WAR WITH JAPAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1944, Page 6

WAR WITH JAPAN

U.S.A. SHIPS~DAMAGED ■WASHINGTON, November 2. “In the battle of the Philippine Sea from October 22 to October 27 several United States ships of the 3rd and 7th Fleets were damaged,” says a Pacific Fleet communique. “The names qf the ships and the extent of the damage will not be announced at present as such information would be of value to the enemy in estimating accurately the size of our naval forces operating in the Philippines waters and what ships are available for immediate action.” The communique also reports that Mitchells bombed Paramushiro on Monday, setting fire to buildings and damaging several small craft. Liberators bombed an airfield on Yap Island. Corsairs strafed Babelthaup Island and sank two barges. The Tokio radio ’ reported a small American force was sighted 200 miles east of Lubon Island. PROGRESS ON LEYTE (Rec. 1.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 2. General MacArthur announced that infantry and dismounted cavalrymen joined forces in Leyte Valley near Carigara. Other troops have driven entirely across Leyte to Baybay on the west coast, splitting the enemy forces. BOMBERS OVER TOKIO NEW YORK, Nov. 1. The latest Tokio broadcast regarding the reported air raid said the defence authorities disclosed that a few 8.29 bombers flew over metropolitan Tokio shortly after noon. They were greeted by a barrage from the ground installations and Japanese lighters pursued the bombers, which fled south-eastward without inflicting damage. The ’planes, it is believed, came from an American base in the Mariannas. „ Kenichi Kumagai, Vice-Chief Oj Japan’s air defence headquarters, announced over the Tokio Official Radio that Superfortresses reconnoitred Tokio yesterday. They dropped no bombs, but caused panic among some people, whom he reprimanded for losing their calmness. He urged extensive steps to keep water at hand, because houses of Japan could be easily set on fire. He added .that the number of air-raid shelters was still far from sufficient.

WIDESPREAD RAIDS WASHINGTON, November 2. General MacArthur reports: Fighters off Borneo sank a 10,000-ton Japanese tanker, carrying a deckload of explosives. Two tankers were heavily damaged. In a raid on Sundakan aerodrome in British Borneo, 12 enemy ’planes were destroyed on tne ground. Fighters over Manado, in Celebes, caused a large explosion Liberators dropped 36 tons of bombs on Makassar in Celebes. Medium and light bombers attacked enemy airfields in Halmahera within range ol the American base of Morotai. Seven Japanese ’planes replied with a raid on Morotai. Flak shot down four Mitchells and fighter-bombers dropped 38 tons of bombs on Ceram in the Dutch Indies, destroying numerous buildings. JAP. PLANES - !RESERVED. NEW YORK, November 2. . Frank Kluckhorn, a “New York Times’s” correspondent on Leyte Island, stated: American troops' are expected to crack. Carigara defences with overwhelming force, and a quick capture is regarded as almost cei - tain. Meanwhile the Japanese possibly are staging ’planes southwards to Formosa and the Philippines area from as far north as Manchuria, in the attempt to smash, from the air, further American moves northwards. With their Fleet crippled as the result of the three Philippines battles, the Japanese will depend principally on ’planes to break up our convoys when we move again. Their air strength on Leyte 13 days after the American landing is still confined to feeble, though persistent. sneak raids.” J SHUTTLE BOMBING NEW YORK. November 1. • The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent says: An Army Air Force spokesman stated that General Stillwell’s recall will not affect tne operations of General Chennault’s Air Force of the 20th Air Force. The latter will continue to carry out operations against the Japanese. He added that airfields on Luzon which the Americans expect to reconquer v/ill play an important role in the forthcoming destruction of Japan from the air. General Chennault told the Press at 14th Air Force Headquarters that shuttle bombing between China and the Philippines will completely oust the Japanese from the South China Sea supply route. He added: “I am not one of those wall-eyed aviators who say that there is nothing but air power. I hope operations in China in the near future will be balanced between air operations and adequate ground operations.

BRITISH FLEET

NEW YORK. November 1

“The British Eastern Fleet, long depleted by the need for ships in the Mediterranean and other European waters, is now being built up as a potential striking force to participate in the final blows against the Japanese,” said Admiral Sir James Somerville on his arrival in New York as the new head of the British Admiralty delegation. Admiral Somerville, who has commanded the Eastern Fleet ,for two years and a-half, told the Press he did not know whether the British Fleet would be integrated into the American sea force in a big push against Japan, or whether it would be assigned to independent operations further south. “However,” Admiral Somerville said, “the British feel very strongly that they should take part in the party that finally knocks out the Japanese in Japan.”