RAID BY SUPER FORTRESSES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 16 April 1945, Page 5

RAID BY SUPER FORTRESSES

THOUSANDS OF INCENDIARIES EXPLOSIONS HEARD 100 MILES AWAY New York, April 14. A record number of Super-Fort-resses to-day dropped thousands of incendiaries on a densely populated five-mile square in the Tokio area containing the Itabashi arsenal also chemical and explosive plants and countless fragile wooden homes of munitions pieceworkers, says the Associated Press of America Guam correspondent. Returning crews said explosions were beard over 100 miles away and some Super-Fort-resses bounced a mile high. Jetpropelled planes made ineffectual interception. Tokio radio said the Imperial Omiya palace was set on fire temporarily and the Grand Meiji Shrine was burned to ashes. Most of the fires in the city were under control within seven hours. Forty-one Super-Fortresses were shot down. (Omiya Palace is the residence of the Dowager Empress and Mieji Shrine holds '.he ashes of thousands of Japan’s war dead). Tokio radio says the Japanese people are indignant over the enemy defilement of the Imperial Palace and imperial shrnes through bombings. No damage was incurred, however, by the three sanctuaries within the Imperial Palace. Admiral Suzuki, the Prime Minister, apologised to the Emperor on behalf of the Japanese people for the American bombings. Their Majesties were not harmed by the Palace fires. The broadcast added that the enemy carried out such an atrocious action in an attempt to conceal disappointment over President Roosevelt’s death. TOKIO AND KAWASAKI BOMBED Washington, April 15. The 20th Air Force announced that a very large force of Mariana-based Super-Fortresses dropped incendiary bombs on the important industrial centres of Tokio and Kawasaki on 16th April (Japanese time).