Japan’s Coast Again Bombarded

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 5

Japan’s Coast Again Bombarded

Vital Industrial Targets Pounded British Ships Take Part By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Received 7.30 p.m.) GUAM, July 17. THE United States Third Fleet late this evening bombarded the Japanese mainland for the third time in four days. An announcement by Admiral Nimitz reported that some of the most powerful battleships of the Third Fleet, including the 45,000 ton battleship U.S.S. lowa, with cruisers and destroyers, heavily bombarded industrial concentrations in the vicinity of Hitachi on the east coast of Honshu, 80 miles north-east of Tokio. The action is still continuing. The correspondent of the American Press says that Hitachi has many vital targets, including concentrated copper mines, smelter, refinery and engineering works, an aircraft engine factory, a precision instrument plant and also vulnerable transportation facilities. The bombardment force of the fleet, as in earlier shellings, acted in complete disdain of the enemy navy and air force, casting radio silence aside within the shadows of Japan’s coastline and permitting a broadcast describing the attack, which is unprecedented in naval history. An N.B.C. correspondent, in a broadcast from a battleship, said: “The Third Fleet was pouring in shells at the rate of 50,0001 b a minute. If the tires on the shore are any indication, the fleet is doing the job well. So far, the enemy has made no retaliatory gesture.” A broadcast by another correspondent said that the fleet was bombarding the coastline from less than 10 miles offshore. The industrial region is a flaming ruin. Admiral Nimitz announced that H.M.S. King George V and lesser British units joined the American battleships bombarding coastal installations in the Hitachi area on Honshu Island to-night.

The attacks launched by the British and American carrier aircraft at dawn to-day were continued all day against installations in the Tokio area. In the late afternoon powerful surface units of the combined forces under cover of strong flights of aircraft moved towards the coastline of Honshu at Hitachi, where to-night they conducted a heavy bombardment of coastal installations. Tire attack was made under low. overcast clouds, which prevented observations. Privateers sank six and damaged 24 craft of various sizes in widespread operations and also attacked a lighthouse and shipping installations. The Guam correspondent of the Associated Press says that the great battle line stood off the coast in the rainy, misty night, steadily hurling 27001 b 16in shells into Hitachi's highly concentrated aircraft, electrical and Diesel engine plants and copper smelters. Correspondents reported that the ships closed within six miles of the shore. The attack opened at midnight and lasted two hours. The Japanese

offered no opposition. They are apparently hoarding their aircraft for the invasion they know cannot be far off. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers started running toward Hitachi late yesterday, after the Tokio area had been swept for eight hours by 1500 British and American fighters. The attack was announced by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz but details came from a correspondent on board the British battleship King George V. The bombardment was one of the biggest of the war. In less than an hour 1500 tons of shells were hurled at industrial targets along the coast 60 miles north of Tokio. Time after time the warships swept toward the ' coast at high, speed, then turned in 1 line ahead to bring their guns to bear I on war production factories. The bomI bardment followed a big air strike ' during the day by 1500 American carrier planes. ; The British and American naval I forces met this morning at a secret rendezvous 500 miles from the coast of I Japan.