THREAT TO JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 264, 4 August 1944, Page 4

THREAT TO JAPAN

Eastern Fleet In Enemy Waters BRILLIANT LEADER (By Telegraph,—Press Assn.—Copyright.; (Received August 3, 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 3. The English regard Admiral Str Bruce Fraser’s appointment as commander of the Eastern Fleet as the British Empire’s signature on Japan’s death warrant, says the New York ’'‘Herald-Tribune's” ' London correspondent. Admiral Fraser is regarded by the Royal Navy as perhaps its brightest fighting man. His very presence in Japanese waters is comparable to men like Generals Alexander and Montgomery on the British front. The day the war against Hitler ends, at least 19 British battleships will be available for Far Eastern duty, including the Lion, Temeraire, Duke of York, Austin, Howe, King George V, Nelson. Rodney, Warspite, Queen Elizabeth. Royal Sovereign, Ramillies, Valiant, Revenge, Resolution, Malaya and Renown. Aircraft-carriers available will be the Implacable. Indefatigable, Illustrious, Victorious. Formidable. Furious. Argus and dozens of smaller converted cruisers and merchantmen. In addition, there will be more than 300 cruisers and destroyers and 100 submarines. Only a token fleet will be kept in British waters. Every ’British naval man is convinced that virtually every ship in' the Royal Navy will be sent to beat Japan when Hitler goes down.

Add this fleet to the even larger American Navy and the strategical problems of Japan’s First Sea Lord stagger the imagination.

FIGHTING ON GUAM

Mounting Resistance (Received August 3, 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 2. Marines and soldiers fighting in dense underbrush against* mounting enemy resistance on Guam, occupied the towns of Saucio, Toto and Timoneg, and Ttyan airfield,’ according to a Pacific Fleet communique. Carrier aircraft from a fast task group attacked enemy installations on Guam with bombs and rockets. Additional bombs were dropped and strafing attacks delivered against ■ troop concentrations. Mopping-up operations are in progress on Tinian Island, ravines and eaves on the southern tip being partially cleaned out yesterday. Our troops buried 2075 enemy dead, and interned many civilians. Large numbers of enemy dead are still unburied. “Arnij Liberators on July 30 and 31 dropped 60 tons of bombs on an airfield and installations at Truk. Army Mitchells on July 30 dropped more than. 12 tons of bombs on Nauru Island, hitting an airfield and gun positions.

BURMA CAMPAIGN

Five Jap Divisions Routed

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 2. From letters exchanged between Air Marshal Peirse and General Giffard it is revealed that five Japanese divisions in Assam and Burma have been totally defeated and largely destroyed, says a New Delhi message. These constitute more than half the total strength of the Japanese on the Burma front.

Fifty thousand Japanese have been, killed or wounded in the past three months excluding casualties by shelling, bombing, disease, and starvation.

CHINESE CRISIS PAST

CHUNGKING, August 2. Repulsing 10 Japanese attacks on Hengyang yesterday, the Chiuese recaptured five more points south of the city, says a Chinese communique. Fierce fighting is raging in the suburbs . of Hengyang. The Japanese captured Lienhua, north-east of Hengyang. A Chinese military spokesman declared that the military crisis, in the sense of any danger of Japan crushing China, has passed. • An American military mission is visiting Communist and other areas in northern China. The mission has the threefold purpose of arranging co-operation between Allied air and Chinese ground forces, obtaining military information, and collecting aeronautical data.

JAPAN MUST DISGORGE

(Received August 3. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 3.

As part of the final peace with Japan, China will ask for the return of Mauclntria, Formosa and the Pescadores Islands, said Dr. Kung, Vice-President of China, broadcasting. He added. that Japan must disgorge all her territorial conquests and restore independence to Korea.