BOMBING JAPAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1945, Page 6

BOMBING JAPAN

U.S.A.—BRITISH RAIDS

OILFIELDS MAIN TARGETS

WASHINGTON, May 10. One of the biggest air attacks on Japan was made to-day by more than 400 Superfortresses from the Marianas. "Raids have also been made bv carrier-borne aircraft of the Bntisn Pacific Fleet. It is officially announced at the headquarters of tne United States 20th Air Force that the latest Superfortress assault was carried out in daylight, the. bpmbeis attacking military and industin.i areas in the southern tip of Honsn.-i (the main Japanese island) for the first time. Oilfields and fuel supmy bases of the Japanese navy and air force’were among the targets. Other Superfortresses »xo-day bombed an installations in Kyushu. A communique from the neejaquarters of the . Allied Naval Gom-mander-in-Chief in the Pacific (Admiral Nimitz) says:— . , “Aircraft from carriers ol d.c British Pacific Fleet bombed tne Sa.u Shimas (south-west ol Okinawa), destroying two aeroplanes on to Fround and shooting dqwn anotnei. Two units ol the JA'itisn iorce fered minor damage auring an uit raid, but? remained opecationa*. t-U-r; aircraft attacked the Kisarazu ai.field and the Tateyama naval and Jstation, south-east, or fqkio, aLo Marcus Island, Truk, and tne Palatio. - The United Press correspondent a. Guam says: Superfortresses on May 10 dropped between 2000 tmd 3500 tons of exolosives on targets which included -a- .storage area in -lapan s largest Tokuvama synthetic fuel mctorv the main source for.army planes to take oil. -The refinery is one ol the Japanese largest. Geneial Giles told the Press that Japans fuel sup- . ply will be a high priority target. ROUND-THE-CLOCK BOMBING

NEW YORK, May 10. “Lieutenant-General B. .Giles, the new commander of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean areas, has forecast a greater rounc.-the-ciock torrent of bombs against Japan than fell on Germany,” says the “New York Times’s” Guam corr.es-Dondc-n."'.'.. “Lieutenant-General Giles added that in addition to planes from Eurooe and a greatly-expanded Superfortress fleet, new types of aircrait would bo used.” “The war against Japan will grow in sei’crity over a prolonged period," said the United States director of war mobilisation (Mr. Vinson) in a report to President Truman. He expressed the view . that. the Japanese will light to the bitter end. Mr. Vinson pointed out that Japan has two great strengths, the willingness of her soldiers to'die to the last man rather than surrender, and her geographical position, making her hard to get al. He added: “Japan has an army of 4.000,000 men, of which loss than a quarter are south of Formosa, and China. Japan also has several million men fit for service and not yet called Lip. Although the. Japanese fleet, is crippled it can still strike damaging blows in waters protected by landbased aviation. Japan's air force is still a Doweriul defensive factor.”

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUES

WASHINGTON, May 9

General MacArthur in his communique on Wednesday stated: — Sweeping across Davao Gulf, in a shore movement, units of our 24th Division have landed on Samal, off the Mindanao mainti.nd. They are rapidly clearing the .. land. Strong pressure is being exerted on the enemy’s positions in the Talorno River area. A bridgehead has been established across the river north of Mintal.

“Our 31st Division thrust seven miles eastward from Kibawe, while our northern spearhead is engaging Maramag airstrip. “Our ground forces, with heavy air support, carried on mopping up an enemy force near a southern operations along our northern Luzon front, and continued to advance towards Ho in the central sector. “On Tarakan our forces have secured Api Hill, north of the airfield, and arc- advancing on the Djcenata oilfields.

