MORE SHARP BLOWS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 August 1945, Page 5

MORE SHARP BLOWS

BOMBING OF JAPAN NO OPPOSmWENCOUNTERED key factories destroyed New York. August 7. Despite boisterous weather, which kept the rest of General Kenney’s Okinawa-based planes grounded, two squadrons of Mitchells dared the elements and struck a sharp blow at Takanabe, an important producer of alcohol and motor fuel. Employing tactics learned in battles against the weather fronts in New Guinea and the Philippines, the Mitchells skimmed over huge breaking waves in the tail of one of the typhoons which harry the Japanese coast and made a shambles of key factories, blew up warehouses and put railway yards at least temporarily out of commission without opposition either from fighters or anti-aircraft guns. The pilots started six or eight large fires.

General Spaatz’s communique says: “Mustangs totalling 98, from Iwo Jima, strafed and rocketed airfields and targets of opportunity in the Tokio area shortly after noon yesterday. Returning pilots reported that they had destroyed two enemy aircraft and six locomotives, set fire to two oil tanks and damaged one aircraft and several factory buildings, four locomotives, rail stations and carriages. A single interceptor fled. Flak was meagre to intense. Two of our planes were damaged. “The first photographs available of the results of the Super-Fortress strike on Thursday show that the industrial area of Toyama was destroyed.” Tokio radio says about 130 SuperFortresses last night dropped incendiaries osuth of Gumma prefecture, 75 miles north-west of Tokio, and caused some damage to Maebashi City. The raiders were over the target two hours. “Liberators to-day sank a small cai go-ship, shot down two and damaged six of eight attacking planes off Honshu,” says Admiral Nimitz’s communique. “Search planes in Haichow Bay, China, sank a 2000-ton freighter and a small cargo ship and damaged a patrol craft and several small ships. Privateers yesterday bombed Torishima Island and set on fire 10 landing-craft. Marine planes sank a small cargo ship.”

“MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS” According to the Domei News Agency women and children comprised 80 per cent, ol the victims of Supei-Fortress raids on secondary cities. The raids aimed at the massacre of as many innocent civilians as possible. The Associated Press of America says the agency did not mention the warning leaflets. FOUR CITIES HIT NEARLY 4000 TONS OF BOMBS N «w York. Aug. 6. More than 580 Marianas-based Super-Fortresses last night attacked Nishinomiya-Mikage, Imbari, Saga, and Masbashi cities with 3850 tons ot incendiaries and explosives. The cities are among those warned. SuperFortresses also attacked Truk. NAVAL SHIPS IN RYUKYUS NIMITZ RETAINS CONTROL The Associated Press of America correspondent says a spokesman for Admiral Nimitz said the Navy retains the control of all naval vessels in the Ryukyus, including Okinawa, but some marine air groups assigned for the defence of Okinawa are under General MacArthur’s command. “HEIGHT OFIMPERTINENCE” ALLIED ULTIMATUM TO JAPAN . New York, Aug! 6. Tokio radio reports that Admiral Nomura, formerly Ambassador to Washington, characterised the Allied ultimatum to Japan as the height of impertinence. He said the American Navy had long and ambitiously dreamed of East Asia hegemony. Although nonplussed by their own irreplaceable and bloody losses on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the Americans nevertheless persisted in underestimating Japanese strength and refused to withdraw. CITY OF KWEILIN SACKED JAPANESE ACTION BEFORE FLIGHT Chungking, August 6. The Office of War Information correspondent reported that the Japan- ; ese sacked the once beautiful city of Kweilin with fury reminiscent of Lidice. Japanese squads and paid traitors systematically burned the entire city before fldeing on 27th July. DEATH OF ADMIRAL ITO New York, August 6. Tokio radio announced the death of Aomiral Seiichi Ito while leading a surface special attack corps on Okinawa in April.