched down in Qatar after a meeting with Syria's leader earlier today. The FAA is meeting with airlines to talk about reducing flights at Newark Liberty International Airport. Texas is experiencing extreme heat as another state deals with flooding. Europe is targeting Russia's “shadow fleet” with new sanctions. Plus, a US city gets its first Black mayor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Japan invaded Korea in 1592, one man stood defiantly against impossible odds: Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Outnumbered, betrayed by jealous rivals, and stripped of command, Yi clawed his way back from ruin, inventing the legendary “Turtle Ships” to wreak havoc on enemy fleets. Using unmatched tactics and sheer audacity, Yi crushed Japan's armada again and again, earning victory even when it seemed hopeless. Join Ben and Andrew as they dive into the life of history's most badass naval commander—a warrior whose courage, cunning, and stubborn refusal to quit turned certain defeat into eternal glory.

LAW 251 Dalton Orwig talked to Desi Tobias from Tobias and Comer Law on Mobile Mornings. It is that time of the year get out on the water and spend time on the water! The guys talked about the Blessing of the Fleet, the National Maritime Museum and Maritime industry and law.  Tobias and Comer Law want you to stay safe and have informative tips on their website https://www.tobiascomerlaw.com/.  

Last week we found our main character Ziz LaSota on the struggle bus pretty hard. She was living on a boat with her friend Gwen Danielson dressed like an evil Jedi trying to mind control her by threatening to murder her at the beginning of any conflict. There were some new people who showed up to live in what they called the “Rationalist Fleet.” The “Fleet” wasn't so much a fleet as it was an old tugboat leaking diesel fuel into the San Francisco Bay. Then we ended with the sad story of a person named Maya taking their own life based on Ziz's teachings about Unihemispheric sleep and multiple personalities theory.

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan BellChapters0:14 Introduction to the Podcast4:27 Thoughts on the New Pope4:55 Transition to the Book of Ruth9:20 Arrival in Bethlehem12:36 Ruth's Courage to Work15:54 God's Providence in Ruth's Journey26:01 Ruth's Value Beyond Social Status30:27 Boaz's Kindness and Protection37:15 God's Role in Blessing45:53 Naomi's Recognition of God's Kindness48:17 Ruth's Ongoing Relationship with Boaz49:27 Challenge to Extend Kindness52:01 Closing Remarks and Invitation

Soil in the Eaton fire area still isn't completely safe despite cleanup efforts. In Pacific Palisades, a number of people aren't clearing their brush. The new fleet of cars that will be catching reckless drivers on the downlow. Plus more. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!Support the show: https://laist.com

In this episode, The Fleet Success Show tackles one of the most underappreciated yet critical foundations of fleet operations: asset class coding.Marc Canton and fleet consultant Scott Rood dive deep into why classifying vehicles and equipment correctly isn't just a box-checking exercise—it's essential for accurate lifecycle analysis, utilization tracking, budget forecasting, and replacement planning. Scott shares his decades of experience—from Air Force maintenance manager to fleet consultant—and breaks down how government, private, and utility fleets can create meaningful, data-driven class codes that drive real ROI.They debunk common pitfalls like “over-granular” coding, explain the dangers of poor asset grouping, and explore real-world examples from excavators to electric vehicles. Whether you're a fleet veteran or new to the game, this episode gives you practical, actionable advice for transforming your fleet's data accuracy and long-term strategy.

