The Pittsburgh Press (April 28, 1945)
New U.S. landing near, Japs say
Tokyo reports fleet massed at Okinawa
GUAM (UP) – Tokyo said today that a 100-ship American invasion fleet off Okinawa appeared to be preparing for “new operations.”
The fleet includes four or five battleships, six cruisers, 10-odd destroyers and approximately 80 transports, a Tokyo broadcast said.
On Okinawa itself, XXIV Army Corps troops in the southern sector reached the vicinity of Machinato Airfield, two miles north of the capital city of Naha, in a general advance. Enemy strongpoints in the west coast village of Nakama were bypassed.
The Americans were believed already through the strongest Jap defenses and the complete conquest of the island appeared in sight.
Nearly 400 miles to the northeast, American B-29 Superfortresses blasted six Jap suicide-plane bases on Kyushu, southernmost of the Jap home islands today for the third straight day.
It was the first time that the giant bombers have carried out such a sustained offensive. Between 100 and 150 B-29s participated in the attack, bombing from medium altitudes.
A few Jap planes broke through to the American ships off Okinawa yesterday morning, a Pacific Fleet communiqué said.
A Tokyo broadcast reported the “apparent preparations” by the American Fleet for new operations. It said 10 transports were in Nago Bay on the west coast of Okinawa, while the remainder of the ships were cruising off the island.