Photograph. Explosives in hand, U.S. soldiers approach a hillside cave on Okinawa Island. Official Caption: "Rome, 6/4/45--U.S. soldiers blast Jap cave on Okinawa--These pictures show how U.S. soldiers are fighting the Japanese hid in caves on Okinawa. Units of the U.S. Tenth Army landed on the island on March 31, 1945, and three weeks later controlled three quarters of Okinawa. After many ensuing weeks of bitter resistance, they had broken the enemy's southern defense line of Naha-Shuri-Yonabaru and, by June 2, had fought to within sight of the southern beaches in a drive to split the dwindling enemy garrison of 20,000. Bases on Okinawa will enable U.S. Superfortresses to increase their bomb loads by one and one half tons, enabling each plane to carry ten tons in attacks on Japan's war potential.--War pool photos--serviced by Rome OWI--Approved by appropriate military authority. -o-–Explosives in hand, U.S. soldiers approach caves on Okinawa, preparing to force out the Japanese hiding in these subterranean passages on the main island in the Ryukyu (Loochoo) group. 6520-A" Okinawa, Japan. 4 June 1945