The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-16
FOrnOSQ Hit
by Allied
Planes
BY Leonard MIIliman

ASSOCIATED Press War EDITOR
Superforts STRUCK at Formosa
again today as Tokyo radio report
ed Japanese naval and air units
were pursuing "annihilative opera
tons against the Arrogant" U, s.
carrier force that bombed the stra-
tegic island for three days.
The first War Department an
nouncement on the second Formosa
raid by B2Ss said merely that they
attacked military targets. The raid,
covering the withdrawal OF Adm.
Marc A. Mitscher's carrier forces.
may have been a return visit to
Okayama. arsenal city described as
the most important air target
south Of Japan" hit Saturday by
record formation OF Superforts.
Japanese broadcasts reported the
Japanese fleet had at last come
out Of hiding and was I'm pursuit OF
the fleeing enemy task force" I'm
perial communicates asserted that
Is American warships. including
ten carriers. were sunk, and anoth-
err 10 damaged.
Jubilant Japanese broadcasts
quoted Premier Gen. Kuniakikoiso
as saying THE long awaited oppor-
tunity for Japan's battle in the
Pacific has Just come" Nipponese
naval observers" were reported TO
have said the avowed enemy Of
fensive against the Philippines has
been dealt a sledgehammer blow"
Fleet unmentloned
The Japanese fleet, long sought
by American commanders In the
Pacific, has not been mentioned in
Adm. Chester w. Nimitz' reports on
the Formosa action. His reports still
incomplete. listed 4S7 Japanese
planes as destroyed, SO enemy ships
sunk or damaged, against loss Of
45 U. s. planes.
Tokyo said a diversionary unit
OF the great American carrier task
force was intercepted by Philip-
pines-based planes after so U. s..
bombers and lighters raided Manila
Saturday ~. s. Time). The Japa-
nese claimed a carrier was sunk
and four other warships damaged.
Nimitz reported the Japanese be-
gan pressing "strong counterat-
tacks" against carrier forces of
Formosa Thursday might. Twenty
Nipponese were shot down. Never
theless carrier planes returned TO
the attack on Formosa and Luzon
Island in the northern Philippines
Friday. They encountered little
air opposition" and wiped out Al
enemy planes.
Friday afternoon 30 more Japa-
nese planes were shot down as they
attacked the u. s. sea force, Mimi
tE said, and at is known that many
additional enemy aircraft have been
shot down. Our plane losses so
far have been light. This fight Is
continuing"
Fifty Allied bombers and fight
ers raided Canton, Tokyo reported
today, virtually completing the
aerial enlightenment OF the invasion
threatened Philippines. Canton
raiders come from the China-based
14th U. s. Air force whose persist.
ent forays have forced the power
full Japanese armies in southeast
China to move only at night or UNI
der camouflage.
Gen. Joseph w. Stilwell paid
flying visit Sunday to Liuchow,
last advanced American air base
in the area yesterday, to see wheth-
err a further readiustment In U. S.
air dispositions was necessary.
Land-based planes operating over
the Pacific attacked rs small Jap
anese vessels. Six were sunk or
damaged in the southern Philip
pines and Makassar Strait. Three
were attacked at Two. $50 miles
south OF Tokyo. And II were tar
gets in a half dozen raids on the
Kuriles north OF Japan.