JAPANESE HINT OF MACARTHUR’S PLANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 201, 23 August 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE HINT OF MACARTHUR’S PLANS

NEW BLOWS EXPECTED HALMAHERA BOMBED AGAIN • Special Australian Correinon lent—N.Z.P.A.' R< S d - p.m. Sydney, Aug 22 Early new blows by General Maearth -ru vere hlr| ted at by Tokio today - , i 1 . ,e reports declared that lively A "'Pdmr activity north of Australia probably foreshadowed big offensive operations in that area. This Tokio statement coincided with the announcement, from South-west Pacific Headquarters, of record raids on Japanese bases in the Moluccas between New Guinea and the Philipp pines. /The biggest bomb-load. 110 tons was dropped on installations at the enemy’s key stronghold of Halmahera. 250 miles from the new Allied base at Sansapor (Dutch New Guinea). Warehouses were left in smoking ruins.

Eight grounded aircraft were destroyed or seriously damaged when liberators attacked Namlea airfield, on Boeroe Island. Japanese shipping has been attacked over a wide area of the South-west Pacific, including Philippines waters. The vessels destroyed were three small freighters, four coastal vessels, and ten barges. In all these strikes, made on Saturday and Sunday, not a single airborne enemy plane was sighted. GUAM, SAIPAN AND TINIAN ISLANDS HUGE JAPANESE LOSSES Rood. 10 p.m. Washington, Aug. 22. A Pacific Fleet communique states that Japanese casualties on Guam were 14.067 killed. 100 taken prisoner; on Saipan. 25,144 killed; on Tinian, 5745 killed. Ventura bombers bombed and strafed. Paramushiru Island on Saturday. TOKIO REPORTS RAID ON TRUK Recd. 11.40 p.m. Now York. Aug. 22. Tokio official radio announced 1 uil .30 four-engined aircraft attacked Truk yesterday morning. Six were shot down or damaged. Twenty p lanes ra i ded Yap in the after noon.