Charleston, West
Virginia, Friday Morning February 16. 1945
Mitscher's
Pacific
Fleet Units
Garry
War Heine to
Japs
Air-Ship
Bombardment Rakes Iwo Jima Island,
Enemy
Acknowledges Raid, Says Airdromes
In
Capital Under Yank Plane Attack
(From wire Dispatches) -• T "
«
U..S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS,
Guam, Feb.
16.—(Friday)—
Battleship-led American task
forces, riding waters off Japan, are pouring hundreds of bombs and strafing carrier planes at Tokyo today while other-warships
to the south are bombarding the Volcano and Benin islands.
The huge and audacious
operations, hurling the navy's might for the first time at Tokyo .and posing a
challenge to Nippon's fleet, strongly suggests major developments.
(There was no word from
headquarters on the purpose of the large-scale attack but a move of such extent
suggests the possibility of new amphibious landings' within the inner defense ring of Japan's island outguards).
American
7th
Opens
Limited
Push
in South
Front Dispatch Says Nazi
Ruhr
Defenses Sagging.
Under
Heavy Blows
PARIS. Feb. 15.—(INS)—
Canadian 1st army forces fastened
a grip on the left bank of the northern German Ruhr tonight extending 20 miles
from n point opposite Emmerich in an Intensifying flanking threat to the Ruhr.
while far to the south the
U.Ss. 7th army launched what rant
dispatches called a "limited offensive."
(From
Wire Dispatches)
PARIS, Feb. 15—The Canadian 1st
army in a two-mile gain poured troops and tanks today across the last river
before the stronghold of Goch, beyond
which lies open rolling country leading
to Germany's great munitions
producing region.
B-29s
Smash
Nagoya
Plants
Superfortresses
Now Flying
From
Tininn Base
WASHINGTON. Feb. 15.—(AP)
Superfortresses from a newly
revealed base added weight today to a new strike at Japanese production. The development
pointed up an assertion by Secretary Stimson that the enemy has no safe areas
left.
Few details were Immediately available
here or at Guam operating headquarters on the latest blow,' beyond the'
fact-that a large force was -involved,
that part of them
came from the recently
established base on Tinian Island In the Marianas, and that the target was
Industry in the main Japanese Island of Honshu. Japanese broadcasters, however. Were more specific, naming often bombed
Industrial Nagoya as the main
objective, saying there were B-29s over other areas, and admitting some damage.
Japs
Expect
'Yanks
To Land
On
South Luzon
Captured
Document Shows
Invasion
From North
Upset
Defense Plan
MANILA, Feb. 16—(Friday)—
— Gen. Douglas MacArthur disclosed
today that Japan's master plan to make Manila the turning point of the Luzon
campaign in Nippon's favor 13 being smashed by a powerhouse American drive
nearing victory In the scarred city and fast overrunning nearby Bataan
peninsula.
Today's communique, reporting
steady reduction of the enemy pocket in South Manila, new gains on Bataan and
withering air attacks on Corregidor. Also announced seizure of an enemy
document. This document, the general said,
made It clear the Japanese had expected
to hold Manila with 20.000 troops, street and house fortifications, thousands
of mines, elaborate concrete strongpoints and hundreds of heavy guns—alt
prepared for an attack from the south.
Victory
Imminent
But MacArthur struck from the north
and the campaign for Manila is close to American victory, with destruction of
the defense system, slaughter of the last ditch defenders and capture of
hundreds of cannon.
Of high interest is the swift
progress on Bataan, in a push of only a few days down the east coast.
Yanks, of the 38th division have
advanced four miles below Abucay bay to the eastern bastion of the final
American defense line In 1942.
MacArthur's revelations of the seized
document recalled a Domei news agency broadcast from Tokyo Feb. 8 saying
"the Luzon battle is fought for very high stakes."
The communique told of a 112-ton bombing
of Corregidor but made no
reference to Japanese 'reports
that American minesweepers had forced entry of the bay, followed by bombarding warships and troop-laden
transports.
Considered
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