PJ talks to SF TD Thomas Gould who says we should ask if money spent on taxis would be better spent on in-house fleet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of turning transparency into business advantage. My guest is Zach Wasserman, Cofounder and Tech Evangelist of Fleet.  With over a decade of experience in open source software development, Zach helped create the widely-adopted OSquery project at Facebook in 2014, which has since become an industry standard for device visibility and is now governed by the Linux Foundation. After transitioning through a role at Kolide (later acquired by 1Password), Zach became the maintainer of a project that would eventually evolve into Fleet. Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Zach discovered that what truly energizes him is "building software that's making someone's life better" - specifically IT administrators and security professionals who manage company devices. This human-centered approach led him to transform a personal passion project into a rapidly growing company that's challenging traditional business models in enterprise software This inspired me to invite Zach to my podcast. We explore how being open source gives Fleet a strategic edge. His approach rejects the common belief that enterprise sales requires complexity and secrecy. We discuss how community building leads to faster adoption and better results than traditional sales tactics. The formula is simple: be transparent, earn trust, and close deals faster. Here's one of his quotes: "The best way to lose a deal is to our own open source product, because those people remain prime prospective customers that we really need to continue to understand and figure out how we are going to build enough new value in that premium product for them to want to pay for it." By listening to this podcast, you will learn: How building on existing open source foundations can give startups immediate credibility with enterprise customers Why passionate early adopters can close deals remarkably easily compared to traditional prospects The entrepreneurial wisdom of identifying and connecting with actual budget holders while still maintaining engineer enthusiasm How customer-driven unexpected use cases can dramatically expand your market vision and product roadmap For more information about the guest from this week:  Guest: Zach Wasserman  Website: fleet.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the Allied invasion of Borneo. The Allies initiated the invasion of Borneo, commanded by General Morshead. The operation, known as Operation Oboe, aimed to reclaim vital oilfields from the demoralized Japanese forces. Despite their fierce resistance, American troops swiftly captured strategic locations on the island. The Japanese, already struggling with low morale and supply shortages, were unable to mount an effective defense. Amid the intense fighting, Air Commodore Cobby's forces conducted air assaults on key targets, weakening Japanese positions. As American troops landed on Tarakan Island on May 1, they faced heavy fire but managed to gain significant territory by nightfall. By early May, despite the loss of ground, Japanese forces continued to resist fiercely. This victory in Borneo marked a turning point in the Pacific campaign, ultimately foreshadowing the decline of Japanese influence in the region and paving the way for further Allied advances. This episode is the Second Okinawa Offensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Last we left off, by April 24, General Ushijima's 32nd Army had chosen to abandon the first line of Shuri defenses, with the exception of the extreme right in the Item Pocket area. However, the weary Japanese troops merely withdrew to the next line of prepared positions within the Shuri defense zone, ready to make the American invaders pay for every inch of territory gained. Observing this, General Hodge promptly ordered the 7th, 27th, and 96th Divisions to regroup and enhance their positions through aggressive maneuvers, seizing strategic ground in front of them and pushing back enemy outposts. His forces were also heavily depleted and exhausted, prompting him to plan a final offensive on April 26 before rotating in the relatively fresh 77th Division and the 1st Marine Division for support. Unbeknownst to him, the 62nd Division had suffered significant losses, nearly losing half of its original strength on the left flank. In response, Ushijima decided to move the 24th Division and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade north to reinforce the Shuri defense zone, establishing a fallback position for retreating forces.This shift also meant that the southern areas were defended only by a hastily assembled Shimajiri Security Force of 5,500 men, drawn from rear-area supply units tasked with delaying any American advances from the south until the main infantry units could return.  The question of a second landing in southern Okinawa was considered by 10th Army most seriously before April 22. General Bruce, commander of the 77th Division, knew that his division would be committed in the Okinawa fighting as soon as lejima was secured. At Leyte the amphibious landing of the 77th Division behind the Japanese line at Ormoc had been spectacularly successful. General Bruce and his staff wished to repeat the move on Okinawa and urged it on the 10th Army command even before the division sailed from Leyte. As the Iejima fighting drew to a close, General Bruce pressed his recommendation to land his division on the southeast coast of Okinawa on the beaches just north of Minatoga. He believed that it would be necessary to effect a juncture with American forces then north of Shuri within ten days if the venture was to be successful. His plan was either to drive inland on Iwa, a road and communications center at the southern end of the island, or to push north against Yonabaru. General Buckner rejected the idea. His assistant chief of staff, G-4, stated that he could supply food but not ammunition for such a project at that time. The Minatoga beaches had been thoroughly considered in the planning for the initial landings and had been rejected because of the impossibility of furnishing adequate logistical support for even one division. The reefs were dangerous, the beaches inadequate, and the area exposed to strong enemy attack. Although beach outlets existed, they were commanded both by the escarpment to the west and by the plateau of the Chinen Peninsula. The 10th Army intelligence officer reported that the Japanese still had their reserves stationed in the south. Both the 24th Division and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade were still in the area and could move quickly to oppose any landings. Artillery positions on the heights overlooking the beaches were fully manned. The 77th Division would be landing so far south that it would not have the support of the troops engaged to the north or of 24th Corps artillery. The steep terrain near the beaches favored the defense, and any unit there would be isolated. It might be more like Anzio than Leyte, Buckner suggested. Besides that, the three divisions on the line needed to be relieved, and Buckner's three unused divisions would all be needed there. On April 25, the main focus of action shifted to the Item Pocket, where Captain Bernard Ryan's Company F of the 165th Regiment surged forward following a 20-minute artillery bombardment to seize the summit of Ryan Ridge. Captain Ryan looked out over the rugged expanse of Ryan Ridge, where the Japanese forces entrenched at the top presented a formidable challenge. They controlled the crucial territory between Ryan and Fox Ridges, creating a dangerous stronghold that threatened his position. For Ryan, the solution lay in artillery fire. He understood that since the supporting fire would fall perpendicular to his attack route, the risk of overshooting or undershooting would be minimal, just a lateral deviation of fifteen yards. With this confidence, he ordered a twenty-minute artillery barrage on the slopes of the ridge.As dawn broke on the morning of the 25th, Ryan gathered his men from Company F. He stressed the importance of a swift ground assault to capitalize on the artillery support. However, this was no easy task; his company was tired, undermanned, and severely low on food and ammunition. Despite these challenges, the two assault platoons sprang into action the moment the first shells began to fall. They charged forward, propelled by the roar of mortars, machine guns, and antitank guns that kept enemy forces at bay.But as they sprinted towards the ridge, the enemy struck back fiercely. Enemy fire and natural obstacles thinned their ranks, yet thirty-one determined soldiers reached the summit. They found themselves standing on a jagged ridge, strewn with rocks and scarred vegetation, a treacherous landscape that added to their struggle. Just as the artillery fire began to fade, the Japanese emerged from their hidden positions: “spider holes,” pillboxes, and tunnels. The Americans stood ready, and for the next twenty minutes, a brutal fight erupted. They engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat, reminiscent of earlier battles on Item Pocket ridge tops. The outcome was grim; thirty-five Japanese soldiers fell, and many more fled in panic. However, the Americans also paid a price, five were killed, and two wounded. Now, the real challenge began: consolidating their hard-won position. Captain Ryan knew that previous units had ascended these ridges only to be pushed back by the enemy. By late afternoon, only twenty-four effective soldiers remained atop the ridge, with each man averaging a mere six rounds of rifle ammunition. Medical supplies had run dry, and all the aid men had become casualties. Communication was severed, and Ryan could sense the tightening noose as the Japanese regrouped for an assault. Understanding the gravitas of their situation, Ryan devised a bold plan. He arranged for Company I to maneuver around to his right flank, hoping to replicate the success of the morning. At 4:05 PM, just fifteen minutes after artillery support resumed, Ryan and his company made their ascent once more, enduring five additional casualties along the route. Unfortunately, Company I struggled to reach the top, cut off by heavy enemy fire on the slopes. In a moment of desperation, Ryan and two men ventured out into the dark to seek reinforcement, a risky endeavor that could easily end in disaster. Although Company I was still bogged down, Captain Betts from Company K recognized the urgency of the situation and quickly mobilized his men. By midnight, all of Company K had reached the ridge, bolstering Ryan's weary but determined troops. As these events unfolded at Ryan Ridge, other companies from the 165th were locked in a brutal struggle at Gusukuma, located southwest of the ridge. Fierce fighting erupted as soldiers moved from wall to wall, tree to tree, fighting for every inch in the rubble of Gusukuma. Company A faced an unrelenting barrage, enduring fire from eight machine guns and a 47-mm antitank gun, much of which came from the yet-untamed eastern slope of Ryan Ridge. Amidst this chaos, Private First Class Richard King from Company A became a beacon of valor. In a remarkable display of courage, he climbed a tree to eliminate a Japanese soldier perched above and, from his vantage point, went on to kill ten more enemies before night fell. The day had been marked by sacrifice and bravery, with Captain Ryan and his men fighting heroically for every inch of ground gained on Ryan Ridge. As the sun set, they prepared for the challenges that lay ahead, their resolve unwavering amid the turmoil of war. Meanwhile, other companies of the 165th Regiment engaged fiercely in assaults against Gusukuma, gradually gaining ground at a high cost to both sides. At the same time, the 96th Division consolidated its position in front of Maeda and Kochi, while Colonel Pachler's 1st Battalion advanced 600 yards with minimal resistance to occupy the slope of Horseshoe Ridge. The following day, April 26, the general offensive resumed, with the bulk of the 165th Regiment continuing its costly advance into the heart of the Item Pocket, successfully clearing Gusukuma as Company F pushed along the crest of Ryan Ridge toward the northern end of the Machinato airstrip. To the east, the 105th Regiment advanced to the southern edge of Nakama, while the 106th Regiment extended the front line toward Yafusu. In the center, Colonel Halloran's 2nd Battalion launched an assault on the Maeda Escarpment but was quickly repulsed by a brutal barrage of Japanese fire across the front. However, elements of the 383rd Regiment managed to reach the crests of Hills 150 and 152, securing a strategic position to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy below, as tanks and armored flamethrowers moved to the outskirts of Maeda to wreak havoc. At 4 pm in the afternoon General Ushijima issued a terse order: “The enemy with troops following tanks has been advancing into the southern and eastern sectors of Maeda since about 1 pm. The 62d Division will dispatch local units . . . attack the enemy advancing in the Maeda sector and expect to repulse him decisively.” At the same time, adjacent 24th Division units were ordered to cooperate in this effort regardless of division boundary. Two hours later the Japanese commanding general issued another order: "The army will crush the enemy which has broken through near Maeda. The 24th Division will put its main strength northeast of Shuri this evening." Lastly, Pachler's 1st Battalion attempted to advance along the western flank of Kochi Ridge, while the 2nd Battalion moved along the eastern flank. Both battalions were immediately repelled by a barrage of enemy fire. The following day, efforts to establish physical contact between the two units proved costly and futile. Meanwhile, Halloran's 1st Battalion, along with elements of the 383rd Regiment, maneuvered through the saddle between Hills 150 and 152, receiving support from tanks and armored flamethrowers. Although tanks and infantry managed to penetrate to the southern edge of Maeda, the advance was halted by intense enemy fire. Atop the escarpment, an all-out effort was made to reduce a heavily fortified underground pillbox that separated Companies F and G; however, this attempt also failed. Concurrently, as the 105th Regiment organized a defensive line at Nakama, Colonel Stebbins' 2nd Battalion engaged in fierce combat around Yafusu in an effort to straighten their front lines. Meanwhile, the disorganized 165th Regiment continued clearing the Item Pocket, which was finally declared secure, although many Japanese troops remained hidden in deep caves and tunnels. Due to this disorganization and the sluggish progress in securing the pocket, General Griner ultimately decided to relieve Colonel Kelley of his command of the 165th. The regiment would then spend the remaining days of the month patrolling the Kuwan Inlet south of Machinato airfield. Griner's overextended and battered division would not undertake any further offensive actions until being relieved at the end of April. At sea, a Japanese suicide boat successfully dropped a depth charge near the destroyer Hutchins, which had to withdraw due to heavy damage. Additionally, Japanese aircraft reemerged during the night, with a kamikaze crashing into and sinking the ammunition ship Canada Victory, while other planes damaged two destroyers and a transport ship. Random factoid by the way, the SS Canada Victory was among the 531 Victory ships constructed during World War II as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program. Launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on January 12, 1944, she was completed on February 28, 1944. The ship was designated VC2-S-AP3 by the United States Maritime Commission, with hull number 93 (1009). Following her completion, the Maritime Commission transferred her to the civilian operator Alaska SS Company. This was merely a prelude to Admiral Ugaki's fourth mass Kikisui attack, which launched 115 kamikazes on April 28. While interceptor fighters destroyed most of these aircraft, seven managed to slip past the combat air patrol and crashed into destroyers Daly and Twiggs, the destroyer minesweeper Butler, the evacuation transport Pickney, and the hospital ship Comfort. On the ground, Halloran's Company K attempted to weaken resistance at the escarpment by moving through the 27th Division zone to the west and advancing southeast towards the Apartment House barracks, where they were met with heavy losses and forced to retreat. Meanwhile, on the western side of Kochi Ridge, Pachler's 3rd Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion and launched an attack into the gap between the ridge and Zebra Hill. They successfully led Company K through Kochi and into the cut, while Company L moved southward along the western slope. However, upon reaching the cut, both companies were met with a barrage of machine-gun fire, ultimately compelling them to withdraw. To the east, the 32nd Regiment faced delays in initiating their attack due to setbacks around Kochi, despite the successful raids by armored flamethrowers into the heart of Kuhazu. The following day, more kamikaze assaults inflicted additional damage on destroyers Hazelwood and Haggard. By the end of April, American pilots reported 1,216 air-to-air kills, while Japanese sources acknowledged losses exceeding 1,000 aircraft, including 820 destroyed in the first four Kikisui attacks. This left Admiral Ugaki with approximately 370 operational aircraft for future operations. It is also important to note that the Japanese pilots inflicted significant casualties, resulting in Admiral Spruance's 5th Fleet suffering the loss of 1,853 sailors killed or missing and 2,650 wounded, averaging one and a half ships hit per day. As April expired, a concerned Nimitz personally visited Okinawa, where Buckner reminded Nimitz that as a land battle, 10th Army operations fell under Army command. “Yes,” Nimitz replied, “but ground though it may be, I'm losing a ship and a half a day. So if this line isn't moving within five days, we'll get someone here to move it so we can all get out from under these stupid air attacks.” Nevertheless, by May, 10th Army had thoroughly bogged down into costly, unimaginative frontal assaults against southern Okinawa's heavily fortified Shuri line. Numerous 10th Army generals urged Buckner to “play the amphib card” and land the reserve 2nd Marine Division in southeastern Okinawa, behind Japanese lines. Buckner ultimately refused, claiming insufficient logistics. Nimitz concurred with Buckner, at least publicly, but few others did. Spruance, Turner, and Mitscher were themselves growing increasingly bitter at 10th Army's lack of progress, as well as USAAF lethargy constructing fighter airfields ashore that could finally relieve the battered carriers. Touring the developing Okinawa airstrips, a 5th Fleet staff officer discovered that General “Hap” Arnold had secretly been writing Okinawa's lead USAAF engineer, urging him to divert assigned fighter strip resources into building B-29 bomber airfields instead. An incredulous Spruance went ashore to investigate and discovered the allegation was true. Stunned, Spruance “turned that situation around in about 15 minutes.” On land, following an unsuccessful tank assault toward Onaga, the 32nd Regiment intensified pressure on enemy positions to the southeast to support operations against Kochi Ridge. However, the 17th Regiment's attacks were still stalled. Meanwhile, after fending off two strong counterattacks that resulted in approximately 265 Japanese casualties, the 383rd Regiment advanced to capture the crest of Hill 318 in fierce close combat. This critical victory finally enabled American forces to direct fire onto Shuri itself. On April 29, the 307th Regiment took over the Maeda Escarpment section of the line from the 381st, and the next morning, the 306th Regiment relieved the 383rd on the left flank of the 96th Division. Simultaneously, the 1st Marines relieved the 165th on the west coast, while the 5th Marines took over the line held by the 105th and 106th Regiments on May 1. Despite ongoing efforts, attacks against Kochi Ridge on April 30 once again failed. However, the 1st Battalion of the 32nd Regiment successfully established Company C on “Chimney Crag” and Company A on the “Roulette Wheel,” located on the ridge southwest of Kuhazu. During the night, large numbers of Japanese infiltrated behind these companies, disrupting the planned relief of the 32nd by the 184th Regiment. This relief, intended to be completed before dawn on May 1, was delayed until late in the afternoon. Despite this setback, Colonel Green's Company L managed to reach Gaja Ridge, positioned just in front of Conical Hill during the night. Concurrently, Colonel Hamilton's Company A attempted to mount ladders at the eastern end of the Maeda Escarpment but was quickly repelled by fierce defenders. On the western front, however, Company B successfully captured the edge of the escarpment using cargo nets by nightfall, although they were ultimately forced to withdraw due to heavy counterattacks later that night. Additionally, Hamilton's 3rd Battalion moved behind the escarpment to Nakama village, launching an attack eastward toward the Apartment House barracks area. Meanwhile, on the west coast, the 1st Marines had been attempting to advance south for two days but were repelled each time, suffering significant casualties. However, they did succeed in clearing an enemy pocket at Miyagusuku. On May 2, the 5th Marines finally joined the offensive but encountered stubborn resistance, while the 1st Marines continued to struggle to cross the draw south of Nakanishi village