FOR FOURTH TIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25735, 5 January 1945, Page 3

FOR FOURTH TIME

SUPER-FORTRESSES BOMB NAGOYA

BASES IN GUAM USED e (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 3. A Twentieth Air Force communique says: “ Super-Fortresses attacked industrial Nagoya to-day, and accomplished daylight visual bombing. Large fires were observed in the target area. Preliminary reports of the crews revealed good results in this fourth mission to Nagoya. Moderate fighter opposition was encountered, and flak was meagre and inaccurate. One Super-Fortress was lost. We destroyed one enemy plane, probably destroyed nine, and damaged a number of others.” A War Department communique announced that the Super-Fortresses were based on Saipan and Guam. Brigadier-general Hansell, commander of Twenty-first Bomber Command, has moved his headquarters to Guam from Saipan. To-day’s attack against Japan was the first to be directed from Guam.

The Associated Press correspondent at Guam says that the Super-Fortresses’ offensive entered a new phase to-day. when a sizeable force left Guam and rained bombs on Nagoya. The planes took off in fine weather and carried a bombload equalling the largest yet sent against Tokio. Other formations dropped a heavy load of incendiaries on Osaka, Japan's commercial capital. It is expected that there will be Super-Fortress bases on dll three islands—Guam, Saipan, and Tinan. General Hansell's control building on

Guam is designed to enable him to maintain the closest communication with each Super-Fortress unit on other islands, and with Washington. According to Tokio radio, Lieuten-ant-commander Arimichi Yamagata, the Imperial Palace adviser, and former Minister of War, said the violent enemy counter-attacks were only possible because Japan’s war materials were short. He added that any feeling of optimism was certainly unwarranted in the face of the SuperFortress raids, which were blasting important war industries.