SMASHING TOLL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21777, 28 July 1945, Page 6

SMASHING TOLL

SHIPS AND PLANES ALLIED AIR ATTACKS JAPANESE MAINLAND WASHINGTON, July 20. Further information concerning the attacks by British and American carrier aircraft on shipping', airfields and installations in the Inland Sea area on Tuesday show that the following destruction and damage was inflicted by United States carrier aircraft, says Admiral Nimitz's communique, the tabulation including damage previously reported for strikes that day:— Aircraft.—Eighteen shot down, 21 destroyed, and 53 damaged on the ground. Combatant Shipping.—Heavily damaged: The converted battleship Hyuga, the heavy cruiser Tone, a Kuma class light cruiser, the carrier Amagi. and a destroyer. Moderately damaged: The converted battleship Ise. a heavy carrier, the cruiser Aoba, the light cruiser Oyodo, the carrier Ivatsuragi, and a gunboat. Slightly damaged: The battleship Haruna. an old heavy cruiser, the carrier Aso, the light carrier lloso. the escort carrier Kaiyo, two destroyers, and one midget submarine. Merchant Shipping. Sunk: A medium cargo ship, a medium oiler, three small cargo ships, a tug, and five luggers. Damaged: Three medium cargo ships, seven small cargo ships, and many luggers. Ground Installations. —Destroyed: Nine locomotives, a small factory near Hamamatsu, two radio stations near Hamamatsu. Damaged: Five locomotives, three warehouses, power plant, round-house, oil farm, hangars, storage buildings and factories. . British Planes’ Toll British carrier airmen inflicted the following destruction and damage yesterday, including that previously reported: Aircraft. —Twenty-one destroyed, 57 damaged on the ground. Shipping.—Sunk: A medium cargo ship, four small cargo ships, and five junks. Probably sunk: A Kobe class escort aircraft-carrier, a small freighter, and a junk. Damaged: An old destroyer, a train ferry, a large cargo ship, three medium cargo ships, four small cargo ships, 16 junks, 11 barges, a speed-boat, two ships under construction.

Ground Installations. Damaged: Hangars, buildings, airfield installations, radio and radar stations, and an aircraft factory. Eight British planes were lost. All the British targets were east of the Shikoku-Okayama-Dukuyama area. Adverse weather conditions hampered the Third Fleet air operations on Wednesday. The preliminary reports show that one enemy aircraft was shot down, 18 destroyed, and 20 damaged on the ground. Several small vessels were strafed during the early strikes.