“Our bombers and fighters struck at Kudat aerodrome and also port installations in Brunei Bay, Miri and Bandjermasin. Widespread destruction is reported at Shipyards and runways. The entire 'waterfront at Labuan Island was left in flaimes with smoke rising 5000 feet. Search planes, sweeping shore lines, sank three coastal vessels. Patrol planes attacked Formosa. Escorted heavy and medium bombers raided Saigon. Qur sea blockading planes ranged from Sumatra to Shanghai, sinking a destroyer, a subchaser and two freighters. Our heavy bombers attacked aerodromes in southe n Celebes, and patrol planes attacked shipping in coastal sectors of the Netherlands East Indies. Neutralising attacks on New Guinea, the Bismarck and Solomon Islands were continued.

Admiral Nimitz's communique says —Our aircrait, ships and guns continued to support our 10th Army troops in southern Okinawa on Tuesday. Adverse weather continued. Our troops continued to move southwards on Wednesday. Our Okinawa casualties up to Monday comprised 2684 killed, 13,020 wounded and 539 missing.

JAP. ATTACK ON ADMIRALTIES.

(R.N.Z.A.F. OFFICIAL NEWS SERVICE.)

ADMIRALTIES, May 9 Japanese aircraft attacked installations a few hundred yards from an R.N.Z.A.F. encampment in their first air attack on the Admiralties since last November. The enemy made a surprise hit and run raid in the early hours of the morning. Tne R.N.Z.A.F. camp escaped unscathed. It is reported that one raider fell into the sea after releasing its bombs. Dusk searches by R.N.Z.A.F. Corsairs had been negative before the raid occurred, and enemy aircraft had been absent from this area for some time. In a daylight raid in November bombs were dropped on .an airfield. FORCES FROM BRITAIN CANBERRA, May 10. .a vast air armada would leave England for the Pacific area, and bombers and fighters in numbers that would shatter and confound them would rain havoc on the enemy, said the Governor-General of Australia, the Duke of Gloucester, in a victory broadcast tonight. Part of the British Fleet was now" operating in the Pacific and the remainder would soon be here. Their great armies would, as the needs demanded, be transferred to this area. "Through our sacrifices Germany has been defeated, but we still have the Japanese, brutal, inhuman, and fanatical, to humble in the dust,” the Duke said. “Therefore let this time be one. rather of thanksgiving, prayer, and action than of jubilation. Let us thank God for His great mercies, for the triumph of right over wrong and oppression, and let us go forward more determined than ever to win and win quickly in the Pacific war.” MR. BEVIN’S REMINDER LONDON, May 10. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Bevin, in a speech at London, said: “We have another enemy to dispose of. After the natural hilarity and relief, it must never be forgotten from Thursday

morning onwards, people must be back to the shop and to work, resolutely carrying on, in order that our boys may perform their task, and be brought home at the earliest possible moment. Whatever government may hold office will have to perform a task demanding sympathy, prayers and help from all. After the great wat mobilisation, Britain will have to turn down the wheels gently hi order to begin to satisfy, the demands of me civilian population.” TARAKAN CAMP HORRORS.

, MELBOURNE, May 10. Corpss of Indonesian slave labourers, who had been shot through the angles to prevent their escape, have been found in a Japanese horror camp on Tarakan. The camp was visited by officers of the Netherlands" East Indies Civil Administration, who landed on Tarakan with the Australian invasion troops. . “Corpses of dead Javanese, mere skeletons, were lying on the ground and in thatched huts, which served as living quarters for prisoners,” writes Nathan Broch, a Netherlands Press Agency correspondent. “Visiting one of the huts I found six dead Indonesians lying along the walls. None of the survivors remembered when the victims had died, as they had lost track o f time. One survivor, still strong enough to talk, said that the average number of slave labourers regularly employed on Tarakan amounted co 200, most of whom were Javanese. They worked mainly in vegetable gar-, dens which supplied the Japanese garrison.”

LANDING IN CHINA

(Rec. noon) WASHINGTON, May 10. General Somervell, Chief of Army Service Forces, told a Press conference that help is expected for unloading war cargoes in China. The Associated Press says this is official confirmation of the Army’s intention to land on the China coast.

