Evening star., 1944-12-28
American Flyers Sink
) Jap Destroyers, Hit
Batt|eship, Cruiser
Z U. S. Worships DeoIt
Slight Damage; Enemy
Shells Mindoro Yonks
By the Associated Press.

GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEAD
QUARTERS, Philippines, Dec.
28.-Heavy guns of japanese and
American naval task forces
traded raiding blows Tuesday
and Wednesday on island bases
1,500 miles apart, and the Japs
came off second best with three
destroyers sunk, battleship and
cruiser damaged.
| Two American warships of undis-
closed type were dealt slight dam
age.
The japanese shelled Mindoro,
Central Philippines, from the China
Sea Tuesday night. Gen. Macarthur
announced today.
The Americans. making their
third appearance this month within
750 miles of Tokyo, bombarded Two
Jima, in the Volcano Islands, from
the Pacific on Tuesday United
States date), Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz announced yesterday at
Pearl Harbor. That Is Wednesday
in the time zone where the attack
occurred.
Smelling Inaccurate.
The enemy warships-a battle
ship, cruiser and six destroyers-
accomplished some fruitless and
inaccurate shelling" of the Yank in
vasion scene on Southwest Mindoro,
Gen. Macarthur said. From the
time the warships approached at
dusk until they withdrew around
midnight, they were under attack
by Mindoro-based Mitchell bombers
and Thunderbolt fighters and by
swift patrol-torpedo boats.
CA japanese communique to-
day said the naval units bonn
barded "the enemy (San JOSEF
airfield and munitions dump and
left the nearby area in veri-
table sea of fire. The broadcast,
recorded by the Federal Com
munications Commission, said
one destroyer was heavily dam
aged"
(The communique claimed that
on the same night japanese ma
val craft off San Jose attacked
United States convoy, sinking
four transports, a torpedo boat
and two smaller vessels)
Admiral Nimitz said the American
task force, co-ordinating it's attack
with planes of the Strategic Air
Force, Pacific Ocean areas, pounded
coastal and airstrip installations at
Two Jima, set landing ship afire
and blew up gunboat Enemy
coastal guns scored the hits on the
warships.
Jap Carrier Sunk.
"a large Japanese aircraft car
rier and two big enemy trans
ports are among the latest q
Japanese vessels sunk by Amer
lean submarines in the Pacific.
Secretary of the Navy Forrestal
announced the sinkings yester-
day, bringing to 1000 the total
of japanese ships sunk, probably
sunk or damaged since Pearl
Harbor)
The Yanks have an air base on
Mindora within a half hours flying
time OF Manila, whose airf1elds, Gen
Macarthur disclosed today. were
blasted Tuesday for the fifth straight
day by land-based bombers with a
fighter escort.
Two Jima taking its Goth straight
day of aerial naturalization while
the warships ~shelled it, is the air
base from which the enemy has sent
planes 750 miles south to Saipan in
an attempt to knock out the takeoff
point for B-29s raiding Japan.
The Japanese air force raided
Yank ground positions on Mindoro
in coordination with the enemy
naval strike. Enemy planes also
struck there the night before, to-
days communique acknowledging
minor damage" and reporting three
raiders downed.
Enemy Force Spotted.
The naval move against Mindoro
represented the enemys first such
offensive effort in battleship strength
since Japans disastrous defeat in
late October in the second Battle of
the Philippines Seas.
Gen. Macarthur said the enemy
force, spotted before it got within
shelling range, was Immediately
attacked by our medium bombers
and filters and our PIT boats
George Folster, NBC corre-
Spondent, reported that 4 Navy
Gee PACIFIC, Page A-2)
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