CENTRAL PACIFIC RAID

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 June 1944, Page 6

CENTRAL PACIFIC RAID

HAVOC AT MARIANAS MASTERY IN THE AIR WASHINGTON, June 14. “The attack on the Marianas was one of the most destructive operations of the war in the Central Pac*fie area, exceeding the scope of. tne February and April attacks on Truk and the March raid on Palau.” says the Pearl Harbour correspondent oi the Now York “Times.” “The operations extended on a front of 100 miles. The communique did. not mention enemy interception. Presumably the American carriers were able to approach. Saipan without detection. It is noteworthy that the enemy wa.s unable to send aid to tne Marianas from the .strong base at; Palau. This failure is credited largely to highly efficient co-ordina- ! tion between General MacArthur’s' and Admiral Nimitz’s forces. It is re-' called that several days before, and during the attack, 'General Mac-’ Arthur’s long-range bombers at-j tacked Palau, daily and nightly; keeping the defenders busy on their home grounds.” •

FURTHER ATTACKS.

(Rec. 1 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, June 14. Attacks against enemy positions in the southern Marianas continued yesterday, says a Pacific Fleet communique. Large fires were started at Tanapag Harbour and the towny of Garapana and Charanknoa. Our ships suffered no damage. Further air attacks_ were co-ordinated with naval shelling of Tinian and Saipan. Carrier aircraft attacked Pagan Island on Monday. The enemy installations were well worked over. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed. We rescued more than 61 survivors of an enemy ship bombed and sunk northwest of Saipan on Sunday.

NAVAL BOMBARDMENTS.

WASHINGTON, June 14. American warships bombarded Matsuwa Island in the Kuriles and in the same action naval planes bombed Paramushi.ro and Shumushu, according to a naval announcement. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers bombarded Tinian, and Saipan Islands and attacks on the Marianas are still in progress. JAPAN’S HOPELESS POSITION NEW YORK, June 14. The “New York Times’s” Pearl Harbour correspondent says that the attack on the Marianas was one of the most destructive operations of the war in the Central Pacific area, exceeding the scope of the February and April attacks on Truk and the March raid on Palau. The operations extended on a hundred-mile front. The communique did not mention enemy interception and presumably the Ameiican carriers were able to approach Saipan without detection. It is noteworthy that the enemy was unable to send aid to the Marianas from the strong base at Palau. This failure is credited largely to the highly efficient co-ordination between General MacArthur’s and Admiral Nimitz’s forces. It is recalled that several days prior to annd during the attack, MacArthur’s long-range bombers attacked Palau daily and nightly, keeping'the defenders busy on their home grounds.

Commenting on President Roosevelt's suggestion that the Japanese

will be forced to surrender or national suicide sooner than is .expected,. :a “Herald-Tribune'’ editorial says that Japan's position is almost ridiculously weak. The Japanese temperamentally are incapable of improving it in the only way possible—through abandoning the entire co-prosperity sphere—so that the remains of their merchant marine can handle the supply problem and so that their outclassed navy, and air force may have some hope of prolonging the war in home waters, until the United Nations are sick of it. Now the British and Americans’ sea and air forces are almost ready io cut Japan’s, overseas communications, Japan’s end cannot be dated until -Germany cracks, for the United Nations can fix an hour-at their convenience and discretion. There is no doubt that if it depends upon the American people's .industry and enthusiasm Tojo’s and Hirohito’s shrift will be short. U.S.A. DESTROYER DAMAGED.

SYDNEY, June 14. American casualties on Biak up to June 6 were about 80 killed and 250 wounded. Japanese casualties are believed to be at least 10 times these figures. In Sunday’s fighting alone more than 100 enemy troops were killed.

Six Japanese aeroplanes raiding Biak damaged an American destroyer. Intercepting Allied fighters shot down _ three of the enemy aeroplanes, with two others probably destroyed. In British New Guinea Japanese troops, trapped between American and Australian forces in the WewakHansa Bay coastal dec-tor, are being given no respite from Allied air bIOWS,

After, some months, Darwin ’again figures in the South-west Pacific war new.-, a lone Japanese reconnaissance aeroplane having been shot doyvn by Royal Australian Air Force Spitfires in this area. Admiralty based Liberators are keeping up their attacks against Japanese bases in the Carolines, about 90 tons of explosives having been dropped on Palau and Truk in the latest strikes. Tweny fighters intercepted the Liberators, and one Japanese aeroplane was shot down, with two others probably destroyed.

MORE JAP. PLANE LOSSES.

(Rec. 1.55 p.rn.) SYDNEY, June 15

in an air battle over Palau, Caroline islands. Admiralty-based Liberators shot down 20 of 50 inter- *®® in 2 Japanese fighters. Eight Others were probably destroyed in combat and many others parked on the aerodrome were wrecked. „The raid on Palau is the highlight oi General MacArthur’s latest communique, which also reports the destruction of six more Japanese fighters in aerial combat over Biak IsDutcn New Guinea. Anti-air-craft fire from Allied warships brought down the seventh enemy fighter m this area.

BISMARCK SEA VICTIMS

, SYDNEY, June 14. -* tousands of cedarwood boxes ®® to , c ? rr y the ashes of Japanese yClcliers killed in'battle have been near Hollandia in Dutch New guinea. On each box was .inscribed ei ’’ s , name and the date of i®®. b- Most of the inscriptions f ®°® ec that the soldier had died 1 °f the “18th year of the , e Emperor Showa.” When Tj;..^w? throne the Emperor J,® • 0 op .t&d the name Showa, meaning Enlightened Peace.” pL, I® L® was the month of the ®®i t2 j C S ? ea hattie, when the Japtransports and warships n f n a-, h-J-ated. attempt to reinforce ev X Guinea garrisons. The fn,- I .iy c °h boxes, which were ready contained no ashes. kin®® 1 ® ,Probably that the men fbnSh?® ® en lost 31 sea. It. is *h a t other ashes would have in the boxec in Japan eiOx<. their ceremonial burial at the

Yakasuni shrine, the resting place of Japanese warriors. ■'WOMEN A NUI.SANCE” NEW YORK, June 14, “Women are a nuisance in the war zones,” said Major Martin Roekmore, of the United States Marines, who has arrived on leave from the South Pacific. “The presence of women destroys men’s privacy and puts annoying limitations on their movements. Besides officers are the only ones allowed to go out with them, and that doesn’t help morale. When you have thirty thousand troops and six women nurses come in, you don’t realise the troubles you are put to.”

MISSIONARIES ILL-TREATED

SYDNEY, June 15. Missionaries, men and women, captured by the Japanese in New Guinea, were forced to bow to the rising sun every morning. This has been revealed by a group comprising eight Catholic nuns, three Brothers, and a Lutheran lay preacher, now in hospital at an Australian base. All were rescued after the American landing at Hollandia. Sister Mathilda, -who has been in New Guinea for thirteen years, said that Japanese soldiers hit her with sticks because they were dissatisfied with the way she saluted them. The missionaries were forced to bow to any Japanese soldier before addressing him. Sister Nicola, missionary in New Guinea since 1913, said she and other nuns were forced to work on roads with picks and shovels, while guards stood over them.