July 15, 1945; TWO HOUR BOMBBARDMENT ON JAPANESE MAINLAND

THIIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JULY 15, 1945:

RACINE, WIS.. SUNDAY, JULY 15. 1945.

 

Carrier Fleet

Joins Massive
Assault on Japan

By FRANK TREMAINE

PEARL HARBOR.—(U.P) — T he American Navy's surface ships atruck their most daring blow of t h e Pacific war Saturday , subjecting the Japanese mainland to a two-hour bombardment, and leaving the Honshu port of Kamaishi in flames.

While at least nine battleships, cruisers and destroyers sent their great shells roaring ashore, a massive carrier force raced through the northern fogs to loose its planes against northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. The air strike began at dawn, and might well be continuing.

The ships closed in to ranges of  5 to 18 miles to open fire on Kamaishi at noon.

Ack-Ack Heavy.

. Fragmentary reports from the mighty Third Fleet, commanded by Admiral William F. Halsey, indicated

There  was no initial opposition from sea or air. Returning pilots, however, reported the ack - ack heavy but inaccurate. Kamaishi is an important seaport and steel mill city on the north east coast of Honshu 275 miles-north of Tokyo with a population before the war of 42,000.

Halsey's planes and carriers travelled almost 200 miles to the north to hit the chain of airfields studding the nothern tip of Honshu and the Hakodate section of southern Hokkaido.

 

WAR IN THE PACIFIC—Blasting of the Tokyo area by Pacific

Fleet carrier planes, increasing evidence of the Japanese government's

Jitters over continual bombings, and the three-pronged Chinese offensive against wilting Jap resistance in south China highlight the Pacific war news of the past week.

 

Key Personages

Arrive at Areas
Near Berlin

ANTWERP—(U.P) — President Truman, aboard the cruiser Augusta, was expected to dock at 8 a. m. (2 a. m. EWT) today.

British mine sweepers shuttled up and down the Schledt last night, clearing the way for the Truman party.

BERLIN—(U.P) — The first important personages for the Big Three meeting arrived Saturday at two secret areas a few miles from Berlin.

The greatest secrecy surrounded the arrivals. The areas in which the "personages arrived could not be revealed or the names of those who came in.

The meeting was. being surrounded by the most comprehensive security precautions imaginable.

AUGUSTA, BRITISH SHIPS

HOLD RENDEZVOUS

The veteran warship Augusta, bearing President Truman and his advisors, and t h e accompanying light cruiser Philadelphia rendezvous caused early Saturday with the British cruiser Birmingham and six destroyers, theflotilla detailed to escort the presidents two  ship task force to Antwerp.

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