August 5, 1945; 420,000 ENEMY KILLED IN PHILLIPENES:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, AUGUST 5, 1945:

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1945.

New Assaults

Reported Today
By Tokyo Radio

American Challenge

to Enemy Air Force
Goes Unanswered
By Al Dopking

GUAM. July 5 (AP).—Approximately 800 American planes set off Fourth of July fires and explosions in Japan, capped by an hour-long radio challenge of fighters circling three Tokyo airfields for the Japanese air force to come up for battle. The dare went unanswered.

Three hundred American fighters and bombers striking from, fields on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, made a twin air attack on Tokyo airfields and the port of Nagasaki today, radio Tokyo reported. Nagasaki, Omura pounded.

Two hundred Okinawa-based. Lightning fighters and Liberator bombers pounded Nagasaki and, the nearby city of Omura, on Hyushu island of southern Japan, said

the enemy broadcast recorded by the Federal Communications commission.

A few hours earlier 100 Mustang: fighters shepherded from Iwo Jima by nine Super-Forts lashed airfields north and cast of Tokyo. It was the second successive day oa which the Japanese reported companion air blows against the two most important home islands.

Fires in four Japanese cities burned so brightly they could be seen simultaneously by returning B-29 pilots.

420,000 Enemy

Troops Slain in
Bitter Fighting

Greatest Disaster

Ever Sustained by
Japs Is Reported

By Spencer Davis

MANILA, July 5 (AP).—All the Philippine Islands have been won back in ''the greatest disaster ever sustained by Japanese arms," Gen. Douglas MacArthur proudly proclaimed today and their 115,600 square miles are being transformed into .bases "comparable to the British Islands" to spur the inarch on Tokyo.

In 250 days .of campaigning, 17 American divisions whipped 23 Japanese divisions in "one of the rare instances when . . . a ground force superior in numbers was entirely destroyed by a numerically inferior opponent."

420,000 Japs Slaughtered

Roughly 420,000 Japanese were-slaughtered, including such, hated outfits as the 16th Imperial division which tortured American and Filipino prisoners in the "death march" after the 1942 fall of Bataan.

A spokesman estimated that possibly 30,000 Japanese survive in all the archipelago, reduced to guerrilla activity.

American ground and air personnel casualties up to July 1 were listed as 11.921 killed. 410 missing and 42,569 wounded—a total of 54,891.

Gen. MacArthur stressed as "accomplished" goals of the reinvasion:

Acquisition of great land-sea-air bases "for future operations" comparable to the role played by the British Isles against Germany.

Collapse of the "imperial concept of a greater East Asia co-prosperity sphere and the reintroduction of democracy in the Far East."

Crippling Blow' Delivered

Delivery of a "crippling blow"-to Japan's army, navy and air force.

 Severance of the enemy's sprawling, stolen empire so the north and south halves could "be enveloped and attacked in turn," while a sea-air blockade prevented raw materials from reaching Japan or reinforcements from reaching the East Indies.

Australian Infantrymen

Drive Ahead on Borneo

Jap Footholds

in Balikpapan
under Assault

LCMs Sail into Bay

on Fourth of July
to Reopen Key Port

BALIKPAPAN, B o r n e o,

July 5 (AP). Australian infantrymen struck today at the last Japanese footholds in Balikpapan, Borneo's major oil port, which already for all practical purposes is in Allied hands. Radio Tokyo insisted Japanese lines - were holding and that an Australian attack spear headed by 50 tanks had been repulsed –with heavy loss. Allied sources have said casualties have been light in fighting on Borneo.

Airmen Add

1-6 Vessels
to Mounting
Jap Losses

GUAM, July 5 (INS).—

Sixteen more Japanese ships, including two destroyers, were added today to the rapidly mounting list of enemy craft blasted by Okinawa-based American warplanes.

Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz disclosed the latest toll taken of enemy shipping, when he announced new strikes by Tactical and Fleet Air force planes against Japanese home waters.

Yellow Sea Area Raided

The two destroyers were .damaged when Privateers and Marines of Fleet Air Wing and Army Thunderbolts attacked an. enemy convoy in the Yellow sea on July 3.

One of the Jap warships was left aflame, as was a patrol craft. The Army-Navy assault also damaged an enemy transport.