in their effort to reach the Jichaku ridge mass. To the east, Hamilton's Companies A and B positioned troops on the edge of the Maeda Escarpment but made no significant gains due to the enemy's intense machine-gun fire. The 17th Regiment eventually mopped up Onaga village, with the 1st Battalion taking control of the area, although they failed to capture Kochi during their renewed efforts. On May 3, after a dawn artillery preparation, the 1st Battalion on the east and the 3rd Battalion on the west advanced in a coordinated attack, which included a movement by Company C against How Hill on the eastern flank of Kochi Ridge. However, this entire effort was thwarted as heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire halted all progress. During 3 May the 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry, fought a desperate grenade battle to win the top of part of the escarpment. The Japanese showered the top with grenades and knee mortars from the reverse slope and with 81-mm. mortar fire from a distance. Men came back across the narrow top of the escarpment to the north side, swearing and crying, saying they would not go back into the fight. "Yet," observed one platoon leader, "in five minutes' time those men would go back there tossing grenades as fast as they could pull the pins."Finally, while the 1st Marines made only limited gains as they pushed toward the Asa River, the 5th Marines successfully cleared the Awacha Pocket and advanced between 300 and 600 yards in their zone. Unbeknownst to the Americans, their slow, incremental advances and the looming threat of a costly, protracted campaign were far from their only concerns. By the 29th General Cho had argued that in the present state of affairs, the Americans had the upper hand. If the status quo continued, the 32nd Army eventually would be wiped out. At this meeting, only Colonel Yahara spoke for continuing the war of attrition and avoiding an offensive. Yahara pointed out that in modern warfare a superiority of 3 to 1 was usually needed for successful attack. "To take the offensive with inferior forces… is reckless and would lead to certain defeat," he said. Second, the high ground around Minami-Uebaru had already fallen into American hands, giving them a major advantage in defensive terrain. Third, Yahara argued, a hasty offensive would fail, with thousands needlessly lost. Then, 32nd Army's reduced forces would be unable to hold Okinawa for a long period and unable to delay the invasion of Japan. A hasty attack would cause 32nd Army to fail in its duty. And yet, the other young staff members were silent. Cho then declared again that he hoped for an attack to snatch life from the midst of death. At this, Yahara left the room. All the other staff members then agreed to launch an offensive. Cho then tried to manage Yahara by sheer emotional force. At dawn on April 30, before Yahara "had time to splash water on his face," Cho appeared at his quarters. Cho squeezed Yahara's hand and said with genuine enthusiasm that there had been nothing but trouble between them in the past and that they would probably both die together on Okinawa. Cho then asked if Yahara, on this one occasion, would go along with the offensive. As Cho spoke, his tears fell abundantly. Yahara was deeply moved, despite his aloof reputation, and before long he was weeping too. He was overcome by Cho's sudden display of emotion and said, "I consent." Again I have to say, in the “battle of Okinawa” by Yahara, basically his memoirs, in which he notably lies a bunch to cover himself, but I digress, this moment amongst others are really interesting, I highly recommend reading the book. Cho's plan outlined that General Amamiya's 24th Division would lead the main effort on May 4, executing a two-pronged attack on the right half of the line. They intended to sweep past the Tanabaru Escarpment toward Minami-Uebaru hill, ultimately reaching the Futema-Atsuta line. Meanwhile, General Suzuki's 44th Independent Mixed Brigade was to shift from its reserve position behind the 62nd Division to a location northeast of Shuri and move northwest toward the coastal town of Oyama, effectively cutting off the 1st Marine Division's retreat. In conjunction with this, General Fujioka's battered 62nd Division would hold its position on the left flank and mount an offensive once the attacking units on its right had breached enemy lines. Additionally, the 23rd and 26th Shipping Engineer Regiments were tasked with conducting counterlandings in the American rear on the east and west coasts, respectively. The Japanese reasoned that success depended on the extent to which they could support their frontline troops with artillery, tanks, supplies, and communications. Their plans specified in detail the role that each of the support units was to play in the projected operations. Artillery units were ordered to regroup in preparation for the attack. Guns and howitzers were pulled out of cave positions and set up farther south in more open emplacements for greater flexibility. They were to open fire thirty minutes before the attack. When the infantry had driven through the American front lines, artillerymen were to move their weapons forward. The 27th Tank Regiment, hitherto uncommitted, was ordered to move from its position near Yonabaru during the night over several routes and support the attack in the Maeda area. To support this comprehensive offensive, Ugaki was alerted to prepare for the fifth mass Kikisui attack directed against the enemy's naval forces. Once the plans were finalized and preparations well underway, Ushijima and Cho celebrated with a pre-victory banquet in their chambers at headquarters. Even as Ushijima's banquet was underway, offensive operations had commenced. Japanese troops infiltrated behind American lines during the night while the shipping engineers prepared for their counterlandings. The 26th and 23d Shipping Engineer Regiments set out up the west and east coasts. On beaches south of Naha and Yonabaru, men of the shipping engineer regiments piled into barges and assault boats. Also, small groups of soldiers with light machine guns infiltrated behind U.S. lines on the night of 3 May to attack Americans as they became visible at dawn. Small units of three or four men, variously designated as "reconnaissance raiding" and "rear harassing" teams, proceeded toward the American lines to attack command posts, heavy weapons, communications, and depots and to send back information by means of smoke signals. The 27th Tank Regiment rumbled up to Ishimmi, several of its tanks being severely damaged by American artillery fire en route. Ugaki's fifth Kikisui attack began on the afternoon of May 3, when at least 19 kamikazes sortied from Formosa, stealthily approaching the American convoys. They successfully sank the destroyer Little and one landing craft, while severely damaging two destroyer-minelayers and another landing craft. Additionally, Japanese aircraft targeted shore installations, focusing their efforts on Yontan airfield. In Nakagusuku Bay, a suicide boat further damaged a cargo ship. At 02:00 on May 4, most of the boats from the 26th Shipping Engineer Regiment were spotted approaching the heavily defended area of Kuwan. Armed with antitank guns, heavy machine guns, light arms, and thousands of satchel charges, several hundred men of the 26th Shipping Engineer Regiment headed under overcast skies for landing places below Yontan and Kadena airfields. They miscalculated their position and turned, into the shore at a point where it was heavily defended. At 0200 riflemen of the 1st Marine Division on the sea wall near Kuwan caught sight of ten barges and opened up with concentrated fire. Naval flares lighted up the area. One company fired 1,100 rounds from 60-mm. mortars. Several enemy barges burst into flames. One platoon of marines used fifty boxes of ammunition and burned out six machine-gun barrels as it sprayed the Japanese trying to cross the reef. Although many of the engineers managed to reach the shore, some fled back to the Japanese lines, while others were trapped in Kuwan, where they were mopped up by the Marines at their leisure. A smaller group of Japanese forces advanced almost as far as Chatan, ultimately landing at Isa, where they were contained without much difficulty and destroyed the following day. The amphibious assault was even less successful on the east coast of Okinawa, as the 25th Shipping Engineer Regiment attempted to land near Ouki. Most of these troops were killed by fire from ships in Buckner Bay or by the 7th Division Reconnaissance Troop on land. As a result, the Japanese suffered losses of 500 to 800 men and nearly all their landing craft during these amphibious assaults. At 05:00, Ugaki initiated his main mass attack, launching 125 kamikazes and 103 escorting fighters from Kyushu to target Admiral Rawlings' Task Force 57, which was currently striking the Miyako and Ishigaki airfields. Taking advantage of the weakened anti-aircraft defenses, the kamikazes managed to score hits on the carriers Formidable and Indomitable, though both vessels ultimately survived. They also targeted American shipping, successfully sinking destroyers Morrison and Luce, along with three landing craft. Additionally, they inflicted further damage on the light cruiser Birmingham, the escort carrier Sangamon, the destroyer Ingraham, and two destroyer-minelayers, resulting in a total of 589 sailors killed.   On land, following a heavy artillery bombardment during the night, the 24th Division commenced its main assault. In the pitch darkness Japanese troops made their way toward the American front lines. At 0500 two red flares ordered them to attack. As the artillery fire became heavy, a guard of Company A, 17th Infantry, on a hill just north of Onaga, dropped back below the crest for cover. He thought that the enemy would not attack through his own artillery, but the enemy did just that. A few Japanese appeared on the crest and set up a light machine gun. Pfc. Tillman H. Black, a BAR man, killed the gunner, and as more of the enemy came over the crest he killed four Japanese who tried to man the machine gun. The enemy advanced over the crest in ragged groups, enabling Black to hold his own. Soon the whole company was in action and drove the enemy off the crest. The Japanese abandoned three light machine guns, four mortars, and much ammunition. At another point a surprise attack nearly succeeded. On high ground 1,000 yards east of Onaga a group of Japanese crept up the hill in front of Company I, 184th, commanded by Capt. James Parker. In the sudden onslaught that followed, two heavy machine gun crews abandoned their positions. One of them left its weapon intact, and the Japanese promptly took it over and swung it around on the company. Parker, watching the attack from the ridge, had anticipated the move. The Japanese managed to fire one burst; then Parker destroyed the usurped weapon with his remaining heavy machine gun. For an hour or two longer the Japanese clung to the forward slopes, firing their rifles amid shrill screams, but they made no further progress. By dawn the general pattern of the Japanese attack on the left (east) of the 14th Corps line was becoming clear. In the 184th's sector the enemy's 89th Regiment, following instructions to "close in on the enemy by taking advantage of cover,"had advanced around the east slopes of Conical Hill, crept across the flats, and assembled in force around the "Y ridges" east of Onaga. They had outflanked three companies of the 184th on Chimney Crag and the Roulette Wheel north of Kuhazu, and had also managed to evade the forward battalions of the 17th around Kochi. Another Japanese element had attacked 7th Division lines on the high ground north of Unaha. At dawn 1st Lt. Richard S. McCracken, commanding Company A, 184th, observed 2,000 Japanese soldiers in the open area east and north of Kuhazu. They were perfect "artillery meat." Unable to get through to his artillery support, McCracken called his battalion commander, Colonel Maybury, and described the lucrative targets. Maybury was equally pleased. McCracken suggested, however, that the Colonel should not be too happy--a group of Japanese at that moment was within 100 yards of Maybury's observation post. There was indeed a party of Japanese busily unlimbering two 75-mm, howitzers just below Maybury. But Company C, 17th Infantry, had spotted this activity, and within a few minutes maneuvered tanks into position and scattered the enemy group. Artillery eliminated the Japanese caught in the open. A mortar duel ensued, sometimes at ranges of 250 yards. The 3d Battalion, 32d, also poured fire on the enemy there. After the impetus of the attack was lost, a Japanese officer stood out on open ground and waved his saber to assemble his men for an attack. American mortarmen waited for a worth-while target to develop, then put mortar fire on it. Four times the officer assembled a group, only to have his men killed or scattered, before he was finally killed. While the 7th Division was repelling the Japanese attack in the eastern sector of the 14th Corps line, the 77th Division was blunting the other enemy "spearhead" in the center. Here the Japanese 32d Regiment, supported by tanks and engineers, attacked behind intense artillery fire. This sector was the critical point of attack, for a break-through here would enable the supporting 44th Independent Mixed Brigade to cut west and isolate the 1st Marine Division. Transportation difficulties beset the 32d Regiment almost from the start. During the night light tanks drove out of Shuri up the Ginowan road (Route 5), but American artillery interdicting the road prevented medium tanks from following. The mediums had to take a long detour, which was in such poor condition that only two of the tanks could enter into the attack. Trucks and artillery also were slowed down. Even foot troops had trouble in moving. One Japanese infantryman recorded that his column was shelled on the way and that everyone except himself and one other was wounded. Another wrote of encountering "terrific bombardment" on the way to Kochi. These difficulties severely handicapped the 32d Regiment in ensuing operations. Supported by nine light tanks, the 3d Battalion led the assault of the 32d Regiment against the 306th Infantry, 77th Division, before dawn on 4 May. The enemy mounted his assault from southeast of Hill 187 and hit the 77th where Route 5 curled around the east end of Urasoe-Mura Escarpment. The Japanese drove into the front lines of the 1st Battalion, 306th, near Maeda. Shortly before daylight, when the Japanese infantry had failed to take its initial objectives east of Hill 187, Colonel Murakami, commanding the 27th Tank Regiment, became impatient and recklessly committed his own infantry company, a standard element of a Japanese tank regiment. American artillery fire destroyed one platoon, disrupting the attack, and daylight found the surviving troops in a precarious position across from the American lines. Colonel Murakami ordered the company to withdraw, but artillery fire prevented a retreat during the day. When the Japanese used smoke for concealment, the Americans simply blanketed the obscured area with shell fire. The survivors straggled back to their front lines after nightfall. All the light tanks that had supported the attack were lost. By 07:30, the 306th Regiment had effectively repelled the enemy. The Japanese, broken up into small groups, attempted to withdraw across terrain subjected to heavy artillery and mortar fire, but few made it through. By 08:00, the 89th Regiment had also been pushed beyond grenade range along the entire front of the 7th Division. Instead of retreating or pressing the assault, however, Kanayama's troops made the critical mistake of milling about in the exposed flatlands, rendering them easy targets for American heavy weaponry. As a result, the 89th Regiment suffered severe losses from concentrated land, naval, and air bombardment, losing half its strength. Colonel Yoshida's 22nd Regiment in the center fared no better; its advance was delayed by the necessity of laying smoke, and it encountered significant hardships when the smoke unexpectedly cleared. In the center of the line the Japanese 22d Regiment was never able to fulfill its role of following up the "successful" advance of flank units, and the regiment spent the day locked in a violent fire fight with men of 3/306, 3/17, and 1/17 holding the Kochi-Onaga area. The Japanese reported the 22d "was not able attain results worth mentioning." Unbeknownst to the Americans, elements of the 1st Battalion of the 22nd Regiment had penetrated more than 1,000 yards behind American lines near Kochi, identifying a significant weak point before pulling back to the regimental line. Nevertheless, due to the overall failure of the 24th Division, the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade was not even committed to the attack. On the fronts at Maeda and the west coast, American forces made some gains. Hamilton's 1st Battalion successfully executed a complex demolition assault on the extensive cave-tunnel-pillbox network located about 200 feet west of the eastern end of the escarpment, effectively repulsing several subsequent counterattacks and inflicting approximately 600 casualties on the Japanese. The 5th Marines also advanced up to 400 yards through hotly contested terrain during the day. Although pinned down in the coastal area, Colonel Chappell's 1st Battalion managed to break through a defile east of Jichaku, while the 3rd Battalion secured a ridge approximately 400 yards ahead of its position. Despite the apparent failure of the Japanese attack, Amamiya refused to abandon the offensive, ordering a renewed effort during the night. Kitago's uncommitted 1st Battalion, along with the attached 26th Independent Battalion, was directed to penetrate the enemy lines northwest of Kochi in a night attack, aiming to replicate the breakthrough achieved by elements of the 1st Battalion of the 22nd Regiment. Following another artillery bombardment, the Japanese launched their assault against the 306th Regiment at 02:00 on May 5. However, this attack was quickly disrupted by American artillery. Three hours later, the Japanese struck again, this time supported by tanks. They pressed through artillery and mortar fire to engage the 306th in close combat. Fierce firefights erupted along the regiment's entire line, resulting in the Japanese suffering 248 dead during the fighting. Amid the chaos, a significant portion of Kitago's 1st Battalion successfully infiltrated behind American lines, breaching the defenses at a point between Route 5 and Kochi. While approximately 90 of the infiltrators were quickly killed while assaulting the command post of the 306th Regiment, around 450 Japanese troops crossed the divisional boundary and managed to reoccupy the town of Tanabaru and the Tanabaru Escarpment, effectively cutting off the supply road for the 17th Regiment. In response, Pachler sent Company E to eliminate the infiltrators, but they underestimated the enemy's strength and were repelled with heavy losses. With Company E stalled on the eastern slope of the escarpment, Company F, supported by tanks, attempted a broad flanking maneuver. They successfully pushed through Tanabaru, spending the day destroying the enemy's hastily established defenses. Company E then took over the assault, and by nightfall, they had reached the top of the Tanabaru Escarpment following a mortar preparation. The relentless battle for the Tanabaru Escarpment continued for the next two days, resulting in the Japanese losing 462 killed behind American lines. Only a few men managed to escape the Tanabaru death trap and return to the Shuri lines. Made even more desperate by the failure of Amamiya's grand attack, the ragtag battalions of the 62nd Division fought to the death to defend the vital western approaches to Shuri, ensuring that every yard gained came at a steep price in Marine lives. Each pillbox, cave, and tomb became a stronghold that unleashed a torrent of fire against the attacking Marines from all directions. Despite this fierce resistance, Del Valle's units made significant progress on May 5. The 5th Marines advanced their lines by an average of 300 yards, while the 1st Marines seized the high ground along the Asa River. At the Maeda Escarpment, the reverse slope was slowly captured as caves were blasted and sealed off. By midnight, it became clear to Ushijima that the counteroffensive had failed, with the Japanese suffering approximately 6,227 dead and losing 59 artillery pieces. In turn, the 7th and 77th Divisions, which had absorbed the brunt of the enemy counterattack, sustained 714 losses. Despite these heavy casualties, the 1st Marine Division, which continued its push to the south, incurred corresponding losses of 649 men. This indicated that the Americans experienced greater losses due to the Japanese defensive tactics of attrition. However, the morale of the 32nd Army had been shattered, as the Japanese abandoned all hope for a successful outcome from the operation. Nevertheless, the 24th Division and 5th Artillery Command were ordered to reorganize and shift to a holding action. This strategy aimed to bleed American strength by forcing the 10th Army to maintain its slow, deadly, yard-by-yard advance into the fire of prepared positions. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In the fierce Second Okinawa Counteroffensive, weary American troops pressed into determined Japanese defenses. Captain Ryan's valor led to hard-won territory despite heavy casualties. As chaos unfolded, Japanese morale waned, marking a turning point. The relentless battle showcased unparalleled sacrifice, foreshadowing the Allies' gradual victory in the Pacific.  

