Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-22
205 jap Planes
Lost Earlier,
81 Ships Hit
Ely the Associated Press.

ATTACKS by American carrier
planes against the Manila area
continued today with the new
strikes concentrated ION harbor
facilities and airflelds" around
Bay, Domei and the Jap
anese-controlled Manila radio
said.
Approximately 200 planes, at
in four waves, raided Ma
Mia between 7:30 and 10 am. today
philippine time), according to a
Domei broadcast recorded by the
Federal Communications Commits
sion.
The broadcast made the uncon-
firmed claim that antiaircraft bat
teries had accounted for" Is
American planes, including four
probables, while interceptors shot
down two others.
The enemy report Of continued
action at Manila followed the first
blow at Manila since the
fall Of Corregidor in May. 1912
Pacific Fleet Headquarters dis
closed last night that waves OF
carrier planes yesterday
shot down ITO Japanese aircraft,
wiped out IS on the ground and
sank or probably sank 81 ships, in
Guiding two destroyers. while a huge
United States feet stood unchal-
lenged of the Philippines.
In one Of the greatest air victories
In the Pacific war. hundreds of car
rier planes blasted Clark Field.
Field. the Cavite Naval Base
and Subic and Manila Bays.
The cost of the raid to the United
States was Is planes, but several
Of their airmen were saved. Not
one of the aircraft carriers and
escorting warships was even dam
aged in the operation executed by
Admiral William F. Halsey, jr, and
Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher.
Reporting on yesterdays action,
the Manila radio said in Spanish
language broadcast that the attacks
we're made in several waves" by
PAP fighters from aircraft car
riers and a certain number of F-6-F
fighters and F-32-PU bombers."
japanese naval aircraft were de-
clared to have discovered the operat-
ing zone Of the United States naval
task force and attacked, setting afire
two aircraft carriers and shooting
down one Grammar fighter plane.
The broadcast was without confir-
nation from Allied sources.
Martial Law Proclaimed.
A Domei wireless dispatch said
Jose P. Laurel, president Of the jap
anese-dominated government of the
had proclaimed martial
law, saying "the danger of invasion
is imminent" The decree becomes
effective at 9 am. today, Manila
time.
The japanese, who sent their
bombers against Manila in 1912 after
it had been declared an open city.
such words as brutal
and ''indiscriminate" today in a
broadcast describing
attack.
A dispatch by Domei. broadcast
by Tokyo and recorded by the As
ISOLATED Press, was headed Anger"
and began:
"All Manila was raging today
raging with hatred against the
Americans for the brutality and
displayed in indiscrimi-
nate attacks on Manila yesterday"
Damage Slight, Japs Say.
Tokyo described damage to Jap
anese installations in the initial raid
as negligible, but declared there
were more than 100 casualties among
the innocent civilian population.
In keeping with their inhuman,
indiscriminate nature, the American
pilots brutally strafed the Chinese
General Hospital" the Domei broad
cast said. THE hospital bore the
Red Cross mark on the roof X.
Since the attack was carried out
during the day, when visibility was
clear, the vicious intention of the
enemy was very evident"
Domei quoted the Manila Tribune
as declaring the Filipinos had been
injured and insulted."
Employing familiar Axis propa-
ganda tactics, Domei declared that
part of the enemy air formation
bombed and strafed residential
quarters of Manila"
Fires broke out from the Binondo
Church as we'll as the homes of
Filipinos and Chinese as a result of
the enemy blind bombing" the
broadcast said. Slight damage was
sustained by the Japanese Embassy
Enemy Caught by Surprise.
In a special communique last
night, Admiral Chester w. Nimitz
said, This superlatively successful
attack apparently caught the enemy
completely by surprise
The raiders, striking in great
force" shot their way through 9
strong defensive screen of inter.
ceptors. They blasted ITO japanese
fighters out of the sky. Another 81
Japanese aircraft were caught ano
destroyed on Clark and Nichols Air
fields where the japanese knocked
out most of the American defensive
air force December 8, 1941, in the
first attack of the Philippines.
The ships were caught at the
(See MANILA, Page A-10.)
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