JAP. NAVAL BASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1945, Page 5

JAP. NAVAL BASE

RECORD BOMBING ATTACK ARSENAL AND FLEET TARGETS INDUSTRIAL ALSO STRUCK

GUAM, July 24. Carrier-borne aircraft of the United States 3rd Fleet, estimated by correspondents to number 1000, to-day attacked the great naval base and dockyard of Kure, on Japan s Inland Sea. More than 600 Superfortresses from the Marianas, have also been over Japan, industrial areas in Osaka and Nagoya being the main objectives. The planes reached the taiget areas at noon and dropped about 4000 tons of bombs. . The latest communique from Admiral Nimitz’s headquarters says: “Carrier aircraft of the 3rd Fleet, in great strength, attacked military targets in the vicinity of Kure, southwestern Honshu, at dawn (Japanese time). The attacks are continuing., Kure, besides being one of Japans main shipbuilding centres, has a Government armour and armament factory, a large arsenal, and other works for providing for the needs of the navy. The city had a pre-war population of more than 231,000, and it has twice been attacked by Superiortresses. Dealing with other air operations, Admiral Nimitz’s communique says:— “Search aircraft destroyed a •small cargo ship and set on fire two small coastal cargo ships in the Tsushima Straits on Sunday. Our airciaft yesterday sank a small coastal cargo ship and left two others on fire oft the coast of Chekiang Province, China On Sunday. Thunderbolts of Strategic Air Force attacked airfields and installations on Truk Marine aircraft yesterday attacked , Yap, the Palaus, and the Marshalls. “More than 1000 lighters, divebombers, and torpedo-bombers from Admiral Halsey’s fleet struck at, Japan’s greatest naval base, Kure, says the “New York Times ’ correspondent on Guam. “Other military installations in the area were also attacked. It is presumed that the target was the bulk of the Japanese fleet’s remnants, probably including battleships and carriers. Flak was heavy. Admiral Nimitz’s announcement that destroyers are operating off Chekiang is the first indication that the United States Fleet is off the China coast. The correspondents also say that the Superfortresses which raided Osaka and Nagoya to-day flew without fighter escorts. The bombers split into several task forces to strike at two of Japan’s most highly industilalised areas during lunch-time.' General Arnold. Chief of the United States Army Air Forces, told correspondents in Manila, that the Allies would strike at'Japan with everything they had. They would use all they could lay their hands on to smash Japan. General Arnold said that the R.A.F. and the R.AAF. would play an important part in the air offensive against the Japanese home islands. , SIX WARSHIPS DAMAGED (Rec. 1.25 p.m.). GUAM. July 24. Admiral Nimitz announced that a 1000-plane raid on Kure damaged six warships, comprising two battleships, one carrier, and three ci niseis. (Rec. 1.30 p.nU w YORK Ju]y 24 Three hits were scored on Japanese warships with 10001 b bombs in the carrier plane attacks on Kure, reports the Associated Press correspondent with the 3rd Fleet. The attacks continued all day and finally goaded the Japanese into sending up .12 fighters. Airmen reported the flak was intense and the Japanese pilots were proficient and the planes good. Tokio radio reported that bombers and fighters from Iwo Jima and Okinawa hit Southern Honshu-

BRITISH PILOTS’ BUSY DAY ~~ RUGBY. July 24. British pilots from Admiral Halsey’s Anglo-American Fleet swarming off the decks to-day to pound the Japanese chief home airfields, flew so low they were able to distinguish grounded planes f 1 ’ 01 )} dummies which the Japanese parked as decoys, says a correspondent aboard a British battleship off southern Honshu. It was Britain’s biggest air day in the Pacific war. Pilots flew non-stop missions to targets less than a hundred miles away. So many planes were in the air during the day that the fleet had some false alarms, as unidentified aircraft came over but most of the day gunners were in “relaxed” state of readiness. The Fleet manoeuvred at will, unchallenged, within half-an-hour’s flying distance of the Japanese coast. It was expected the Japanese might be stung into action, but only reconnaissance planes showed themselves, and these were chased off or downed by fleet air patrols. Admiral Halsey took the opportunity of visiting Vice-Admiral Rawlings’ task force commander, ViceAdmiral Vian, flag officer commanding the aircraft carrier squadron. Nearly a thousand separate signals were handled to-day by this battleship’s communications system, indicating the nature of the colossal task of manoeuvring the Third Fleet on a fifty-mile battle line.

