HEAVY AIR ATTACK LAUNCHED ON TOKYO

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 161, 10 July 1945, Page 5

HEAVY AIR ATTACK LAUNCHED ON TOKYO

OVER WOO AIRCRAFT U.S. Carriers Supported

By Battleships

N.Z.P.A. and British Rec. 2 p.m. WASHINGTON Julv 9 A strong force of American carrier-based planes is attacking Tokyo, states a message just received from the United States Pacific Fleet headquarters at Guam "More than 1000 aircraft arp taking part," states the report "They belong to the task force nf the United States Third Pacific £cCain Under Vice - A dmi?al Jotat

"The attacking force also includes four battleships, four cruisers and numerous flotillas of destroyers The attack, which is still going on, has taken the Japanese completely by surprise."

This is the 25th attack on Tokyo. The last carrier force attack was made in February of this year, when units of Vice-Admiral Mitscher's carrier force raided the Japanese capital. The first attack, in 1942, made by General Doolittle's planes, was also a carrier borne attack.

The Twentieth Air Force earlier announced that a very large force of Super Fortresses to-day rained incendiaries on Gifu, Sakai, Wakayama, Sendai and Yokkaichi, on Honshu Island.