A sense of mystery gathers around London's lost rivers, with their names whispered like forgotten deities from an ancient cult. Fleet, Tyburn, Walbrook, Effra, Westbourne, Neckinger. In some cases, they aren't so much lost, as buried. Sometimes, they break ground, appearing where you least expect them. Take the grey duct that carries the Westbourne above the District and Circle line at Sloane Square as an example. Yet the Walbrook seems truly lost. As Tom Bolton says, it "is the most mysterious, elusive and comprehensively buried of London's lost rivers".  While I was in London at the beginning of April, I decided to trace the route of the Walbrook using London's Lost Rivers: A Walker's Guide by Tom Bolton. Well, as best as you can, given the entire river is underground. Given the lore surrounding these lost rivers, I decided to share my expedition here as a form of folklore-meets-psychogeography. Let's see what we can learn both from the river, and the history of the London that overlays its route in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/walbrook-lost-river/ Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ULwWgoYIjh8 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan BellKey PointsIntroduction to Ruth: The Book of Ruth is a beautifully crafted story set during the time of the Judges, a period marked by violence and moral chaos in Israel. Unlike the turbulent Book of Judges, Ruth offers a narrative of hope, centered on a non-Israelite woman, making it unique in the Old Testament.Setting the Scene: The story begins in Bethlehem ("House of Bread") during a famine, prompting Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons, Mahlon and Kilion, to relocate to Moab, a land with a fraught history with Israel. This move sets the stage for tragedy and divine providence.Theological Context: Marlon references Romans 8:28 ("All things work together for good to those who love God") as a lens for interpreting the story, questioning whether this principle applies to the hardships faced by Naomi and Ruth.Key Themes:Chesed (Loving Devotion): Introduced as a central theme, chesed represents God's covenantal love, encompassing mercy, grace, and kindness. Naomi's prayer for her daughters-in-law exemplifies this selfless love.God's Presence in Hardship: The episode explores whether God is active or absent in the tragedies of Ruth Chapter 1, drawing parallels to modern life where divine purpose is often unclear.Faith and Commitment: Ruth's iconic declaration (Ruth 1:16-17) underscores her unwavering loyalty to Naomi and her adoption of Naomi's God, highlighting a profound spiritual transformation.Cultural Insights: The episode addresses the challenges of widowhood in ancient Israel, where economic and social survival often depended on remarriage, providing context for Naomi's urging her daughters-in-law to return to Moab.Naomi's Bitterness: Naomi's renaming herself "Mara" (bitter) reflects her perception of divine judgment, yet her return to Bethlehem at the start of the barley harvest signals hope.Discussion HighlightsHistorical Context: The Book of Ruth occurs concurrently with the events of Judges, though its exact timeline is unclear. The famine in Bethlehem and the family's migration to Moab reflect desperate circumstances, possibly interpreted as divine judgment (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28).Moab's Significance: Moab's negative history with Israel (Genesis 19, Numbers 25, Judges) underscores the cultural and religious barriers Ruth overcomes by choosing to follow Naomi and her God.Ruth's Decision: Ruth's choice to stay with Naomi, despite the risks of being an outsider in Israel, is portrayed as an act of chesed and a testament to her faith in the God of Israel.Life Application: Marlon challenges listeners to reflect on their own faith journeys, asking whether they can trust God through bitterness and hardship, and encourages consistent engagement with prayer, worship, and community.Notable QuotesMarlon: "The presence of hardships should not be taken as evidence for the absence of God."Ruth 1:16-17: "Wherever you go, I will go... Your people shall be my people, and your God my God... The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."On Chesed: "It refers to acts of devotion and loving kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty."Action ItemsRead Ahead: Dive into the Book of Ruth (4 chapters) to prepare for the next episodes.Study Resources: Visit prmarlon.com for additional notes and insights, including Marlon's analysis of the Hebrew term for marriage in Ruth 1.Reflect: Consider how chesed applies to your relationships. Are you loving others selflessly, without expecting reciprocation?Engage: Join the next two episodes to see how God works through Naomi and Ruth's story, and share your thoughts on social media using the podcast's hashtag (check prmarlon.com for details).Closing ThoughtsMarlon wraps up by urging listeners to "keep showing up" in faith, even when life feels bitter. He emphasizes that walking away from God won't resolve hardships, but staying committed might reveal divine blessings. The episode ends with a call to trust in God's ability to bring good out of difficult circumstances, setting the stage for the next installment.Next Episode: Continue exploring the Book of Ruth, delving deeper into the themes of chesed, redemption, and God's providence.Connect:Website: prmarlon.comSocial Media: Follow Marlon for updates on the sermon series and share your reflections.May God bless you as you journey through the Book of Ruth!