MACARTHUR’S LATEST REVIEW. (Rec. 1.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 24. More than 300 bombers and fighters attacked enemy shipping and harbour facilities and airfields in the Shanghai area, reports General MacArthur’s communique. They sank a destroyer, a freighter-transport, and a smaller freighter and probably destroyed a destroyer escort, two submarine chasers, a 10,000-ton transport, and six freighter-transports aggregating 27.000 tons. They wrecked numerous small craft and caused fires and explosions on the Kaingwan, Tachang and Tinghai airfields, where it is estimated 45 grounded planes were destroyed or seriously damaged. Search planes bombed Fusan aerodrome, Korea, a munitions dump at Amoy Aiver and a boat near Saigon. Patrol bombers macle a night attack on the Miho and Yonago airfields Southern Honshu, causing Large' fires and explosions- which lit the entire area. They also attacked air facilities and jnilitary installations in Tanega. Amami Island, north'of K IIA AF. heavy bombers and fighters struck enemy shipyards and air bases in Java and the Celebes, and with the 7th. Fleet light naval units harassed coastal areas, heavily damaging two schooners and sinking two ammunition laden barges off the Halmaheras. R.A.A.F. medium bombers supported surface craft shelling Djerief Island, in the Dampier Straits, and attacked enemy installations on the Maprik and Seoik River sector of New Guinea. R.N.Z.A.F. fighters hit targets of opportunity in the .Bismarcks and five personnel areas in Bougainville. „. . . , , Australian 7th Division troops advanced two miles along the highway north of Balikpanan. A navy patrol bomber destroyed a freighter ana a lugger off the west coast. Australian fighters damaged installations at Sandakan and supported ground forces in the Balikpapan area.

