JAPANESE LOSSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1945, Page 5

JAPANESE LOSSES

HUNDREDS OF FUNES

U.S.A. RAID HARVESTS

WASHINGTON. May 15. One hundred and sixty-four Japanese aircraft were destroyed and 198 others were either destroyed or damaged when carrier-borne planes of an Allied naval task force, under the command of Admiral R. A Spruance, attacked aerodromes in Kyushu and Shikoku, the two most southerly of the Japanese mam islands. . A communique from Allied naval headquarters in the Pacific says:— “Aircraft from a carrier force on the night of May 12-13 bombed airfield installations at Kokobu, Chiran, and Kagoshima, in Kyushu. Involve enemy planes were shot down. Heavy strikes were launched against airfields in Kyushu and Port Shikohu on the night of May 13-14. In the two days our aircraft destroyed 71 planes and one barrage balloon in the air and 93 planes on the ground. They also destroyed or damaged 108 more aircraft on the ground. • “Kyushu railroad _ installations were heavily hit. An oil train, four locomotives, a railway station, a chemical plant, and other large Holdings were destroyed ously damaged. Our planes destroyed buildings, barracks, and aviation installations at many aerodromes in Kyushu and Shikoka. Two motorboats and two luggers were sunk ana others damaged. . Preliminary reports indicate that our forces lost about 10 aircraft.' Dealing with other Allied operations the communique says:— “Escort carriers and aircralt attacked airfield installations in the Saki Shimas on Monday, also Mime Island and Amatis. “No material changes were made in the 10th Army lines on Okinawa Island to-day. There was heavy fighting in the western and central sectors', where the enemy mounted a counter-attack. In the 6th .Marine Division’s sector marines in the suburbs of Naha (the principal town) met an assault this morning and beat it off in hand-to-hand fighting with heavy losses to the enemy. “Naval gunfire broke an attempt to land small craft behind the marines lines in the Machinate sector. Other marines continue to . a tjack on high oround in the vicinity of Wane Town The 77th Infantry Division after a difficult five-day oaffle, has captured Chocolate Hill east of Ishimmi, inflicting major losses.

NAGOYA AGAIN RAIDED

(Recd. na ° A ) SHINGTO N, May 16. Over 500 Marianas-based Superfortresses cascaded firebombs on Nagoya after midnight on May 17 (Jap anese time) in a low-flying attack, s?ys the 20th Air Force. . The strike was directed mainly against in the northern sector of the ciiy, which is still smouldering after Sunday’s attack.

MACARTHUR’S OPERATIONS

WASHINGTON, May 15. Continued progress by the Allied land forces in the Philippines, on Ta rakan Island (Borneo), and in New Guinea is reported in communique from General MacAithu . hpodciuarters. Phe greater ptnt■ Mindanao, the most southerly of the main islands in the Philippines, he been cleared of Japanese. » The communique says: “Ninety per cent, ot Mindanao. is now free of the enemy and 95 per cent, of the population have been Imeiated American forces continue to close m on the remaining enemy fiom thnorth, south, and east, and the noithem column has made contact with an enemy force in the Magma River area east of the Delmonte aerodrome, Ll._ 3i'd Division, moving up Horn the south has captured an aeiodiome north of Maramag. The 24th Division repulsed a counter-attack and nas continued, the assault on the enemy defences between the Nalomo and Dav ao “The 43rd Division m Luzon nas seized positions on the Angat River, overlooking the Ipo ciam. while otnei units are advancing north of xiifanta. Light naval units, supporting tms coastal advance, destroyed several small enemy craft and bombaiaed shore installations. ‘•Our forces on Tarakan Island have successfully attacked an enemy position overlooking the road east ortho Paomesian oilfields. . . “The Australian 6tn Division m Wewak (New Guinea) has cleared the northern portion of Sauri village and made scattered patrol contacts with light naval units bombarding in supP °“6ur heavy bombers attacked Formosa. Air patrols left the Byoritsu alcohol plant burning and wrecked four coastal vessels. Other aircraft attacked Indo-China and the Netherlands East Indies.” “Seven thousand Japanese dead have been counted in the narrow, rug°ed Balete Pass, which was cleared by the Americans on Sunday after a week’s bitter fighting,” says the correspondent of the Associated Press in Manila. “The toll is expected to reach 20 000 by the addition of the dead sealed in a cave network interlacing the walls of the pass. Balete Pass is; the only road entrance to northern Luzon’s fertile Cagayan Valley, where General Yarnashita’s main force is concentrated.”

