The withdraw south: Starting with the collapse of the 2nd Shuri line on the 22nd of may, LtGen Ushijima began issuing orders for the remainder of 32nd Army to begin their withdrawal to their final positions in the south. Large numbers of civilians that had crowded around Shuri castle and the headquarters of the 32nd Army were caught up in the withdrawal. Originally missing the withdrawal, LtGen Buckner ordered the shelling of the roads and paths that led south. Civilians and soldiers inner mixed pushed south where shelled almost constantly along their long march south. The mixing of civilians and the military made it almost impossible to distinguish between the two. Adding to the confusion was the fact that some of the Japanese troops tried to disguise themselves as civilians but kept their military equipment. It quickly became apparent that it was impossible to separate the two groups in their withdrawal south. The civilians were told to go to the Chinen peninsula while the military withdrew to the final two pieces of defensible terrain available to them.