| JAPANESE PREPARATIONS I (Recd. 12 Noon) MANILA, July 24. I The Philippines are rapidly being converted into a mighty jumping-off place for the invasion of Japan, said Lieutenant-General Styer, in .an interview. Millions of tons of supplies | are pouring into Manila. The rear ’bases in Australia and New Guinea 'would be rolle’d up rapidly, the remaining troops and supplies moving 'to the Philippines. ; The Batavia radio announced that Japan was making hasty preparations at Singapore and the China Coast to | repel the invasion which is believed (not far off. Tokio radio reported that i speedy construction of defences , would prevent an easy landing, while ’Japanese troops on the China coast presented a flank danger to the enemy attempting to land on the Japanese homeland. j Tokio radio said that Japdn s totalitarian party would meet to-morrow •to hear a report by Doctor Shimomura ‘on the latest state of His Majiesty’s health.’ The Foreign Minister ‘Togo would give a detailed explanation of the international situation andi Captain Jurihara, vice-chief of the ■ Press section would discuss the actual ■war position. The radio added that ! vigorous exchange of opinion would ‘take place after which lhe president, General Minami, would lead the members shouting “banzai.” j JAP. LOSSES IN BURMA | “ESCAPE”CASUALTIES ( COLOMBO, July 24. I “More ihan 1300 Japanese have so far been kii'.cd and 80 prisoners taken in the ten'/ fighting which followed i attempts by large groups of the en- ■ emy to break out eastwards from the ' Pegu Yoma hills, in Burma,” says a 'South-east Asia Command communi,‘que. “Japanese attacks continue at many points along the'77 mile stretch of road between Toungoo and Nyaunglebin. In the Lower Sittang River sector Gurkha troops made a i successful attack east of the village of iLeeinzu, 26 miles north-east of PeIpu. An 80-foot schooner blew up [when attacked by a Sunderland flying boat off the east coast of the iKra Isthmus.” 2 ' T ■ One-fifth of the total Japanese ' force trying to break out of the Pegu iYoma foothills across the Alhed-held iroad between Nyaunglebin and TounIgoo towards the Sittang River and ‘Siam were killed in the first 06 hours I of the trapped Japanese 28th Army s i bolt for life. x » I “They number about 750 men, ’says a correspondent in Pegu. . Inis 'is not only the quickest and biggest single massacre of the Burma wai, , but also the least costly to the Allies. British, Gurkha, and other troops, operating with Scottish tanks and Indian armoured cars, had negligible casualties.” A British staff officer said: Veiy heavy enemy casualties are expected as conditions are ideal for shooting ‘up the rearguards. There are signs that the Japanese are becoming tired and -exhausted. The first escape wave, consisting of about 5000 men, was cut up and broken into straggling bits long before they reached the west ■ bank of the Sittang. The British and j Indian troops have had everything m I the right place—planes, guns, armi cured fighting vehicles, and infantry could not have been better placed it (they had known exactly where, and (when, the Japanese were coming. The I Japanese are prepared, and are exI pected, io have lost more than 40 per cent, of their strength in lhe escape attempt.” , , ~ n r-i Spitfires and Thunderbolts flew 71 sorties on Sunday apart from strikes by two Spitfire squadrons operating from the north. AERIAL~TARGETS RUGBY, July 24. In one month Spitfires, Mosquitos, and Thunderbolts defying the appalling weather over an area from Toungoo to Moulmein, flew more than two thousand sorties. SEAC gives their (main results as follow: Jungle huts (destroyed 298, damaged 287, river- ; craft destroyed 157, damaged 371, bridges destroyed nine, damaged five, lone ammunition dump destroyed and I two damaged. ‘ BRITISH FLEET I NEW YORK, July 23. -1 A tribute to the part being played I by the Royal Navy in the war against I Japan has been paid by the military I correspondent of the “New York 'lTimes” Hanson Baldwin. ’ I “The participation of the British ! I Fleet in the great naval attack on the Japanese homeland presents a psychological as well as a military blow I to the enemy,” he says. “The enemy s i own propaganda, which too many (people in this country used to repeat, ■ I that Britain never would help in the ’ I Pacific war, has now been emphatiI tally belied. Japan’s tactics of division I have obviously failed, and Japanese : ! civilians can see that the might of the I I world’s two biggest sea and air Powers is now arrayed against them. “It is known that the British Fleet in the Pacific includes five or six fleet carriers, the decks of which are made of rather thick armour, whereas the American carriers at present in, the Pacific have wooden flight decks. . Three British carriers have been hit . by suicide planes, which caused con- . siderable flight deck fires, but the ' i flames did not reach the hangar decks. ( The damage was considerably less [ than that suffered by some American ■ Essex class carriers. The British car- • friers are probably superior defensive- ■ Ily to the Essex class, but the latter ■ I are faster and stronger offensively.”

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, July 24. American troops guarding hundreds of members of the Japanese Diplomatic Staff, formerly stationed in Berlin, believed that as the result of talking to the Japanese, that Ambassador Oshima would urge the Japanese Government to comply immediately with the Allied demand lor unconditional surrender, if he couilct return to Japan. This was reported by the Associated Press correspondent in Salzburg, who adds: Oshima believes this, in the light of his own experiences, which has convinced him that surrender under any conditions would be preferable to a rate such as overtook Germany under his own eyes. It is unlikely that Ishima will be returned because the Japanese hold no American diplomatic representatives for whom he could be exchanged, though the State Department might attempt to exchange Oshima and staff for high-ranking American officers like Wainwright.