February 26, 1945:TOKYO SET ABLAZE; INCENDARY AND DEMOLITION BOMBS:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1945:

Salt Lake City, Utah, Monday Morning, February 26, 1945

200 Superforts,

Unopposed,

Set Capital Afire

Carrier Airmen Pulverize Ground

Defenses, Interceptor Craft

As Snowstorm Blinds Target Area

GUAM, Monday, Feb. 26 (UP) —

More than 200 Superfortresses, the greatest formation which ever took the air, teamed

with hundreds of carrier-based planes Sunday in a great one-two punch against the industrial heart of Tokyo and bombed secondary targets over a wide area, Japanese broadcasts admitted that the great port of Yokohama on Tokyo bay was hit by the carrier planes and said that the Superfortresses dropped bombs, incendiary and demolition,

"adjacent to" the moated palace of Emperor Hirohito in central Tokyo.

No direct word was received, however, from Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher's huge carrier fleet, leading to the belief the task force was still under the necessity of observing radio silence, (The British radio, heard by the blue network, said part of the imperial guard barracks was destroyed near the palace.

Tokyo Reports Bombers Return for Third Attack (The federal communications commission heard a Tokyo broadcast say that bombers were flying toward Tokyo from the

southwest Sunday night. That would mean a third attack. (A broadcast of the American broadcasting service in Europe, heard by N B C, reported that 25,000 square yards of Tokyo were ablaze.)

Superfortress pilots returning jubilant to base Sunday night after their flight reported that not a single enemy plane challenged them and that there was little antiaircraft fire.

Many of them never saw the earth or sea on the entire flight. They bombed through cloud formations 13,500 feet thick. But others saw sprawled beneath them the great task force 58 from which the carrier planes had bombed military targets all around

the capital.

The main Superfortress fleet met a 140-mile wind over Tokyo and bombed with the wind at a speed of 450 miles an hour.

Sweep Beyond Roer to Within 15

Miles of Cologne, Win 22 More

Towns as German Defense Falters

PARIS, Monday, Feb. 26 (AP)—

A. steamroller American offensive rumbled seven miles beyond the Roer river to within 15 miles of Cologne Sunday, knocking out Dueren—keystone of the Rhineland's outer defenses—and 24 other German towns against faltering enemy resistance.

In all, three American armies had hurdled all major water barriers west of the Rhine after shattering the Siegfried line, for the V. S. Third army 60 miles south

of the Rhine-bound offensive had smashed across the Pruem river

and was driving the Germans before it in disorder.

Tanks, heavy artillery and fresh infantry units poured across the Roer in endless streams, broadening the breach in the river line to 28 miles and slashing with gathering momentum to within five miles of the Erft river, last enemy line of defense short of the Rhine.

Campaign to Clear

Northern Flank

Gathers Momentum

LONDON, Monday, Feb. 26

(UP) —

Russian troops knocked out another section of the German's emergency Baltic line Sunday, capturing the Pomeranian stronghold of Preussisch-Friedland and crossing. the Chojnice-Stettin railroad in a drive of gathering power to clear their northern flank for a frontal assault on Berlin.

Indications mounted that the attack on the German capital, only 31 miles from Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's First White Russian army spearheads at the Oder,

might not be long delayed. The German command sent out planes of Berlin's home defense air force to attack Zhukov's swelling concentrations and fierce air battles raged from the Oder to Berlin's eastern suburbs.