For three days (May 13–15), inspectors will be pulling over thousands of vehicles across North America to check for compliance, and let's be honest – most fleet teams are bracing for impact.In this episode of The Fleet Code, Zach digs into what really makes Blitz Week so stressful (spoiler: it's not just the inspections), shares some truly unfiltered takes from Reddit, and unpacks what this year's focus areas – tires and false logs – say about the state of fleet readiness.View a transcription and show notes for this episode here →Takeaways from this episode: Blitz Week doesn't create problems, it surfaces themIf your drivers are untrained, uncertain, or unsupported – it's a problem with the systemTrue preparation for Roadcheck is an ongoing practice, not a last minute ambushAdditional Links and Resources:2025 Blitz Week Inspection Checklist (blog + template)Guide to Fleet DOT Compliance (blog)2025 Trucking & Freight Challenges (blog)

Preview: Colleague Michael Bernstam Explains Why NATO No Longer Pursues the Shadow Fleet Carrying 80% of Russian Oil to India and China. More 1900 RUSSIA

The iconic Duck Inn Supper Club is up on the next episode of Inside Wisconsin's Deeper Roots with Blain's Farm & Fleet! For generations, The Duck Inn has served up classic Wisconsin Supper Club meals, unforgettable old fashioneds, the best duck dishes around, and now, the rest of the state gets a closer look at what makes this supper club so special. Did we mention it was once a Speakeasy during Prohibition? Watch now at YouTube.com/InsideWisconsin & listen wherever you catch podcasts.#DuckInnDelavan #SupperClubTradition #InsideWisconsin #DeeperRoots #BlainsFarmAndFleet #WisconsinSupperClub

This isn't just about Baja — it's a powerful metaphor for running a successful fleet operation. The challenges of off-roading mirror the pressures of leading a fleet: stay alert, communicate with clarity, never leave anyone behind, and always prepare for the unexpected. Whether you're managing vehicles or navigating career challenges, the desert teaches resilience, strategy, and soul-refreshing perspective.  

The world has a trash problem. The amount of stuff we throw away is expected to nearly double, to 3.8 billion metric tons, by 2050. Reducing what we use would go a long way to addressing the issue, but let's face it, we're not very good at buying less either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

KiwiRail admits it may be helping out its competition by reducing its Interislander fleet to two. Aratere will be retired when demolition begins on its decaying dock in Picton late this year or early next, to add infrastructure for new ships. Two new ferries are due in 2029. KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy told Mike Hosking some passengers may opt now to travel with Bluebridge. He says capacity is spread between the companies when one faces an issue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Circet, a European leader in telecommunications infrastructure services, has improved safety, reduced emissions and cut operational costs by adopting a fully integrated telematics solution from Geotab Inc. ("Geotab") and Lytx Inc. ("Lytx"). In just three months, Circet and Geotab partnered to connect 3,000 vehicles across Circet's mixed fleet in Ireland and the UK, representing the biggest deployment of its kind in such a short installation window. Circet's fleet, which includes diesel and electric light and heavy commercial vehicles, required a solution capable of handling wide variability in makes, models and drivetrains. The combination of Geotab's global telematics data platform integrated deeply with the Lytx Surfsight video safety platform has given the Circet operations team full visibility into its entire fleet, delivering immediate impact. Within the first three months of this year, Circet recorded a 16% improvement in its company-wide driver safety score. Key safety metrics such as harsh braking, acceleration and cornering all improved, contributing to an average driver score 42% better than industry benchmarks. These improvements are largely due to the use of Geotab's Driver Safety Scorecard and near real-time driver feedback from the Lytx Surfsight dash cams, which alert drivers to risky behaviours and send incidents to the operations team forreview. Fuel efficiency has also improved. Circet's diesel vehicles are now operating at an average efficiency of 10 litres per 100 kilometres, 10% better than peer group leaders. Circet's transition to electric vehicles is delivering further savings. Over the first three months of 2025, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 3% of total fleet trips, covering more than 263,000 miles (424,000 kilometres). According to Geotab's Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment (EVSA), Circet stands to save approximately €450,000 annually by expanding its electric fleet and swapping ICE vehicles for EV where appropriate. Based on results across all vehicle types so far this year, the Geotab and Lytx Surfsight solution could deliver over €2.7 million in fuel savings each year. Ray Verschoyle, Head of Transport Compliance at Circet said: "The combined Geotab and Lytx Surfsight solution has transformed how we manage our fleet. We now have the data we need to improve safety, cut fuel use, lower maintenance costs and operate more sustainably. Their focus on innovation and ability to integrate with our systems made them the perfect partners for our needs." Aaron Jarvis, Associate Vice President, EMEA at Geotab, added; "Circet chose Geotab because we offer more than just an off-the-shelf solution. Our continuous investment in product development, combined with strong local service and support, gave them confidence in our long-term value. "Our partnership with Lytx allows us to deliver fully integrated safety solutions, and our open platform meant we could align closely with Circet's internal systems and processes. It's another example of how Geotab's ecosystem can support a customer's needs today while future-proofing business operations." Deep integration to meet sustainability goals The Circet deployment includes Geotab telematics devices and Lytx Surfsight dash cameras with road-facing lenses, and the option of driver-facing ones, too. This hardware is backed by software integration with the Geotab platform, allowing Circet to unify vehicle tracking, video footage and safety data in one system. The rollout was supported directly by Geotab's local project team, who provided in-person training and implementation support to ensure a smooth transition. Geotab's data also supports Circet's sustainability goals. The company is using Geotab's certified Scope 1 emissions calculation tools to track fuel consumption and emissions reductions across both diesel and electric vehicles. This structured, data-driven approach is essential as Circet prepares for stricter ESG reporting requirements under EU le...

Comedian Darren Fleet drops by iHeartRadio bright and early on Saturday to join Jay Towers—and he's brought his hilarious "work wife," comedian Woo Woo! They're spilling all the tea ahead of their weekend shows at Punchline Comedy Lounge in Southfield. From hotel suite adventures and navigating premenopausal drama to an unexpected swingers controversy—no topic is off limits with this hilarious duo.

These aren't just entertaining tales. Each story is packed with critical lessons in leadership, accountability, and the hard realities of managing complex fleets. Whether it's dealing with rogue employees, taking responsibility for costly mistakes, or standing firm under executive pressure, this episode delivers powerful insights for fleet professionals at every level.If you've ever wondered what it takes to make it to the Fleet Hall of Fame, this episode is the playbook.Key Takeaways:Documentation Matters: Journaling your daily fleet experiences can preserve valuable lessons and build your leadership credibility.Check Under the Hood: Always verify vehicle inspections—those “minor oversights” could be bird nests… or worse.Own Your Mistakes: Taking accountability can turn a career-defining moment into a career-building one.Culture and Leadership: Toxic leadership can drive great employees away. Sometimes walking away leads to bigger opportunities.Fleet Safety is Life or Death: Bald tires and missed inspections aren't just maintenance issues—they can be fatal.Fleets Burn (Literally): Garbage trucks, turbochargers, and hoppers go up in flames more often than you'd think.Reputation Follows the Logo: Employees driving city vehicles to strip clubs? That's a PR nightmare waiting to happen.Steve SaltzgiverFleet Hall of Famer. Nicknamed "The Fixer of Fleet" by Government Fleet Magazine. With decades of experience across city, state, transit, and private fleets, Steve has transformed underperforming operations into high-functioning successes. He's been a state director, built trucks, sold cars, and led with integrity through high-stakes challenges.Josh TurleyCEO of RTA: The Fleet Success Company. Fleet tech veteran and strategic storyteller. Josh brings deep insight into operations, leadership, and scaling sustainable fleet systems, along with a passion for mentoring the next generation of fleet professionals.

California is going ahead with more electric school buses, as cuts in federal funds have some other states changing their plans. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

Dare to Disrupt LIVE: Innovating the Future of EV Infrastructure brought together three Penn State alumni at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry's future. This live episode features an engaging discussion with Benjamin Birnbaum (Keyframe, Terawatt), Zander Isaacson (Xeal), and Diallo Powell (Stak Mobility) as they share insights on EV infrastructure, charging technology, and the role of innovation in accelerating adoption. Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or EV enthusiast, this conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from industry leaders driving the future of electric transportation. Benjamin Birnbaum is co-founder and partner at Keyframe, a New York City-based investment firm focused on the energy transition's impact on industry. Prior to Keyframe, he founded Terawatt, an infrastructure developer, owner, and operator for large-scale EV charging. Terawatt has raised over $1 billion and provides fleet charging for companies like Pepsi and Waymo. Ben is a graduate of the Penn State Smeal College of Business. Diallo Powell is co-founder and CEO of Stak Mobility, which addresses urban mobility challenges with an automated vertical carousel system for vehicle storage and EV charging—combining smart software with space-saving infrastructure. Diallo graduated from the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Zander Isaacson is co-founder and CEO of Xeal, a technology-first EV charging company at the intersection of proptech, energy, and the Internet of Things. Xeal partners with more than 70 of the largest real estate companies nationwide. Zander, a Penn State Smeal College of Business graduate, is also our first-ever repeat guest on Dare to Disrupt. Together, Ben, Diallo, and Zander discuss the broader trends and challenges shaping the EV landscape, how their companies are uniquely tackling these issues, strategies for scaling and financing capital-intensive projects, and their predictions for the future of the industry. Episode Chapters 0:00 - 7:09 The EV industry landscape at large, building infrastructure 7:09 - 16:35 Fleet vs. consumer charging, offline charging, and urban charging 16:35 - 27:10 Scaling capital-intensive companies 27:10 - 36:38 The future of the EV industry 36:38 - 45:19 Advice for entrepreneurs entering this industry 45:19 - 50:33 Audience questions Dare to Disrupt is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Part 2 of the fleet update to end all fleet updates... even though we definitely won't end the fleet updates.If you're enjoying the podcast please consider sharing, subscribing, or leaving a review. It's hugely motivating to us!

