SAIPAN INVASION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25566, 20 June 1944, Page 5

SAIPAN INVASION

AMPHIBIOUS COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSED BY LANDING CRAFT _ WASHINGTON, June 18. The Japanese launched an amphibious cqunter-attack against our forces on Saipan early on Saturday morning, says a Pacific Fleet communique. A group of troop-carrying barges attempted a landing south of Garapan, but were repulsed by our armed landing craft. Thirteen enemy barges were sunk. Alternately smashing down Japanese counter-attacks and attacking across the shell-torn cane-fields of Southern Saipan Island, American assault troops have advanced halfway across Japan’s most heavily fortified Marianas Island, says the Associated Press correspondent at Pacific Fleet headquarters. Twenty-five Japanese tanks were wiped out, and heavy casualties inflicted when the enemy determinedly counter-attacked before dawn on Friday. After sunrise marines and infantry renewed the advance, and captured Hinashishu village, and drove to the edge of Aslito aerodrome, two miles from the original beachhead. By nightfall the advance averaged 1500-yards along the five miles and a-half of American front.

An aged American destroyer stole the spotlight from the battleships by sinking unaided five enemy coastal freighters. Since the beginning of the Saipan operations, 21 Japanese ships have been sunk. The Japanese ’Saipan garrison is estimated at 30,000.

A Domei News Agency broadcast stated that about 100 American careerbased planes on Friday carried 'out another attack, against Iwo Jima Island, in the Kazan Group, below the Bonins.