Jap fliers attack fleet at Okinawa
One U.S. ship sunk and others damaged
GUAM (UP) – The Japs threw two groups of planes against American shipping off Okinawa Friday night and sank one artillery vessel and damaged others, it was announced today.
U.S. Army forces on Okinawa continued to move slowly forward.
Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz gave few details of the new Jap airstrike against the American fleet forces standing off Okinawa. He did not identify the vessel sunk nor report the type of ships damaged.
25 planes shot down
U.S. planes covering the area shot down 25 of the attacking aircraft Friday night and in sweeps through the Ryukyus chain Saturday destroyed 32 others.
Adm. Nimitz announced that Jap small craft activity also increased Friday night around Okinawa and a number of small boats, presumably some torpedo boats, were destroyed by U.S. forces.
Three small cargo ships were damaged in the area around Kyushu Saturday when Navy patrol bombers again ranged over Southern Japan.
The offensive on Okinawa progressed slowly as infantrymen wiped out pillboxes, caves and strongpoints one by one. Heavy artillery was employed to break up enemy troop concentrations in the enemy’s rear areas. Marine and Navy planes supported the troops and naval gunfire bombarded the Jap defense line above Naha for tenth day.
Japs hint new invasion
The XXIV Army Corps was steadily pressing against the strong Jap fortifications as the Tokyo radio insisted that a large American naval task force was gathered off the island in preparation for new operations.
The 27th Infantry Division drove forward on the right flank of the southern Okinawa line to the vicinity of the Machinato airdrome, only two miles from Naha. The 27th Division bypassed the village of Nakama in this advance.
Local gains were made by the 96th Division in the center of the line overlooking the town of Shuri, and by the 7th Division on the left flank within sight of Yonabaru Airfield.
Heavy support
The Army’s drive was supported by thousands of rounds of shellfire from the battleships and cruisers and air attacks by Navy and Marine pilots.
Tokyo claimed, without confirmation from the American Command, that Jap suicide planes had sunk two U.S. cruisers, one of which was said to be the USS Savannah, and damaged another.
The Jap broadcast also claimed that four large American transports had been sunk in Okinawa waters.