https://www.patreon.com/isyanderandkoda You already know how to please the Machine Gods at this point so thank you so much. And make your voices heard for which faction you would like to see next! -Isyander P.s for those of you who want to send stuff our way. Thank you in advance. Po BoxIsyander & Koda Po Box 1196, Tacoma, Wa, 98402, USAAnything below is made for (and by) the omnissiah. You can read it though, just a summary of the banger of a video you're watching.It's all chitin and biomorphs today! Dive into the ultimate Warhammer 40K lore guide on Hive Fleet Leviathan—the largest, deadliest Tyranid swarm ever to darken the galaxy. We track the fleet's rise from Behemoth and Kraken lessons learned, through Kryptman's infamous Galactic Cordon, the planet‑shattering Battle of Tarsis Ultra, and the grinding Octarius War that pitted Orks against 'Nids. Then we jump to the present‑day Fourth Tyrannic War as Nautilon, Promethor, and Grendyllus tear into Segmentum Pacificus, threaten the Sanctus Line, and march toward Terra itself.Along the way you'll meet Norn Emissaries, Neurolictors, Deathleaper, and other brand‑new bio‑horrors, learn how Leviathan perfects every mutation, and see why many fans think this is the Tyranid end‑game. We also preview future topics—Ecclesiarchy, Goge Vandire (pre‑Age of Apostasy), Commissars, the Octarius meat‑grinder—and ask YOU to vote on what drops next.If you love grimdark strategy, tabletop tactics, or just want the full story behind 40K's galaxy‑eating apex predator, hit play, smash like, and join our Patreon Legion for weekly bonus episodes, live hobby streams, polls, and an amazing community. The Hive Mind commands it!———TAGSWarhammer 40K, Tyranids, Hive Fleet Leviathan, Leviathan lore, Tyranid invasion, Fourth Tyrannic War, Octarius War, Kryptman Cordon, Fidus Kryptman, Battle of Tarsis Ultra, Devastation of Baal, Norn Emissary, Neurolictor, Deathleaper, Swarmlord, Hive Mind, Synapse creatures, Shadow in the Warp, Norn Queen, Genestealer cult, Orks vs Tyranids, Segmentum Pacificus, Sanctus Line, Bastior Sub‑Sector, Galaxy‑eating swarm, Bio‑Titans, Parasite of Mortrex, Hive Fleet Behemoth, Hive Fleet Kraken, Hive Fleet Grendyllus, Nautilon tendril, Promethor tendril, Imperial Guard vs Tyranids, Adeptus Custodes, Trajann Valoris, Lord Commander Solar, Space Marine lore, Ultramarines 4th Company, Uriel Ventris, Mortifactors Chapter, Death Korps of Krieg, Ecclesiarchy, Goge Vandire, Imperial Commissars, Leagues of Votann, Grimdark lore, 40K tabletop tactics, Games Workshop, Warhammer lore explained, Warhammer 40000, sci‑fi horror, alien swarm, miniature wargaming, lore deep dive, Hive Fleet tactics, Tyranid bioforms, Warhammer theory————————————Opinions expressed in this video are solely those of Isyander & Koda and in no way reflect the views or opinions of Games Workshop Ltd.Artwork throughout this video is used for educational purposes. if you see your artwork and would like an art credit, message me.Support the show

There is a blog post that accompanies this episode at PrMarlon.comConnect with me.Check out our church at Cloverdale.orgThe intro music Fleet of Happy Fingers by Ryan Bell

“Fleet is the most under-resourced industry in the world — and yet, nothing happens without a fleet.” – Marc CantonFrom the comeback of in-person networking events to modernized certification programs, Bill shares how NAFA is driving change at the national and local levels. They discuss how the technician shortage, EV mandates, and rapid tech evolution are reshaping the landscape — and how NAFA is preparing fleet professionals to meet these challenges head-on.Whether you're new to fleet or a seasoned pro, this episode is a rallying cry to get involved, stay educated, and build your network. It's a must-listen for anyone who cares about the future of fleet.✅ Key TakeawaysNAFA's Local Networking Revamp: Over 100 in-person meetups in 2023, reviving community post-COVID. Modernized Education: New online Fleet 101 courses and certification programs with real interactivity and adult-learning principles. Job Task Analysis: Ongoing commitment to updating NAFA's certification based on real fleet roles and industry shifts. Technician Support: Advocacy for better technician pay, recognition programs, and career path visibility. Government Advocacy: Expanded state-level involvement to support common-sense legislation for fleet professionals. Fleet as an Underdog: Why fleet often operates behind the scenes, and how initiatives like the 100 Best Fleets bring overdue recognition. 

SEASON TWO, RIGHT AHEADSupport the showWelcome to WITNESS TITANIC, a podcast where we interview witnesses of the infamous TITANIC disaster including modern experts, enthusiasts, and even the survivors of the sinking. Like the century-old inquiries that came before us, we may never fully determine what really happened on that cold April night, but you may be surprised to find how close our efforts will bring us to TITANIC herself... Available wherever you listen to podcasts including: APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY YOUTUBESeason One Available @WitnessTitanicSeason Two Available ⁨@TitanicHG⁩ INSTAGRAMFollow the podcast @WitnessTitanicPod for more TITANIC content. PATREONSupport our ongoing inquiry!patreon.com/witnesstitanic Hosted by James Penca Music recorded by Ege M. Erdogan (@egecomposer)Titanic corrections?!witnesstitanic@gmail.com

