COMING IN BY AIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 August 1945, Page 5

COMING IN BY AIR

AMERICAN TROOPS FOR JAPAN BIG OPERATION GOING ON

(Rec. 1.15 p.m) London, This Day. Spearheads of the American airborne troops to occupy Tokio landed at Atsugi airfield, near Tokio. Soon afterwards the big transport planes touched down at short and regular intervals. s The transports are expected to go on landing at the rate of 300 a day for some days until this great airborne operation is complete. • General MacArthur, in his silver-coloured plane, "Bataan,' » believed to be among the first to touch down on Japanese soil.

Scenes Around Tokio Bay * New York, August 29. Admiral Halsey aboard the Missouri, on which the surrender will be signed, entered Tokio Bay this morning. Other American battleships, augmented by two British battleships, one carrier and several smaller units have already anchored there. The Associated Press of America says the Missouri radioed all ships that she required 1 2 hams, 1 2 quarts of olives and 1 Olbs of sugar confectionery for the surrender ceremonies. Apparently the peace terms will be served with hors d oeuvres. The Missouri was closely followed by the three destroyers Nicholas, Obannon and Taylor, all of which hold Presidential citations. Then came the battleships lowa and South Dakota, and the destroyers Buchanan, Andsdowne and Lardner. Next in the giant parade came the Duke of York escorted by the British destroyers Whelp and Wager. The American battleship Missouri, flying the flag of Admiral Halsey, the battleships Duke of lowa and South Dakota dropped anchor off Yokohama at 3 am. (8.5. T.) to-day, says Reuter’s correspondent. Marines and sailors will start to land at 2 a.m. (8.5. T.) to-morrow.

Admiral Nimitz, commander-in-chief, of the United States fleets in the Pacific, has arrived in Tokio Bay on board the battleship. South Dokata. General MacArthur has arrived by air on Okinawa on his way tt> Japan to receive the surrender. After attending the Japanese surrender in Tokio Bay General Wainwright will return to the Philippines to supervise the capitulation of Gen. Yamashita General Wainwright said he hoped General Homma, to whom he capitulated Corregidor, would be present in Tokio Bay. Lieut-General Percival has accepted General MacArthur’s invitation to witness the Japan surrender, said the Chungking correspondent of the Associated Press of America. Lieut-General Percival also plans to participate in the surrender of General Yamashita, to whom he surrendered Singapore. A correspondent on board H.M.S. Duke of York in Tokio Bay says the approaches to the bay are littered with sunken Japanese battleships and smaller warships. Another correspondent who cruised just off the naval base at Yokosuka saw buildings in the arsenal and a shipyard completely gutted by the bombing. Japanese representatives have been aboard the Missouri to hear details of the occupation and arrangements for the evacuation of prisoners. A correspondent on Okinawa says that American airmen who have returned from Japan say that the Atsugi airfield is long enough for Liberators to take off. and success is assured for the airborne landings tomorrow, when transports and bombers bringing 7500 occupation troops wiH land. ARMED WITH BASEBALL BATS Three thousand Japanese marines carrying baseball bats are guarding Atsugi airfield against possible attacks by Japanese hotheads. Off Yokohama Third Fleet crews can see a sign in Japanese painted on a factofy roof reading “Three Cheers for the United States Navy and Army.” Sailing towards Malaya and Sumatra, two task forces of the British East Indies Fleet made contact for the first time with the Japanese Naval Authorities. Their representatives boarded Admiral Walker’s flagship. Nelson, at Penng and Commodore, Poland’s flagship ondon at Sabang.

only in the last few days that they heard of the death of President Roosevelt and the result of the British elections. The Swiss representative at Tokio Bay informed Rear-Admiral Badger that 5000 Allied prisoners of war and internees in camps in Japan are ill. Three hospital ships moved to Sagami Bay south of Tokio Bay during the night to evacuate Allied war prisoners, estimated to total 36,000. FIRST RED CROSS SUPPLIES DROPPED Liberators flying from airfields in India, Burma and Ceylon at dawn dropped the first Red Cross supplies for Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees in the South-East Asia Command area.