SAIPAN ISLAND TAKEN

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24306, 11 July 1944, Page 5

SAIPAN ISLAND TAKEN

Enemy Resistance Ends HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Eec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 10. The conquest of Saipan Island in the Marianas has been completed. “Our forces have completed the conquest of Saipan and organised resistance ended yesterday afternoon.” says A Pacific Fleet communique. "The elimination of the scattered and disorganised remnants of the enemy force i* proceeding rapidly.” . . , “Probably 95 per cent, of the Japanese garrison of 20,000 was killed or wounded in yesterday’s finale on Saipan,” cays the Associated Press correspondent with the United State# Fleet in the Marianas. ‘‘Scores of Japanese trapped on the island’s northern tip swam frantically out to sea. There was nowhere to swim to, and their only choice was to return or drown. “Thousands of civilians accepted

the American invitation to surrender. The final hours of fighting saw civil* ians streaming into the American lines/* It is estimated that during the four weeks’ campaign on Saipan and in other areas of the Mariana group, the Japanese lost 58 ships, 900 aeroplanes, and more than 11,000 troops. The communique also reports that fast carrier task force aircraft attacked Guam .and Rota on Friday and Satur* ■ ■r. day. subjecting the runways,; anti-air-craft batteries, coastal -defence guns and barracks to rocket fire and bombing. Nine enemy fighters, apparently attempting to fly from Guam to Yap> ■*. , were shot down by on American combat air patrol. Moreover, six twin- - engined enemy aircraft were destroyed , bn the ground and two were probably destroyed near the town of Agan& at.; Guam. One American fighter and one torpedo-bomber were lost in these raids. .... Liberators dropped 22 tons of bombs, on Truk atoll on the night of July 7.; . Other aeroplanes harassed Mill, Jaluit, Taroa, and Wotje on Friday. The Tokyo radio announced that American cruisers and destroyers. ■ shelled Guam on July 9. Seventy -• aeroplanes co-operated. American - ■ warships also shelled Rota and Riolan, in the Marianas. ; “Saipan offers the.best possibilities: for airfield development of any of the ' ' islands captured so far from the anesc,” said Vice-Admiral John J -\: Hoover, after an inspection of the ■■ island. He added that the Aslite aero-; . t drome was the best taken in the cen-? tral Pacific, and also Saipan’s sue: ;V, would enable the dispersal of aero- v., 'planes over a wide area. “Saipan, shows we can take any- -t s . : thing Japan holds in the Pafcific," says W-, the -New York Times” in-«.leading article, '“Saipan is a pistol pointed at the heart of Japan, a naval base from which attacks . can be launched Against : ; any point of Japan’s inner defence line, and a position from which a continuous bomb load can be : dropped off -, enemy industry. Even the loss of Peart Harbour would, not be as sinous fof „ the United States as the lost of for Japan." . . ‘5/-'^