DARING AIR BLOWS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21604, 5 January 1945, Page 3

DARING AIR BLOWS

FORMOSA & OKINAWA MAJOR ISLAND AIR BASES AMERICANS 7 " ATTACKS (10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan x 4. The American raids against Formosa and Okinawa Jima were supremely daring operations because the geographical position of the widely separated targets necessitated the launching of planes near the south-eastern boundary of the China Sea, which is strongly guarded by the Ryukyu Islands, says the New' York Times’ correspondent at Pearl Harbour. Formosa, with 25 airfields, including eight of major size, has oeen the enemy’s strongest outlying Pacific air base for many years, ana Japan's most potent back-stop to the Philippines. Okinawa Jima is the strongest base between Formosa and the homeland and has at least three operational airfields, several seaplane naroours, and numerous sheltered anchorages. fine Tokio radio broaacast a Japanese communique reporting that approximately 500 enemy aircraft, viiicny carrier-borne, irom 7.40 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. On Wednesday raided -• ormusa with their mam strength. The remainder attackea tne OKinawa sector. The Tokio raaio claimed that the damage was sugnf. seventeen iaiders were shot down and eight damaged. me xoicio radio quoted a Formosa Army communique saying that 400 enemy pianes, mostly carrier-borne, attached Formosa and Okinawa toaay. Three were shot down and two damaged.