BRITISH AERIAL ATTACKS

(Special P.A. Correspondent Pacific Fleet). ~AT SEA, May 15.

The British Pacific Fleet to-day maintained its pressure against the Japanese air reinforcement route to Okinawa from Formosa, carrier aircraft dropping another large tonnage of bombs on airfields on Niysko and Ishigaki Islands. Some of the airfields had been repaired, but have again been made unserviceable by our Avengers. A new aeroplane dispersal area was detected and bombed. A large dump of petrol drums burned fiercely after direct hits.

AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE

CANBERRA, May 16

The Commander-in-Chief of the British Pacific Fleet (Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser) has been given an assurance that the Australian Government will do its best to solve industrial troubles on the waterfront. This assurance was given by the ActingPrime Minister (Mr. Chifley) and senior Ministers who discussed with Admiral Fraser the question of servicing the fleet. _ Last week Admiral Fraser appealed for a settlement of the Sydney dock disputes, tie said he had the responsibility of sending his ships back into operational areas without adequate servicing.

Mr. Chifley told Press interviewers that the industrial aspect was only one of several subjects discussed with Admiral Fraser. After the talks the Minister of Air (Mr. Drakeford) said a limited number of R.A.A.F. pilots would be made available for the British Fleet Air Army. He also announced that plans had been discussed for the provision of additional aerodromes in Australia for the Fleet Air Arm.

JAP. SHIPPING LOSSES

RUGBY, May 16

Japanese shipping losses due to United States submarine action since Pearl Harbour total 1128 sunk, 37 probably sunk and 119 damaged, says the United States Navy Depart-

merit. The vessels sunk include four aircraft carriers, 17 cruisers and 54 destroyers, while two aircraft-car-riers, two cruisers and five destroyers were probably sunk, and two aircraft-carriers,jsix cruisers and six destroyers were'damaged. Altogether 131 warships of all types were sunk, 11 probably sunk and 16 damaged. The number of Japanese non-com-batant ships sunk is 997, including 110 tankers, 165 transports and 682 cargo and supply ships.

JAPANESE TROUBLES

NEW YORK, May 16.

The Japanese Cabinet unanimously voted to abrogate all Axis treaties, including the anti-Communist pacts, because of the unconditional surrender of Italy and Germany, reports Tokio radio. This action was taken after Tokio stressed that Germany not only sought peace with Britain and America, with whom Japan was still fighting, but also proposed to continue war against Russia, with whom Japan was not at war.

The president of the Japanese new “Sure Victory” Party, General Jirro Minami, said that the war was turning unfavourably for Japan, because the war effort could not even be considered fair. He warned that if the people neglected their duty, the war would yield a terrible result. It had now reached a crucial, fateful and decisive point. The Munitions Minister, Toyoda, urged an immediate boost in' aircraft production, and the decentralisation of large factories. The United Press says: A recent broadcast disclosed shortages of materials and fuel oils, which seriously impaired Japanese attempts to maintain air strength.

JAPANESE ARMY

WASHINGTON, May 15

Rear-Admiral Dewitt Ramsey, Chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, said seventy per cent, of Japan’s army, numbering from five to eight million men, is concentrated in Manchuria and the Japanese home islands. , ... Instancing Allied supply difficulties he said that seventy tankers were needed to supply the Philippines with one tanker load of gasoline daily. Fifty of the tankers were at sea between the west coast of the Philippines, and ten each were at. loading and unloading depots.