U.S. BOMBERS’ NEW MISSION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 260, 31 July 1944, Page 5

U.S. BOMBERS’ NEW MISSION

Japanese Industrial Targets MANCHURIA AREA (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received July 39, 8.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 29. United States Super-Fortresses, carrying out their third raid against Japanese military objectives, today smashed industrial targets in the Mukden area, Manchuria (Manchukuo), says a communique from the 20th Air Force headquarters. It was the first daylight raid by Super-Fortresses, the two previous attacks against Kyushu being at night. The Mukden industrial urea includes tlie cities of Anshau, Fusliun and Penhsihu. in which are a concentration of heavy industries, including steel, synthetic oil and ordnance? Anshan is one of the most important producers of chemical byproducts vital to the Japanese munitions manufacture. The city also has huge steel mills. . Returning pilots said they bombed heavy installations such .as . munition plants and iron mills, leaving.the targets blanketed in smoke. It is estimated that

it. will take one year to rebuild the bombed installations. Other B29’s in a diversionary attack bombed Chenhsien railway yards in northern Honan. Tokio official radio claims that, the industrial quarters of Anshan and I’enhsihu were slightly damaged. Anti-aircraft fire shot down one raider. Report About Formosa. The Chungking correspondent of Hie Associated Press of America says the Japanese, fearing air attacks, have ordered the compulsory evacuation of nonessential residents of Formosa. A Washington message says that Tangku, the p<?rt of Tientsin in occupied China, was also bombed. The bombing results were good. The weather was clear and there was good visibility over all the targets. Fighter opposition and flak was moderate. Our losses were extremely light. The object of the Super-Fortress attacks are the growing centres, of enemy war production, says the “New York Times” Washington correspondent, lhe Japanese, with a view to safety, sometime ago began moving a large part of the war industry to Mukden. Anshan had grown to a city of 200,000 primarily engaged in iron and steel manufacture. Tangku is a centre of production for Japanese operations in the China Seas. The Chinese Press reports that most of the traffic between Shanghai and Nagasaki is now carried out by sailing junks because of Japan’s heavy shipping losses. The average load of each junk i s three ions and a journey either way takes 27 days.

SUBSTANTIAL GAINS

Americans On Guam Island (Received July 30, 9.20 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 30. Oroto Peninsula, Guam, has been captured by the First. Provisional Marine Brigade, reports the Pacific Fleet communique. Organized resistance ceased late on Friday afternoon. Apra harbour is being patrolled by light fleet units to prevent the few remaining Japanese swimming to the mainland. Conservative estimates indicate that the Americans killed 4700 Japanese on Guam. The Americans on Saipan Island have now buried 21,036 enemy dead. O'f American troops previously listed as casualties, 5434 have returned, to duty. Japanese troops are fleeing into the rocky southern area of Tinian Island, where they are expected to make a final futile “banzai” attack, reports the United Press correspondent aboard the expeditionary force flagship. “Our commanders are unwilling to admit that the end of the battle is .near, but the campaign has already yielded the great Ushi aerodrome, possibly the richest prize in tlie Mariannes, from which American spotting planes are already taking off, supplementing the aerial strikes from nearby Saipan.”

EYES ON “PHILIPPINES

Intervening Base Heavily Pounded (By Telegraph.— Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.), (Received July 30, 9 p.m.) SYDNEY. July 30. At. least 45 Japanese aircraft were destroyed in General MacArthur's first large-scale aerial strikes against Halmahera, the important enemy base lying midway between Dutch New Guinea and the Philippines. Liberators and Mitchells with strong fighter escort on Friday pounded Halmahera’s three main airfields, Lilobata. Galeln and Miti, with SO tons of bombs as well as making devastating slr.-itiAg runs. Enemy aireral'l destroyed on tho ground probably exceeded 30 with many others damaged. I’ri liminary reports indicate that 15 'Japanese interceptors were also siiot down for the loss of two Allied fighters.