ATTACKS ON HONSHU REPEATED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23258, 20 July 1945, Page 5

ATTACKS ON HONSHU REPEATED

Sea And Air Assaults Remnants of Enemy Fleet Bombed By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Received 7.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 18. 17OR the fifth time in eight days, according to the * Japanese radio, many hundreds of Allied carrier-based aircraft to-day kept up the attacks on the Tokio area and southern coast of Honshu. A Tokio report put the strength of the forces engaged at between 500 and 1500 and says that the attacks went on for three hours. More than 150 Allied bombers attacked the big naval base of Yokosuka, 35 miles south of Tokio. The Tokio radio broadcast an Imperial communique which announced that about 16 warships bombarded the east coast of Honshu . . om 11.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. to-day. The Tokio radio in another announcement said that with the improvement in the weather 500 carrier planes repeatedly attacked Tokio airfields and military establishments at noon to-day. The attacks were still progressing at 3 p.m. General MacArthur has announced that airmen from the European theatre are now operating against the Japanese. They made their first operations against Kyushu from bases in Okinawa on Monday, flying heavy bombers. The British and American air and surface attacks against military targets and shipping- in and around Honshu, which began yesterday, were continued to-day-under adverse weather conditions, reports Admiral Nimitz in a communique. Poor visibility limited the operations of carrier aircraft on both days and prevented reconnaissance planes from obtaining complete information of the results. American carrier aircraft yesterday concentrated their main effort against installations in the Tokio area, while British forces struck at targets to the north.

American aircraft burned four seaplanes on the water, damaged five and sank three small craft, damaged 10 others and destroyed two hangars, two locomotives, an oil dump and dock and damaged factory buildings, radio stations, lighthouses, warehouses, a train, three locomotives and a hangar. British aircraft destroyed 13 planes on the ground at Nugata, Matsushima, Masuda and a hangar, destroyed three locomotives and damaged a railway station, barracks and hangars. To-day American aircraft launched a heavy attack under extremely difficult weather conditions against combatant shipping off Yoksuka through accurate intense flak. No reports of damage are yet available. About 11 o’clock to-night light United States forces under the command of Rear-Admiral Carl Holden, moved mt the waters off Cape Nojima south of Tokio and bombarded coastal installations. The action continued until th 6 early morning. A large explosion was seen, but complete reports are not yet available. The ships bombarding the coastline included the cruisers Topeka, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Dayton, and the destroyers Ault and John Week. Marine aircraft struck at Tokunioki and Noyerabu Islands in the Anamis and also at the Paia us and Yap. Army Mitchells struck at installations and damaged two small cargo ships at Paramushiro in the Kuriles. Extending the British and American attacks in the Tokio area into the second day, American carrier planes struck Japanese combatant ships at the Great Yokosuka naval yard in Tokio Bay. This indicated that Admiral W. F. Halsey’s forces have discovered the hiding place of the major portion of the remnants of the enemy navy, which is des- | perately hiding under camouflage 1 since the defeat in the Philippines ' last October. Yokosuka is probably ' the most obvious place for the ships j to hide, since it was the last place j the enemy expected the Americans to seek them. The correspondent of the '‘New York ! Tunes" says: "Our fleet has Ik*cii I prowling the seas off Japan more chan ' nine days without retaliation from the enemy. * Four times it steame 1 boldly ! close enough to the shore for targets i to be shelled accurately. The ! Japanese leaders’ answer was to advise the people to crawl mto covered shelt- I ers. They gave a warning that horizontal dugouts facing the sea were , dangerous and the best protection was 1 afforded by the octopus type used in bombing raids. "This series of attacks has unquestionable caused great damage to vital Japanese military and industrial installations and is undoubted y causing the Government a loss of considerable face with • he people, but the my is either saving planes to repel the invasion he thinks may nut be far off or he may be so short of petrol that he cannot put a large force in the air. Whatever the reason we have demonstrated our complete mastery of sea and air over Japan." Japanese Reaction The Tokio radio says that the B ish and American attacks on t lie Tokio area were a trick to revive the lagging American war effort. "It, is insane io think one can effect a complete air and sea blockade and destroy our resources by means of a sporadic raid and bombardment. What the nemy is getting from the present efforts is so

trifling that they could easily have left it all to Super-Fortresses. It is impossible appreciably to damage Japanese airfields, because all are equipped with certain effective facilities to avert, air raid damage. “Japan has put up no aerial opposition because, following a wait and see policy, we found the attack not worth meeting. What the enemy war leaders should realise is that they are in a war rind not in a game of chess and that their miscalculations and oversights will end not in the loss of men made of ivory and wood, but in the deaths of men of flesh and blood. They should know tha t. Japan is fully determined to fight on until she wins the war,” the radio concluded. Contemptuous Of Enemy Plainly contemptuous of the enemy. Admiral W. F. Halsey (Commander of I the U.S. Third Fleet) permitted radio broadcasts from the battleship lowa during the bombardment of Japan says the correspondent of the “New York Times” on Guam. It was another challenge to the Japanese war lords to send their air force and navy out to fight, but they did not do it. Instead, the Japanese declared in a radio broadcast that civilians in the bombardment areas must scurry to the hills. There was no suggestion that the enemy possessed the strength to prevent the frequent repetition of the combined air and surface attacks. The towns of Sukagawa and Takahagi. adjoining Hitachi, were included in the target area. The successful ' bombardments of Japan have resound- ' fngly demonstrated the vulnerability ot the enemy’s coastline. The bombardments of steel plants I at T'amaishi and Muroran are believcd to constitute the first large-scale | use .of naval gunfire in this war to 1 reduce enemy industries. The bombardI ments did not come as a matter of course. On the contrary, there was consideri abb debate whether to risk expensive battleships against possible air.' torl pedo-boat, and shore battery attacks. The Japanese are slow to react, but; wl.en they do reaction is violent. So i far. in the current operations, they are Irririf; low. probnblv to conserve their ij-i ni' b "I'-iins* :i possible invasion. ■ The strategic bombardments cf the 1 mainland of Japan should spur Tokio's | invasion jitters and thev mar have an ■ additional effect in forcing the enemy to show his hand. British < omrnandcr I The man who Fii the air defence oi I Ma.i i at tiie height of file sei Air I Mai; hill Sir Hut'll Lloyd, is now coin- I I mender ol the British Air Fcrce in , the OioOe. ,a-', II Guam me.'s.age I Sir I'-ii'h ii::* been to Guam for i fall , with hii'h American officers on I the effort, the'R AF. will play i.i the bombing ol Japan He told correipondents that Lancaster heavy bombers and later on Liinculhs will be .ent to tin- I’eili l '