Kakazu Ridge sets tone of battle

Story and photos by Keith T. Graff

It is a tranquil setting. A tree lined park with finely manicured walking paths and an observation tower. Children play in the grounds. Teenage boys use the sloped walkways to challenge each other and perform skateboard stunts. Families enjoy a picnic lunch and rest under the banyan trees. It wasn’t always this way.

Sixty-two years ago this was the site of an intense battle in the struggle for Okinawa. The carnage at Kakazu ridge set the tone. This was part of the Japanese Imperial Army Machinato Line. The Machinato Line was anchored in the west, just north of present Day Camp Kinser. The line extended eastward across the island using a series of ridges as natural defenses. General Ushijima made his initial stand against the American forces here.

Following a relatively uneventful U.S. landing, the island was divided in half with Marine forces heading north and the Army pushing south. Initially, General Buckner threw two infantry divisions against the Machinato Line only to be repelled repeatedly. The typical Japanese ridge defense on Okinawa consisted of fortified heavy machine gun emplacements, the infantry and mortar positions hidden on the reverse slopes of the ridge. Further back, heavy artillery backed up both the mortar and gun positions.

In the first wave of attack, the 383rd Regiment assaulted Kakazu ridge in a surprise pre-dawn attack without the benefit of an artillery bombardment. They reached the crest of the ridge only to be driven back after suffering heavy casualties.