Evening star., 1944-07-28
| 10 Jap Ships Sunk
lin Task Force Attack
|Centered on PaIau
By the Associated prsss.

By the Associated Prsss.
PACIFIC FLEET HEAD
QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, July
28.-The sinking of 10 Japanese
ships and leyeling of defenses In
the Western Carolines by an
American task force, which
cleared the skies OF Japanese
planes in q day, pointed the
finger of offensive today at the
Philippines.
The two-day attack of carrier
planes, just disclosed by Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz, was centered on
Palau, once formidable naval base
less than 600 miles east Of Min
danao.
Today Gen. Douglas Macarthur
announced that his bombers, in
simultaneous operation, swooped on
an enemy convoy Oh Truk, another
enemy naval base in the Central
Carolines, setting afire and prob
ably sinking a. freighter and three
lugger-type craft.
SinkinEs Include Destroyer.
These sinkings, which included a
destroyer. increased to more than
so the shipping losses-from mer-
chairman to aircraft carrier-Japan
has suffered since the invasion of
the Marianas opened little over
a month ago.
Admiral Nimitz's announcement Of
the task force strike added 26 to the
more than 1000 Japanese planes
destroyed in that time.
While these new successes sapped
enemy strength along the way to
Manila, ground forces spread out
over more of Guam and Tinian,
seeking to add them to Saipan as
springboards Of assault on the
Philippines and Japan.
On Tinian, where 10 Japs are
being killed tor every marine, the
Yanks have overrun the north third
Of the island. Captured Ushi Air
field Is being readied by Navy Sea
bees and Army engineers as
bomber base and already is serving
light planes spotting targets for
the artillery.
z,0S9 JapS Killed on Tinian.
Admiral Nimitz's communique last
night listed 2,089 dead japanese as
against 159 Americans killed, AL
wounded and 80 missing on Tinian.
The admiral let yesterday go by
without further word of progress on
Guam, but war correspondent
aboard rear Admiral Richard L.
Conolly's flagship reported the i'm
pending fall of the islands key har-
bor, its 4,700-foot airfield and the
onetime marine barracks at Sumay.
Charles P. Arnot, representing the
combined Allied press, said several
hundred trapped Japs remained to
be killed on Orote Peninsula after
400 were slaughtered trying vainly
to break out. He added that the
main Jap strength on Guam appar-
emily must be elsewhere.
The task force strike In the West
ern Carolines. first reported by
Tokyo radio Wednesday, fell on
airfields, docks, warehouses and a
phosphate plant in the Palau-Yap-
Ulithi area. Monday the carrier
planes shot down five aircraft and
destroyed 81 on the ground No air.
borne enemy could be found
Tuesday.
Seven Cargo Ships Sunk.
The raiders sank destroyer, an
oiler, a destroyer escort or mine
layer. seven small cargo ships "and
many smaller craft
Perhaps indicating the deteriora-
ton of Palau, the task force wasn't
able to match the performance of
another in March which sank Is
ships and destroyed or damaged 2l4
planes in the same sector.
| Five carrier planes were lost Mon
day and Tuesday, but four pilots
were saved, Admiral Nimitz report
ed. There was no mention of any
damage to the task force.
In a thorough serial combing of
the Carolines. Admiral Nimitz said
Central Pacific Army Liberators also
pounded Truk and Gen. Macarthur
listed a Bolton Liberator raid on
Woleai
At the Ttnian invasion scene, ma
rines pushed south Of Faibus San
Hilo Point on tine west coast and
near to Masaloug Point on the east
! That gave them a triangular hold
ing roughly miles down each coast
from the north apex and about
! ppiloS orrnsc t[o island