Evening star., 1945-05-14
Fresh Jap Reserves Seek to Halt
y. S. Drive Into Okinawa CAPITAL:
500 B-29s 'Devastate' Naqova
$500 Tons of
Bombs Dropped on
Aircraft Center
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
GUAM, May 14.-Industrial
Nagoya, Japan's third largest
city, was plastered with $500
tons of fire bombs today by a
record feet of 500 American
Super Fortresses, and returning
crewmen reported sweeping
devastation" of the metropolis.
While there was no immediate re-
port of American losses, plane COM
manders agreed they must have been
very light, and said opposition was
surprisingly small.
Antiaircraft fire was described as
weak and inaccurate, and while
many japanese fighter pilots took
to the air, few showed any disposi-
tion to fight.
1t was the most concentrated in
cendiary raid of the Pacific war.
GA japanese communique ad-
mitted many fires were started)
1900 Mile Long Parade.
The giant air fleet, winging $500
miles round trip, struck while the
Tokyo radio was reporting a con-
tinuing tWo-day offensive by 900
carrier based planes on its home is
lands. The carrier planes came
from two task forces. the uncon-
firmed enemy broadcast said.
The giant B-29 air parade was
more than 1900 miles long. The
first Super Fort had flown to the
Honshu Island city, dropped it's fire
bombs and had been on its way
home for 80 minutes when the last
plane was taking off from it's Mar
ianas base.
Results still were lacking here.
A new-type. six-pound fire bomb
was carried today for nearly every
one of Nagoya's 100000 inhabitants
Altogether. l,165,000 of the jelly
gasoline bombs were dropped. They
explode seconds after hitting the
target and spew flaming gasoline
over a sizable area.
Home Of Big Aircraft Works.
Nagoya, on Honshu, Is Japan's
largest aircraft industry center and
home of the Mitsubishi aircraft
engine works and others. One
quarter of the working population
lis engaged in warplane production.
The great aerial armada swept
over Two Jima for navigation
check-a fresh indication of the
value of that island.
The air feet later rendezvoused
off the japanese coast-defiant OF
interceptors-and the first bombar-
dier called bombs away" at 8:15
am.
Weather conditions were not the
best and the flyers were expected
to encounter cloud deck over the
target. However. bombing was
visual.
The general target area of to-
days raid was just west of the
gigantic Mitsubishi engine works
almost totally ruined in previous
attacks.
Five Areas Hammered.
Five great circles in the northern
section of the city, nine square miles
in all. were designated as target
areas. They included the Chigusa
factory of the Nagoya arsenal pro-
ducing heavy ordnance and am.
munition components; a large cleo.
trical plant, and thousands of home
factories turning out electrical parts
and airplane instruments.
Super Fortresses last attacked
Nagoya March 30 when a small
force hit the Mitsubishi plant
against light opposition. Five anc
four-tenths square miles of the city
had been burned out prior to today's
raid
Most Of Nagoya's construction Il
more modern than other large Japa
nese cities, but more than 80 pei
cent is wood and plaster.
The bombers went in at medium
altitude today, attacking in 8
column of squadrons of IL planes
each. More than $500 American
airmen participated in the assault
The target area had a population
of $4,000 to $4,000 persons per square
mile. Army spokesmen said Japan
could not avoid heavy casualties.