BIG AMERICAN BLOWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 149, 26 June 1944, Page 5

BIG AMERICAN BLOWS

MAIN BATTLE TO COME

(By Telegra pit—Press Association— Copyright.) NEW YORK, June 24.

The Americans have reached Laulau, on the east coast of Saipan Island, in the Marianas. Patrols. have probed the suburbs of Garapan virtually without opposition, says a representative of the Cambined American Press. The whole area below Aslito aerodrome has been turned into a mighty artillery base, the guns hurling .shells continuously against the Japanese positions. The Japanese are still abandoning food, ammunition, and stores. One Marine Corps force has been operating a mortar battery for four days • /ith capture.. 81-millimetre shells.

Throughout the campaign the Japanese have not attempted a massed infantry attack in any sector. Even when tanks were sent out in strength the enemy failed to follow up with infnntry, and consequently the coastal plain is littered with burnt-out enemy light and medium tanks.

The return of American carrierborne aircraft has given the invaders an overwhelming air superiority, though superiority was not lost even during the fleet action. It appears that a repetition of Wednesday's incident is unlikely. On that night Japanese night raiders harassed United States ships and shore positions.

The terrain and jungle growth enable the Japanese to fight a strong rearguard action without major losses. It is safe to say that the main battle for Saipan is to come. The Americans have not yet met the bulk of the defending forces, which are concentrated in the area of Mount Tapotchau, in the centre of the island, behind strong concrete emplacements. Tokio official radio says that enemy planes raided Iwo Jima, southwestward of the Bonin Islands, 'today, and Yap, Palau, and Tobi Islands on Friday. The radio added that aerial battles in various areas in the Central Pacific were increasing in intensity, in conjunction with the furious battle round Saipan. CARRIER FORCE RAID. "Aircraft of a fast carrier task force swept Iwo Jima, in the Bonin Islands, on Friday," says a Pacific fleet communique. "We shot down more than 60 enemy planes attempting interceptic.i. Twelve enemy planes found our carriers, but all were shot down by our combat air patrols. We lost four fighters. Our surface ships suffered no damage. "Carrier-based aircraft attacked Pagan Island on Thursday and sank four small cargo vessels and one sampan and damaged two small cargo ships and 12 sampans. They also destroyed four aircraft and probably destroyed two others, and destroyed a wharf aad fuel dumps. We shot down one bomber and five fighters at some distance from our carriers.

"Our Marines and army troops made further gains on the northen shore of Magicienne Bay, on Saipan Island. Carrier-based fighters shot down two enemy aircraft on Saipan on Wednesday. Japanese coastal guns on Tinian Island intermittently shelled our ships anchored off Saipan, but did little damage.

"W,e heavily shelled Tinian Island airfields on Friday. Carrier-based aircraft attacked an airstrip and buildings on Tinian and Saipan on Thursday. One of our aerial torpedoes sank a medium cargo ship at Rota. "Venturas attacked Shumushu Island on Friday, when our aircraft continued their neutralisation raids against enemy positions in the Marshalls and Carolines."