Last time we spoke about Yamato's Last Stand. In the spring of 1945, as WW2 intensified, the US Marines commenced a fierce assault on Okinawa. Amidst heavy bombardment, the Japanese 32nd Army fortified their positions, preparing for a desperate counteroffensive. Codenamed Operation Ten-Ichi-Go, Japan's final bid involved the legendary battleship Yamato, tasked with a suicidal mission to confront the American fleet. On April 7, 1945, as the Yamato sailed towards its fate, American forces were ready. Hundreds of aircraft descended upon the ship in a coordinated attack, unleashing bombs and torpedoes. Despite its infamous firepower, Yamato struggled against the relentless onslaught. With its systems failing, Captain Aruga and Admiral Ito made the agonizing decision to go down with their ship. As the proud battleship sank, it symbolized both Japan's indomitable spirit and the crushing weight of defeat, forever etching its story into the annals of military history. This episode is the First Okinawa Counteroffensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Picking up from last time. The Japanese naval-air counteroffensive against Admiral Spruance's forces at Okinawa had been decisively defeated with minimal losses, allowing General Buckner's 10th Army to proceed with the land offensive largely without interference. While General Geiger's Marines advanced toward the sparse Japanese defenses in northern Okinawa, General Hodge's 24th Corps in the south encountered the main enemy line of resistance centered around the Shuri fortified zone. Initially, the 32nd Army had declined to launch a land counteroffensive in conjunction with Operation Ten-Go and the Yamato's suicide attack, fearing that the Americans might execute another amphibious landing at Machinato while the Japanese wasted their strength in a futile effort to reclaim the airfields. However, pressure from Tokyo and Formosa compelled General Ushijima to resume planning for this operation. Ultimately, it was decided that instead of initiating a broad counterattack, the Japanese would deploy a brigade-strength force overnight on April 12 to breach the American lines and advance approximately six miles. If successful, this would be followed by a general attack. Accordingly, Colonel Yoshida Masaru's 22nd Regiment was assigned to the 62nd Division and assembled northeast of Shuri, tasked with attacking through enemy lines east of the Ginowan Road and advancing toward Shimabuku. To bolster this offensive, General Fujioka was also instructed to deploy three reserve battalions for a three-pronged attack from the west aimed at Chatan. However, Colonel Yahara, 32nd Army operations chief, strongly opposed the counterattack plan, feeling that it was not in keeping with the army's defensive mission and that it would waste men. He succeeded in getting the 1st Battalion of the 22d Regiment and elements of the 23d IIB cut from the counterattack force. He made a dire prediction that the infiltrating units, unfamiliar with the terrain in their attack sectors, would get lost, confused, and cut to pieces during a night assault. Taking a sidenote here, I read Yahara's rather famous novel about his experience of the battle for Okinawa and I highly recommend it to all of you. It's a great insight into the perspective of the Japanese and how the leadership were beginning to change their mind on how to go about the war. Yahara, acting without Ushijima's knowledge, advised Fujioka to commit only four battalions to the attack, predicting it would inevitably fail. Meanwhile, the American offensive was still in progress. On April 9, as Major-General George Griner's 27th Division landed at the Orange Beaches near Kadena, the ships of Colonel Waltern Winn's 105th Regiment met with Admiral Blandy's Eastern Islands Attack and Fire Support Group at the Kerama Islands, preparing to move to Tsugen Island overnight. Following a preliminary air and naval bombardment, which saw some Japanese mortar fire in response, Winn's 3rd Battalion successfully landed on the morning of April 10. The Americans then advanced inland with light resistance, quickly securing the northern part of the island but failing to overrun the entrenched enemy positions in Tsugen village. The assault continued the next day against persistent opposition, but organized resistance gradually diminished, allowing the Americans to secure the rest of the island by nightfall, marking the conclusion of the Eastern Islands operation. On April 11, General Shepherd's Marines continued to probe for the main enemy positions in northern Okinawa; the 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines patrolled eastward from their new base at Shana Wan, while the 29th Marines advanced toward Manna. Due to this progress, Buckner decided to fully merge Phases I and II, ordering the 77th Division to capture Iejima on April 16. To the south, Colonel Albert Stebbins's 106th Regiment was attached to the 96th Division, moving toward that division's reserve area, while Colonel Gerard Kelley's 165th Regiment relieved the 17th Regiment in the corps service area. Most significantly, General Bradley continued his attacks on Kakazu Ridge, with the 1st Battalion, 381st Regiment attempting to assault the western slopes but halted short of the ridge crest by determined defenders. At the same time, the 3rd Battalion, 383rd Regiment pushed up the northwest slopes of Kakazu Ridge but was also pinned down by intense Japanese fire. Simultaneously, following an intense artillery bombardment, the 1st Battalion of the 32nd Regiment finally succeeded in breaking into Ouki. However, additional reinforcements were thwarted by heavy Japanese fire, forcing the troops to retreat. With no further advancements, the 7th Division and the 382nd Regiment were relegated to patrolling and mopping up their designated areas over the next few days. At sea, Admiral Ugaki resumed his kamikaze assaults that day, damaging the carriers Essex and Enterprise, the battleship Missouri, and eight destroyers. However, his primary operation commenced on April 12, when he launched approximately 380 aircraft for a second mass Kikisui attack, primarily targeting Admiral Turner's Task Force 51 west of Okinawa. Thanks to cryptanalysis warnings, Turner scrambled his own fighter planes, which successfully shot down 298 Japanese aircraft. Despite attempting numerous missions, Kanoya's specially trained 721st Kokutai Jinrai-Butai “Divine Thunder” unit had so far failed to launch a single Ohka suicide rocket against the Americans. On April 12, however, eight Betty bombers would finally launch six Ohkas against the 5th Fleet, although five Betties never returned. At RPS-14, about 70nm northwest of Okinawa, a Zero plowed into Mannert L. Abele's engine room at 14:40, its 500lb bomb exploding and leaving the destroyer dead in the water. One minute later an Ohka came screaming in at 575mph, slammed into Mannert L. Abele and exploded. She sank in five minutes, losing 97 dead. Mannert L. Abele was the first destroyer hit by an Ohka and the last sunk by one. Destroyer-minesweeper Jeffers, en route to assist Mannert L. Abele, observed a twin-engined bomber eight miles away drop a smoking “belly tank” that suddenly rocketed towards Jeffers “at terrific speed.” Numerous 40mm hits and hard maneuvering saw the Ohka miss Jeffers astern and disintegrate. Additionally 3 battleships, 14 destroyers, 2 destroyer minesweepers, and another landing craft were damaged. Meanwhile, Admiral Rawlings' Task Force 57 was ordered to strike the Shinchiku and Matsuyama airfields in northern Formosa, and over the next two days, 48 Avengers and 40 fighters successfully attacked Shinchiku and Kiirun Harbor. On Okinawa, the 6th Reconnaissance Company captured Bise Saki with minimal resistance, while the 29th Marines faced significant opposition southeast of Manna near Mount Yae-Take, indicating where the main enemy forces were located. This prompted Shepherd to reposition the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines to Awa as his new divisional reserve. At the same time, Japanese guerrillas managed to retake Ishikawa, which they would hold for the following two days. Facing south, the 96th Division made another attempt to capture Kakazu but was once again thwarted by the determined defenders. By this time, approximately 5,750 Japanese soldiers were estimated to have been killed in the southern region, while the 24th Corps suffered losses of 451 men killed, 2,198 wounded, and 241 missing. In the afternoon of April 12, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia, while sitting for a portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "I have a terrific headache." He then slumped forward in his chair, unconscious, and was carried into his bedroom. The president's attending cardiologist, Howard Bruenn, diagnosed a massive intracerebral hemorrhage. At 3:35 pm, Roosevelt died at the age of 63. His declining health had been kept secret from the public, leading to shock and sorrow worldwide upon the news of his death. Harry Truman, who was serving as vice president in 1945, succeeded FDR as president. Meanwhile, back in Okinawa, Fujioka initiated his counteroffensive after a heavy artillery bombardment, advancing his four battalions to secretly infiltrate the American lines. On the eastern front, the 22nd Regiment struggled to advance due to becoming disoriented in unfamiliar terrain.  The night attacks suffered from several unexpected problems. Heavy shelling had changed the landscape, blasting away villages and thickets, so that even though night infiltrators knew their maps and thought they knew the terrain, they lacked the landmarks needed to tell them where they actually were. Moreover, frequent illumination shells forced the eyes of night infiltrators to adjust so many times that their capacity to adjust was lost. They became temporarily blinded and so were unable to move. Because of the unfamiliar terrain and flash blindness, the Japanese night fighters had difficulty reaching their assigned objectives. In fact, it was hard for them to reach their jumping-off points. Continuous naval bombardment of crossroads and bridges forced units to rush across in small groups between shells so that the units became strung out on the roads and difficult to control. It was hard to move heavy ammunition and supplies forward because of these interdiction points and the generally churned up roads. Even when units reached their northward assembly points safely by night, they were immediately exposed to aerial observation and artillery fire at dawn, since they lacked enough time to dig in. Units that attacked across American lines safely in darkness had the same problem: they lacked time to dig in and so were utterly exposed to artillery fire at morning light. Night attacks, like flanking maneuvers, were a kind of cure-all in prewar Japanese doctrine. But they failed to provide the expeditious results on Okinawa that IJA doctrine had led the 32d Army Staff to expect. Consequently, Yoshida's four infiltration attempts, each involving about a squad, were effectively repelled by troops from the 32nd, 184th, and 382nd Regiments before midnight. The only significant attack came from around 45 Japanese soldiers against the positions held by Company G of the 184th, which quickly returned fire, forcing the enemy to retreat to their caves and trenches. In contrast, the assault on the 96th Division on the western front was intense, sustained, and well-coordinated. The forward units of Major-General Nakajima Tokutaro's 63rd Brigade launched their own local offensive to maintain pressure on the thin line held by the 382nd and 383rd Regiments, while elements from the 23rd, 272nd, and 273rd Independent Battalions infiltrated the American lines and moved into the Ginowan area. The majority of the 272nd Division launched an assault on American positions at Kakazu Ridge, enduring intense naval and artillery fire but ultimately being repelled by the determined defenders after several hours of combat. By morning, the bodies of 317 enemy soldiers were counted on the ridge, whereas the Americans suffered 50 casualties. Meanwhile, the 273rd Division attacked along the west coast against the recently arrived 2nd Battalion of the 106th Regiment, which decisively repelled the Japanese assault and nearly annihilated the independent battalion. Despite this, some units from the 23rd and 272nd Independent Battalions managed to penetrate approximately 1,000 yards behind American lines between Nishibaru and Kaniku but became isolated after dawn on April 13. Throughout the day, Bradley's troops worked to eliminate these infiltrators, many of whom detonated explosives when trapped. When these units retreated into Japanese lines later that night, only half of their original numbers had survived. Just before midnight, the reserve 9th Company of the 22nd Regiment launched an attack against the 184th Regiment following preparatory artillery fire, but this offensive was quickly disrupted by artillery, mortars, and machine-gun fire. On April 14, Nakajima's forces attempted two more assaults on Kakazu in the early hours, but these attempts were similarly thwarted by artillery and machine-gun fire. Given the failures of the offensives, Ushijima had no choice but to order a suspension of the attack, resulting in a shift to a defensive posture for the Japanese. Over the two days of combat, the 24th Corps reported killing 1,594 Japanese soldiers and capturing four, with losses of fewer than 100 American troops. In the northern region, an extensive air and naval bombardment of Iejima commenced while the Fleet Marine Force Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed on Minna Island, securing it without encountering resistance to position artillery units for General Bruce's upcoming attack, which would involve the 305th and 306th Regiments. Meanwhile, in northern Okinawa, the 29th Marines continued to advance against enemy positions at Yae-Take through vigorous patrolling, preparing for a morning assault the next day. Concerned about the pace of progress, Shepherd relieved Colonel Bleasdale of command, replacing him with veteran Colonel William Whaling. However, Shepherd recognized that taking the 1,200-foot summit would require more than one regiment, so he ordered the 4th Marines to move from the east coast to Yofuke and then to the southwest corner of the Motobu Peninsula. Additionally, Colonel Shapley's 3rd Battalion was tasked with moving to Kawada, while the reinforced 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Marines rapidly advanced up the west coast to secure Hedo Misaki. On April 14, Shepherd initiated a coordinated assault on Yae-Take, with Whaling's 3rd Battalion and Shapley's 2nd Battalion advancing from the area around Toguchi against unexpectedly light resistance, while the rest of the 29th Marines moved out from Itomi to clear the Itomi-Toguchi Road. Although the eastern front faced strong opposition and required a change in strategy to advance southwesterly for better elevation advantage, rapid progress was made on the west, prompting Shapley to commit his reserve 1st Battalion to secure the exposed right flank. At the same time, Whaling's 3rd Battalion and Shapley's 2nd Battalion continued their advance against significantly strengthened enemy resistance, ultimately capturing another ridge located 1,000 yards ahead. Initial opposition consisted of small enemy groups. These hostile covering forces employed every available means to delay and disorganize the advance, and to mislead the attackers as to the location of the battle position. The Japanese would lie in concealment, with weapons zeroed in on a portion of a trail, allowing a considerable number of Marines to pass before opening up on a choice target. An entire platoon was permitted to pass a point on a trail without interference, but when the company commander reached that point with his headquarters section, a burst of machine-gun fire killed him and several others. Officer casualties were excessively high. In an area in which there had been no firing for over half an hour, Major Bernard W. Green, commanding the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, was killed instantly by machine-gun fire. No one else was hurt, although Major Green was standing with his operations and intelligence officers on either side of him. Lieutenant Colonel Fred D. Beans, Regimental Executive Officer, assumed command of the battalion. "It was like fighting a phantom enemy." For while the hills and ravines were apparently swarming with Japanese, it was difficult to close with them. The small enemy