RYUKYU CAMPAIGN

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1945, Page 5

RYUKYU CAMPAIGN

93 JAP. PLANES DOWNEND U.S. Warships Damaged AMERICAN GaHToN OKINAWA. (R.a C 7.30.) WASHINGTON, 'May 12. On Thursday, and des troyers, covered, by aircraft, bo bardedl shore installations on the Minimi and Daite Islands eastwards of the Ryukyu Islands stated Admaal Nimitz’s fatest communique. On tne following day, air groups and ships guns destroyed seventy-twm enemy aircraft over the Ryukyu IJands, m eluding forty ’planes ovei Okinawa Carrier ’planes attacked an fields and shipping in the Amami Group on Fnday, destroying four planes on _ the ground, and damaging installations and a number of luggers. “One of our major fleet units suffered damage during an enemy air attack on the same day. “Ninety-three enemy ’planes were destroyed over our forces around Okinawa on Friday, including nineteen shot down by one of our destroyers. » “Several of our surface ships were damaged during these air attacks. “Our 10th. Army continued general attacks on Saturday, being supported by heavy gunfire from- ships and by sustained aerial bombing. Appreciable gains were made on each flank. Elements of the Sixth Marine Division entered the suburbs of Naha. Progress in the centre of the line against positions in hilly country was slow. The Seventy-seventh and Ninety-sixth Divisions captured important enemy strongpoints, and made local advances against stiff resistance. “Tori Island, 55 miles west of Okinawa, was occupied on Saturday by 10th. Army troops, without opposition. £ “South of Korea, search ’planes, on Friday, sank a coastal ship, and set on fire three coastal cargo ships. Other aircraft damaged shipping off the Kurile Islands, and attacked targets at Paramushiro on Truk, and in the Marcus, Palau, Yap and Wake Islands.” (Rec. 7.10). NEW YORK, Mav 12 A correspondent of the United Press at Guam Island states: The bloodiest fighting since Iwo Jirna surged across fiammg ridges in Southern Okinawa on Friday, when ninety thousand United States and Japanese troops battled for the vital port and land capital city, Nahe. The progress was agonizingly slow. The Americans had ito scorch enemy forces from each strong redoubt, and to grope through a fog of their own protective smoke screens. Our flame-throwing tanks set hills on fire like burning haystacks.

JAPANESE PORTS BLOCKADED (Received 12.20 p.m. May 14) . WASHINGTON, May 12 According to the Guam correspondent of the “New York Tinies” every major port on the Japanese home islands, including Tokio, and Nagoya, has been blockaded by mines laid by the Twenty-first Bomber Command Superfortresses. These planes have so. far been engaged in nineteen mine-laying operations during the last six weeks, mostly in Japan’s home waters constituting the largest operation of its kind in aerial history. The chief targets -were the Inland Sea and approaches, particularly the confined waters of the Shimonseki Straits. A similar operation was carried out against Singapore entrance and adjacent waters. It was pointed out that as the Japanese attempt a dispersal of ' industries to escape bombing, sea transportation requirements necessarily increase because railways and motor facilities are already overstrained. Mines are exploded when a vessel approaches within a certain distance. This heavy mining further confines remnants of the Japanese Navy to ports along the western coast of Honshu and islands further north. WILL U-BOATS GO TO JAPAN? (Rec. 12.20). WASHINGTON, May 12. The Navy is guarding against the possibility that some German longrange submarines may attempt to reach J’apan. A naval spokesman said the terms of the surrender require submarines to surface and fly a black flag. Any submarine submerged will be attacked immediately. No submarines have yet arrived at United States ports, but a number have surrendered in the west Atlantic, and on e is likely to arrive soon. The Germans are estimated to have from 200 to 300 submarines. It is thought possible that some have not heard the surrender order. Naval escorts in- the Atlantic will probably: be continued until all submarines ar e accounted for, but even with“the full co-opera-tion of the German Admiralty it might be months before any unreported submarine could be counted definitely lost. A message from Halifax says: The first German submarine to surrender in Canadian waters is being escorted to Shelbourne by Canadian warships. JAPAN WILL FIGHT ON BY HERSELF. (Rec. 12.20). NEW YORK, May 12. The Tokio radio acknowledged that the cessation of hostilities in Europe would the future tremendously difficult. It declared that the Japanese Government had clarified its determination to prosecute the war by herself. The broadcast asserted that there is great significance in the fact that Japan is still on friendly terms with Russia and reaffirmed the intention of remaining neutral. Enemy nations are construing our action as consttiuting a bid for peace, but this is an entirely mistaken idea. Japan will fight to the end against Britain and America, and at the same time maintain friendly relations with Russia. NO FRENCH TROOPS FOR FAR EAST ? (Rec. 6.30.) LONDON, May 12. The Paris correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain General Staff, disclosed that repeated requests by the French Government says: Admiral Bar jot, of the French to send troops to the Far East for immediate combat duty h,ad been vetoed by Allied Chiefs of Staff. France advised President Truman several days ago said that she had two divisions ready to go to the Pacific immediately, but they had not yet received a reply. The Government last. November requested permission to send a battalion of fullyequipped commandos to the Pacific. The request was refused after three months and again refused last March, when fighting flared up in IndoChina between the Japanese and the French. Admiral Darjot said that 30,000 French regulars of a regiment of the Foreign Legion is still holding out in the mountains of IndoChina, pinning down three divisions of Japanese. “The difficulty apparently is that Indo-China lies on the theoretical border between Lord Mountbatten’s and General Wedemeyer’s Commands,” he said. “We were first referred, to S.H.A.E.F., then to the South-east Asia Command, to General Wedemeyer, to London, to Washington and then to all points again.” CANADA’S CONTRIBUTION. (Rec. 12.40.) OTTAWA, May 12. , The Defence Minister, General

McNaughton, who is a Liberal candidate in the Federal election, in a speech, said that demobilisation points will be allotted Canadian servicemen for dependents, length ot service, actual service in battle areas, and wounds. “Canada does not intend to send huge numbers ot nien to the Pacific, but will assist to smash the Japanese forever with a minimum of men and a maximum oi machines and explosives,” he said. “Our share will be just and fair, repaving efforts by Britain, 'America, •rister Dominions and Holland.