SUICIDE ATTACKS

Evening Star, Issue 25462, 18 April 1945, Page 5

SUICIDE ATTACKS

SPECIAL JAP. PLANES

HAY BE MORE DAMAGING THAN V-BOMBB

(Rec. 11.35 a.m.) ',.•„■' WASHINGTON, April 17. The Americans -destroyed at least 204 Japanese planes yesterday in an all-day battle between Okinawa and Kyushu, says the United Press Okinawa correspondent. Six groups of Super-Fortresses blasted airfields on Kyushu to-day to neutralise bases from which _ the Japanese have ben hurling suicide plane* against the American naval and air forces for a week. The targets were Kanoya, East Kanoya, Izumi,.Kokubu, and Nittagahara airfields, all in South Kyushu, and Tachiarai in North-west Kyushu. ' The United Press Kunming correspondent says it is reliably reported that Japan has begun large-, scale production of a new type of, suicide plane, which may prove; more damaging in some respects: than the German V-bombs. The planes are being built in Manchuria to carry one ton of explosives built into the nose. The cruising speed is 400 miles an hour, * and the giving speed 600. The pilot sits in the middle of th« plane locked in the cockpit. He does not carry a parachute. A The wheels automatically drop away after the take-off. The pilots, trained for six months, have three_ months' leave before their final mission. ■ Tokio radio stated that a national proyincial leaders' meeting will be held on April'2s to form civilian special attack and suicide corps for the defence of Japan's homeland. Lieutenantgeneral Homma described the suicide corps as a third line army. . A Japanese communique claims that suicide surface units have sunk 18 American ships and damaged 13 in.tha past three days. , .