U.S. warships and planes blast Jap bases on Fourth
USPACFLT HQ, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (AP) –
Guns of U.S. warships and rockets of carrier planes shattered Japanese bases on the Fourth of July 700 miles south of Tokyo.
Saipan, on the invasion route to Japan, is seven-eighths in the hands of still advancing U.S. Marines and soldiers.
Noemfoor, on the invasion route to the Philippines, is falling in a lightning operation to infantrymen, reinforced by paratroopers.
The latest task force thrust toward Nippon, aimed at the Volcano (Kazan) and Bonin Islands, resulting in the sinking or beaching of three Jap destroyers, the sinking of two other ships and the destruction in sky battles of 64-80 planes at a cost of nine U.S. carrier aircraft.
These fast-breaking developments along a Western Pacific war front of more than 2,000 miles – from the Bonins to Dutch New Guinea’s Geelvink Bay – were reported in a series of communiqués last night and today.
Reports Guam attack
Tokyo radio added to the flaming action the unconfirmed report that carrier-based U.S. planes raided Guam, south of Saipan, Monday.
The enemy air base of Rota, between Guam and Saipan, was shelled by warships and bombed by carrier planes Sunday.
The Volcano-Bonin attack was a two-day operation which raised to 36 the number of Nipponese ships sunk and to 826 the total of enemy planes destroyed since the Western Pacific offensive opened June 10. U.S. losses for the same period were listed as 160 planes – and four warships damaged, but none sunk.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said the Fourth of July attack also left an enemy destroyer dead in the water and burning, damaged several small cargo ships and set fire to harbor installations and warehouses.
Carrier planes opened the operation the day before, blasting Iwo Jima in the Volcano group, shooting down 39 interceptors for certain, probably bagging 16 more and destroying or damaging 24 on the ground. Three raiders were lost.
Second day’s blow
On the second day, cruisers and destroyers moved in to shell Iwo Jima while rocket-firing planes attacked both it and Hahajima in the Bonins. In that attack, 25 enemy planes were downed and six raiders were lost.
On Saipan, invaded June 14, Marine heroes of Tarawa and the Marshalls and infantry veterans of Central Pacific invasions left the worst terrain behind them as they squeezed the Japanese into the northeast corner. More than 7,000 of the enemy have been slain.
In the Southwest Pacific, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s 6th Army troops which quickly won an airfield on Noemfoor opened a powerhouse push Monday toward a second drome, backed by reinforcements parachuted to the beachhead.