RETENTION OF BASES

NEW YORK. May 10. The “New York Herald-Tribune's” Washington correspondent predicts that the forthcoming Congressional report will urge the United States to retain permanently military bases on the .Dutch and British possessions in the- Caribbean Sea. This is likely further to complicate the United Nations controversy over the trusteeships. It is understood that three members of the Senate War Investigation Committee, who recently have returned from an inspection of Caribbean bases, are impressed with the advisability of retaining them for a safeguard of the Panama Canal. Some of these were leased from Britain for 99 years, in exchange for 50 old U.S. destroyers. The full committee previously had strongly advocated the retention of the bases won by the fighting forces, or those leased from frindiy nations.

AU ST fl A LIAN EQ UIPMENT CANBERRA, May 10

The Acting-Prime Minister (Mr Chif.'ey) gave information in uie House ol Representatives, to-day,

when replying to questions by tim Deputy-Leader of the Opposition (Mr Harrison) on criticism of equipment used in the operation on Tara-l-.an, Borneo, by the Australian The questions that had asked by Mr Harrison were: (1) Whether Ivir Chifley’s attention has been diected to Press reports criticising lack of equipment amongst the .Australian troops in Borneo? (2) Whether -all these reports have measured up to the Australian Government’s assurance that the Australian troops on operational duties are properly equipped? (3) Whether a confiden- ■ Ycpo-L of Senator Fraser on , a pment would be laid on the table j_ r the House? (4) Whether the Govurnment would arrange, for a committee of returned soldier members to visit battle areas and inspect the eouipment position? . '“The Australian casualties in the Tarakan-Borneo operation up to last Tuesday, were 76 killed, anti 27 1 wounded,” said General MacArthur in a report to the Commonwealth Government, which Mr Chulev cnoted for Mr Harrison. In his report General MacArthur said that he is entirely at a loss to account for any criticism of the Tarakmi operation. “If there has been any'finer operation of this size in the war I do not know of it. The Jai'akan operation has been completely successful, and it has been accomplished without the slightest hitch. The- equipment and the methocis were essentially the same as those used in nearly forty amphibious landings, an of which were victorious. The figures for killed and wounded arc light, m \’iew of the great objective gained. The- Australian forces 'have performed as they always have done under my command —with splenm.l efficiency'. I have nothing but praise '■'or them and for this operation. M’" Chifley said that he could nm but * deplore . these irresponsive criticisms,- which were unfair io the Supreme Command, in whom tne >Government had entire confidence and unfair to our gallant lorces.

FRENCH CONTINGENTS

/Roc 12.15 p.m.) 1 WASHINGTON. May 10. After conferring with President Truman, the French Minister of finance M Rene Pleven, announced that France has offered, to furnish two divisions immediately, "with more following, to fight Japan. M. Pleven said he' thanked President Truman for American assistance in the rehabilitation of French railways and assured him oi France’s desirq to. continue participation until the Pacific war ended. He added he believed Mr. Truman would consider the offer favourably.

JOURNALISTS’ TOUR.

AUCKLAND, May 10. During a 30,000-mile tour of the Pacific, with the joint object of studying the war with Japan at first hand and of gathering background information about the post-war trade and tourist prospects of the area, a party of 14 United States journalists passed through Auckland to-day on their return flight, to America. They arrived at Whenuapai late this afternoon from Wellington, and will leave early in the morning on the return journey. Leaving Washington on April 1, the party has travelled throughout their journey bv air, the last stage being made in a'huge Skymaster C 54 trans-port-aeroplane. They have been as far forward as possible, and have visited the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Some of the party are paying a return visit to the south and Southwest Pacific areas, and all remarked on the tremendous changes which had taken place in the last two or three years. The vast increase in the amount of war equipment, particularly in the Navy and the Air Arm, was in marked contrast with the trickle of supplies which was coming forward in the early days of New Guinea and Guadalcanal. .