June 17, 1944; B-29 Raiders wreck Japanese steel centers:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JUNE 17, 1944:

Striking toward the heart of Japan's mainland

an American carrier task force swept in on Nippon's south east flank and hammered the Bonin islands, only 588 miles from Yokohama,' while Yank land troops pressed forward on Saipan island in the Marianas.

By CLYDE A. FARNSWORTH

Associated Press Staff Writer

CHUNGKING, June l6.-:-Scores of the mammoth U. S. B-29 Super-Flying Fortresses participated in last night's historic blow at the Japanese mainland, pouring a great weight of explosives on "Japan's Pittsburgh" at Yawata and leaving towering pillars of flame visible for 60 miles as the air battleships swept back across the Yellow sea to their Chinese lairs.

 Pearl Harbor, June 16—
United States assault forces have smashed Japanese resistance at heavily defended Charan-Kanoa beach on Saipan island after once having been hurled back a short distance, Adm. Chester W.. Nimitz announced tonight. 

 

New Guinea, Saturday, June 17. —

Three Japanese counter-attacks by screaming infantrymen supported by light tanks, were hurled back north of Mokmer airdrome on embattled Biak island, in the Schouten group, headquarters announced today.

 

Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, June 17,1944

Task Force Batters

Bonins, Near Japan

47 Nip Planes Downed, Two

Ships Sunk, Dozen Damaged

By LEIF ERICKSON

Associated Press Staff Writer

U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, Pearl Harbor June 16—

Striking toward the heart of Japan's mainland

an American carrier task force swept in on Nippon's south east flank and hammered the Bonin islands, only 588 miles from Yokohama,' while Yank land troops pressed forward on Saipan island in the Marianas.

The strike Wednesday against the Bonins, vital guardian on the southeast approach to the Japanese homeland, was announced in a communique today by Adm. Chester W.  Nimitz. Earlier the Tokyo radio reported the attack.

47 PLANES DOWNED

Tonight's communique picture Yank forces as making good progress northward along the southwest coast in spite of furious tank led Japanese resistance.

The communique said task force planes which hit Chichi Jimi and Haha Jima, in the Bonins, destroyed 47 Japanese planes, sank two surface ships and damaged 12 other vessels. Simultaneously Iwo Jimi, a volcanic island 150 miles southward, was bombed.

B-29 Raiders

Wreck-Japs'

Steel Center'

Four Sky Giants

Reported Missing

By CLYDE A. FARNSWORTH

Associated Press Staff Writer

CHUNGKING, June l6.-:-Scores of the mammoth U. S. B-29 Super-Flying Fortresses participated in last night's historic blow at the Japanese mainland, pouring a great weight of explosives on "Japan's Pittsburgh" at Yawata and leaving towering pillars of flame visible for 60 miles as the air battleships swept back across the Yellow sea to their Chinese lairs.

(Four of the $1,500.000 planes failed to return, a Washington c o m m u n i q u e announced. Two went down due to accidents, and the crew of one of these is safe.

A third is missing, and a fourth fell "to anti-aircraft action over the target" — indicating that the wreckage of the highly-secret craft may be in enemy hands.)

Hard Blow Dealt

First detailed stories of the longest bomber flight ever made mere than a 2,000-miles round trip—indicated that the Americans might have knocked out a fifth of the enemy's steel production at Yawata,-on the n o r t h shore of Kyushu Island 500 miles southwest OF Tokyo.

Yanks On Saipan

Slashing Inland

Jap Resistance At

Beach is Smashed

By CHARLES H. McMURTRY

U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS,

. Pearl Harbor, June 16—

United States assault forces have smashed Japanese resistance at heavily defended Charan-Kanoa beach on Saipan island after once having been hurled back a short distance, Adm. Chester W.. Nimitz announced tonight. .

Nimitz reported in a communique that the enemy, resisted with intense mortar and artillery, fire but the American positions were consolidated during . the night of

June 3 as . naval forces' heavily bombarded enemy installations.

                              June -15 Attack Gaiins

He reported that on -. line 15 a major element of Yanks began an attack which advanced the lines nearly half a mile in the palm-studded Charan-Kanoa area and that lesser advances were made in other unidentified sectors.

Preliminary estimates indicate that two Japanese divisions are defending Saipan, Nimitz stated Aftter' reporting:

"Our assumption that Saipan would be-strongly held because; of its strategic location in the! Japanese defensive system has seen proven correct."

, Jap Attacks On

Biak Repulsed

Enemy Loses 160

Men, Two Tanks

. By MURLIN.SPENCER

Associated Press Staff Writer

ADVANCED ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,

New Guinea, Saturday, June 17. —

Three Japanese counter-attacks by screaming infantrymen supported by light tanks, were hurled back north of Mokmer airdrome on embattled Biak island, in the Schouten group, headquarters announced today.

The attacks, Thursday, cost the Japanese 160 dead and two tanks destroyed

Americans holding positions between the airdrome and over-looking hills northward, stopped the Japanese with bazookas and .50 caliber machine guns. The Nipponese made three attempts to break through American defense perimeters around the airdrome, which Allied planes are using.

Concentrated In Hills

A headquarters spokesman said the Japanese have concentrated, most of their forces in the hills north of the airstrip. Americans are endeavoring to eliminate them:

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