groups, usually built around a heavy Hotchkiss machine gun augmented by Nambus, would frequently change positions in the dense vegetation. Hostile volleys elicited furious Marine fusillades into the area from whence the firing had come. But after laboriously working their way to the spot, the Marines came upon only an occasional bloodstain on the ground. Neither live nor dead Japanese were to be found. One Marine registered his impression of these tactics by blurting out, "Jeez, they've all got Nambus, but where are they?" Meanwhile, the 29th Marines advanced 800 yards up steep slopes despite facing fierce opposition; however, the 1st Battalion eventually found itself pinned down by intense Japanese gunfire. Additionally, Shapley's 3rd Battalion crossed the island via motor march to relieve the 3rd Battalion of the 22nd Marines in division reserve, which then returned to its patrol base at Majiya. To the south, Hodge recognized the need for a full-scale effort to penetrate the fortified Shuri area, so he scheduled a corps attack involving three divisions abreast for April 19. In preparation, he dedicated the following four days to organizing the assault, with the 27th Division taking over from the 96th Division in the western region of its zone, while smaller local attacks were conducted to enhance forward positions. Aware of the impending major attack, the Japanese used this preparatory period to bolster their defenses with additional supporting weapons. Back to the north, on April 15, most of the 29th Marines consolidated their defenses on high ground and exerted constant pressure on the rear of the Yae-Take position through vigorous patrols to the west and northwest. On the other hand, Whaling's 3rd Battalion advanced east and south approximately 900 yards amidst heavy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire before being halted by a strong enemy position on Hill 210. Additionally, the 4th Marines faced fierce resistance as Shapley's battalions finally secured Hill 200 and a critical hill mass just southwest of Yae-Take. Fully aware that his primary positions would soon be overrun, Colonel Udo decided to transition to guerrilla tactics by nightfall, relocating his command to the mountainous regions of northern Okinawa via Itomi. In light of these developments, the 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines was placed into division reserve at Awa to allow Shapley's 3rd Battalion to prepare for the following day's assault. On April 16, the offensive resumed, with Whaling's 3rd Battalion swiftly capturing Hill 210 in conjunction with Shapley's 2nd Battalion. Meanwhile, the rest of the 4th Marines secured a ridge just below Yae-Take by midday, while the 29th Marines applied continuous pressure on the rear of Udo's fortified stronghold. While the 4th Marines was storming the fortified position on Yae-Take, the 29th Marines maintained relentless pressure against its rear. The opposition which faced the 29th was similar to that on the front of the 4th. From log-revetted bunkers and occasional concrete emplacements the enemy resisted the advance with increasing stubbornness, supported by machine-guns, mortars, and artillery concealed in ravines and in caves on the high ground. Rugged terrain and an acute supply situation also contributed to the difficulties confronting the 29th Marines in accomplishing its task of clearing the high ground flanking the Itomi-Toguchi Road. The enemy displayed his usual ability to exploit the terrain and derived the maximum benefit from his weapons emplaced in caves and pits and concealed by natural cover. Particularly noteworthy was his use of 20mm dual-purpose cannon against personnel. Fire from these weapons on battalion CPs was a daily occurrence. All roads and natural avenues of approach were covered. Any attempt to move over the easier routes was met with bitter and effective resistance. Consequently, "the method of reducing the enemy positions followed a pattern of 'ridgehopping'," covered by the fires of all supporting weapons. This tactic enabled the attacker to envelop the hostile defenses and reduce them in detail. Numerous abandoned positions and weapons encountered by the 29th indicated that the determination of the Japanese to resist diminished considerably when they were taken from the flank. In contrast to a coordinated advance with all units in contact across a broad front, the action in the zone of the 29th Marines was characterized by attacks that, even when delivered simultaneously, constituted a series of local patrol actions to seize critical positions, followed by mopping up activity within the area. In the afternoon, Shapley's 1st and 3rd Battalions assaulted the formidable mountain, gradually making their way up the steep slope under light and scattered small-arms fire. However, as the Marines reached the peak, they encountered intense fire at close range, which quickly forced them to pull back. After a fierce and close engagement, the 1st Battalion ultimately regained control of Yae-Take, managing to hold the summit against strong Japanese counterattacks, aided by artillery support and Shapley's 2nd Battalion. Meanwhile, at dawn on April 16, two battleships, four cruisers, and seven destroyers under Rear-Admiral Bertram Rodgers launched a heavy bombardment on Iejima, while aircraft bombed and rocketed the island, dropping tanks of napalm on and behind the beaches. Approximately 2,000 Japanese troops, led by Major Igawa Masashi, had destroyed Iejima's airfields and strengthened the central eastern region of the island in an effort to entice the invaders to approach the vulnerable southeastern beaches. Their aim was to annihilate them with concentrated fire from numerous hidden positions in the Pinnacle and the town of Ie. However, the Americans saw through this strategy. Bruce's plan involved landing Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Coolidge's 305th Regiment on the Red Beaches along the southern coast of Iejima and Colonel Aubrey Smith's 306th Regiment on the Green Beach at the island's southwest tip. The 305th was tasked with advancing eastward to capture additional landing areas, while the 306th was to move north and take control of the airfield. Both regiments would then focus on neutralizing enemy strongholds at the island's eastern end. Following intense air and naval bombardments, amphibious tanks and subsequent waves of amphibious tractors surged toward the landing beaches that morning, supported by rocket fire from LCI gunboats. At 07:58, the forward elements of the 1st Battalion, 305th Regiment successfully landed on the southern coast of Iejima, just south of the airfield, while the 3rd Battalion landed on a different beach, 600 yards to the left, three minutes later. At 08:07, the first waves of the 306th Regiment made landfall on Green Beach. The 305th moved swiftly inland over high dunes and then turned east toward Ie, while the 306th advanced 2,000 yards inland to the airfield's western edge, with the reserve 3rd Battalion securing the island's western end. By the afternoon, the troops advanced rapidly, seizing the airfield with only light resistance, achieving a total gain of about 5,500 yards by nightfall. Conversely, the 305th faced stiffer opposition on its way to Ie, managing to advance only about 800 yards eastward while defending against strong nighttime counterattacks. During the night of 16 April the enemy launched a coordinated attack on the 3d Battalion of the 305th. The attack came with suicidal recklessness. The Japanese were supported by mortars and 70-mm. guns, and were armed with small arms, sharpened stakes, bags of hand grenades, and literally hundreds of satchel charges, some of which had been improvised from mortar shells. Japanese worked up to the perimeters in small groups and either threw their satchel charges at close range or blew themselves up in an effort to take Americans with them. Some of the human bombs were successful, but most of the Japanese were killed before they came within effective range. One American had his arm broken by the flying leg of a Japanese soldier who had blown himself up. After hours of wild fighting in the dark the enemy withdrew, leaving 152 of his dead in and around the 3d Battalion's position.  While back at sea, Admiral Mitscher's Task Force 58 had effectively launched attacks on Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, Kikaijima, and southern Kyushu over the past four days, the Japanese responded with a series of scattered kamikaze assaults that caused damage to the battleship New York and four destroyers. On April 16, Ugaki initiated his third large-scale Kikisui attack, acutely aware that another failure in the air could spell the doom of Operation Ten-Go. Despite Mitscher's preemptive strikes against Kyushu, where Americans claimed to have destroyed 202 aircraft and damaged 79 at the cost of only nine planes, at least 289 Japanese attackers were still able to launch missions against Spruance's 5th Fleet. Although American interceptors and anti-aircraft fire recorded another 217 kills, the surviving kamikaze pilots managed to sink the destroyer Pringle and inflict damage on the carrier Intrepid, the battleship Missouri, three destroyers, two destroyer minesweepers, and two landing craft. Notably, the destroyer Laffey withstood six kamikaze impacts, four bomb hits, and numerous strafing runs, resulting in 32 fatalities and 71 injuries among its crew. The following day, a smaller attack on April 17 resulted in additional damage to the light carrier Bataan and one destroyer, yet Americans claimed another 49 kills. However, Ugaki had exhausted much of his strength since the invasion began and was left with approximately 598 operational planes. Meanwhile, fighting continued in northern Okinawa, where some surviving troops from Udo advanced toward Nakaoshi to escape the Motobu Peninsula. Supported by heavy artillery barrages and battleship gunfire, the 29th Marines slowly progressed over challenging terrain, encountering only light resistance, as they successfully secured the mountainous area ahead and connected with the 4th Marines. Shapley's 1st and 3rd Battalions continued their push northward toward the Itomi-Toguchi Road, swiftly advancing downhill and completely overwhelming all Japanese defenses in the region. By nightfall, the 4th and 29th Marines had positioned themselves along the elevated terrain overlooking the Itomi-Toguchi Road. The 305th resumed its assault, aiming to capture the high ground behind Red Beaches 3 and 4. The 1st Battalion encountered only minimal resistance along the coast, allowing them to make significant progress, while the 3rd Battalion quickly secured the high ground in its area before being halted by intense machine-gun fire from caves in the coral slopes to the north. A maneuvering strategy followed by an infantry-tank assault eventually neutralized this enemy position, enabling the advance to continue steadily until the 3rd Battalion reached the outskirts of Ie. Due to the strong resistance faced, Bruce opted to deploy Colonel Stephen Hamilton's 307th Regiment on the beaches southwest of Ie. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were subsequently landed there and launched an attack northeast, quickly advancing approximately 400 yards despite increasingly fierce resistance, ultimately being halted by heavy enemy fire from Bloody Ridge and Government House Hill. Meanwhile, the 306th Regiment maintained its defensive position while probing the enemy's fortifications around Iegusugu. The next day, the 306th began to pivot its right flank and launched an attack toward the Pinnacle with two battalions, making notable progress throughout the day. Concurrently, the 307th continued its advance into Ie despite facing heavy resistance, quickly reaching a standstill in front of Government House Hill. As a result, with the 2nd Battalion effectively immobilized, the decision was made to deploy the 3rd Battalion around to the right flank to launch an assault toward the northeast in the eastern part of the town, while the 3rd Battalion of the 305th Regiment advanced eastward toward Iegusugu. After a heavy preparation by the artillery on Minna Shima, the 3d Battalion, 305th, attacked at 1130 on an 800-yard front. A house-to-house fight ensued amid the rubble of Ie. "Every street became a phase line," one observer reported. The necessity of forming a connecting link over the wide area between the 306th and the 307th made the fight harder. Artillery was ineffective against many enemy positions and could not be used freely because other friendly units were so close by. Self-propelled guns were held up by mines and debris in the narrow streets. After working about halfway through the northwestern section of the town, the troops withdrew to a more secure position on the outskirts, their right (south) flank then being 500 yards west of Government House Hill, and their left (north) flank 100 yards west of the base of Iegusugu. They had made a net gain of only about 350 yards for the day. Similarly, Hamilton's 3rd Battalion achieved moderate success, advancing to a position 300 yards north of the village of Agarii-mae. To protect its right flank, the 1st Battalion of the 305th Regiment positioned itself alongside the 3rd Battalion of the 307th Regiment and launched a northern attack, gaining approximately 1000 yards by day's end before withdrawing to a position about 600 yards east of Agarii-mae. Medium tanks and self-propelled guns covered the gap that developed between the two battalions of the 307th. These weapons put direct fire into caves, pillboxes, and enemy gun positions in the town of Ie and the Pinnacle. They could not be moved close to the enemy positions, however; deadly machine-gun and mortar fire held the infantry back and left the armor vulnerable to suicide attacks by Japanese armed with satchel charges, who hid in holes until the tanks and guns came within range. Meanwhile, after four days of intense fighting, activities in the Motobu area on April 18 were limited to reorganization, consolidating the gains from the previous day, patrolling the Itomi-Toguchi Road, and resupplying. Looking south, Griner called for a nighttime preliminary attack to secure the Machinato Inlet and the Urasoe-Mura Escarpment. As the area was shrouded in smoke during the afternoon, Company G of the 106th Regiment swiftly crossed the inlet and successfully secured Machinato by nightfall, while bridges were constructed at the inlet. The 106th then moved across the bridges, stealthily advancing toward the Urasoe-Mura Escarpment without encountering opposition. Near the summit, the troops launched a surprise ambush against the defenders, ultimately forcing the Japanese to retreat in chaos. With the escarpment secured by dawn, the 106th was prepared to participate in the general attack to the south. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The first Okinawa counteroffensive, as part of Operation Ten-Ichi-Go was not achieving results. Despite overwhelming sacrifices of men and supplies, it seemed hopeless for the Japanese on Okinawa. Those like Colonel Yahara could see the paint on the wall, much to their growing depression.

GET YOUR LIVE SHOW TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-11th-april-2025-tickets-1266997737339?aff=oddtdtcreator LIVE STREAM TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/livestream-lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-london-11th-april-2025-tickets-1266999251869?aff=oddtdtcreator SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys When America entered WWI they found their Navy seriously lacking. To fill the gap, FDR bought a bunch of yachts from his rich friends and tried to turn them into subchasers. It did no go well. Sources: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2015/june/gilded-men-and-suicide-fleet https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2011/january/when-frank-jack-met-maggie https://airmail.news/issues/2024-8-24/the-new-york-yacht-club-goes-to-war https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1973/june/eagle-boats-world-war-i https://www.navsource.org/archives/12/170527.htm

1/2: #POTUS: US AND THE UKRAINE NUCLEAR POWER FLEET. HENRY SOKOLSKI, NPEC 1958

2/2: #POTUS: US AND THE UKRAINE NUCLEAR POWER FLEET. HENRY SOKOLSKI, NPEC 1940

Preview: Colleague Bob Zimmerman compares two space programs: SpaceX working toward commercial success to launch and recover and launch in tight schedules like an air fleet -- and the PRC using missile tech and dropping boosters on citizens willy-nilly. More 1967 ZCULTURAL REVOLUTION