November 25, 1944; Leyte, Japanese Convoy Destroyed

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY,NOVEMBER 25, 1944:

LIMA, OHIO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1944

Air Bombs Also Send Destroyer

To Bottom Near Leyte

Island

WASHINGTON.Nov. 25 —(INS) –

The Navy announced today that American submarines operating in the Pacific have sunk 27 more Japanese ships. Including two combat vessels.

The combat vessels were a destroyer and a converted gun boat.

* * •

GEN. MACARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS

Philippines, Nov. 25-(AP)—

A four-ship convoy carrying reinforcements for the embattled Japanese on Leyte island has been destroyed by American fighter planes and an estimated

3.500 Nipponese were killed or drowned, n communique a n announcement today.

The Leyte-based planes, strafing at mast, height and acting as dive-bombers, sank three transports and a destroyer escort, bringing to about 15,000 the number of Nipponese, perishing in attempts to reach the inland fighting scene.

In a bombing attack on the Celebes and Borneo, an enemy destroyer and a transport were sunk, and a gunboat and 11 freighters damaged, Gen. Donglas Mac Arthur reported. Twentysix Japanese fighters and bombers were destroyed on the ground.

wImproved weather conditions encouraged the Japanese to increased air activity, with the assault that 42 enemy planes wen shot down, 35 by American planes and seven by anti-aircraft batteries.

RAID ON TOKYO

CALLED START

OF FINAL DRIVE

Heavy B-29's Paving Way To

Knock-Out Japanese War

Plants

TWENTY-FIRST U.S. COMPANY

Nov. 25 _ (AP) —

Mighty Superfortress bombers left industrial sections of central Tokyo in flames as American commanders today proclaimed the historic noon-day bombing as the opening blow of a relentless campaign to knock out Japan's war plants.

Flying , 3,000 miles round trip from .Saipan bases captured only five months ago, the fearsome armada (Tokyo said there were 70 planes) flew in high over the capital at more than 400 miles an hour yesterday noon (10 p. m. Thursday Lima time) and placed their bombs with deadly skill.

Reconnaissance pho t o g r a p h s  showed fires still burning several hours later with smoke rising to great heights.

.

. Yanks Again

Raid Manila

By The associated Press

American airborne planes returned to the attack on Manila today, the Japanese-controlled Manila radio reported. About 60 planes raided Manila

and nearby Clark field, the radio said in a broadcast recorded by the Federal Communications Commission The report was without American confirmation,  but Manila or Tokyo radios always have been first t0 report new air strikes at the heart of the Philippines.