ATTACKS BY CARRIER PLANES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24632, 31 July 1945, Page 5

ATTACKS BY CARRIER PLANES

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 1 !>•'>!•) GUAM, July 30. The I nif eel States 3rd Fleet and a British naval task force (o-day renewed the bombardment of targets in the Japanese home islands. With the Allied fleets were the 35,000-ton British battleship King George V, the United States battleship Massachusetts (also of 35,000 tons), and the 13,000-ton cruiser Quincy. The 8000-ton British cruiser Newfoundland also participated in the action. The combined force of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers bombarded with 1000 tons of heavy-calibre ammunition industrial installations in Hamamatsu, a city on the south coast of Honshu, says a communique issued at Admiral Chester Nimitz’s headquarters. A correspondent of the Associated Press says: “No opposition was encountered to the bombardment, which set buildings on fire and destroyed one of Japan’s largest aeroplane propeller plants. American naval authorities declare that destroyers alone could cope with the remnants of the Japanese fleet.”

Admiral Nimitz’s communique adds: and American carrier aircraft attacked transport facilities, an airfield, and other targets in the Tokyo area at dawn to-day. •'Other carrier aircraft attacked initallations and. shipping in the area extending from north-eastern Kyushu through the Inland Sea and southern Honshu to the Suraga Gulf. "Yesterday, major units of the Japanese navy at Kure, which were previously reported to have been set on fire in early morning strikes, were further damaged. The battleship Haruna has been beached. The cruiser Aoba’s guns were silenced, and her stern is resting on the bottom. The cruiser Oyodo is apparently resting on the bottom. An old heavy cruiser, previously listed as slightly damaged on July 24, is lying on her side. .‘‘Our attack caused an explosion on gn afrcraft-carrier which sent debris 1000 feet into the air. "Damage by United States carrier planes to-day comprised 19 planes shot down; 111 planes destroyed on the ground; 119 planes damaged on the ground: three submarines and a medium transport sunk; and an escort carrier, seven destroyers, a destroyer escort, nine medium cargo ships, eight small cargo ships, and 14 small craft damaged. _ , 4 "Preliminary reports show that British carrier planes inflicted the following damage to-day:—eight planes destroyed and 27 damaged on the ground; one destroyer, two oilers, nine small freighters, and 17 junks sunk; and three destroyers, two destroyer escorts, two submarines, seven medium freighters, two small freighters, one oiler, and about 100 barges, junks, luggers, and other small craft damaged. • "Our. ships were undamaged.” Fires Visible For Miles After the attacks, a pilot of a carrier plane told a correspondent .of the Associated Press aboard Admiral McCain’s flagship: "This is the Japanese Pearl Harbour," Another pilot, summing up the damage done in this and tile Two previous raids on Kure, said quietly: “This is the end of the Japanese navy. They have nothing left of any importance.” The shelling of Hamamatsu was carried out in brilliant moonlight at a distance of six miles. It lasted for 72 minutes. The Japanese did not offer any opposition until after the fleet had turned away. Then the enemy inaccurately fired on the Allied aircraft. Flashes were observed from what might have been shore batteries, but • missiles came close to the fleet. The targets of warships of the 3rd Fleet included the vast Government railway shops, a roundhouse, and two big railway bridges. Most of the targets were on the Hokkaido railway, between Tokyo and Nagoya, and points to the west. The fires were visible for miles.