Evening star., 1945-06-10
Ha|seys Planes Hit Japan Again
As Fleet Activity Is Stepped Up;
Foe Slows Okinawa Last Push
Heavy Vessels and
CurrierCruft Also.
Batter Ryukyus
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated freSs.
GUAM, June 10 Sunday
Carrier planes from Admiral
William F. Halsey's Sd Fleet
heavily attacked Kanoya naval
airfield on Southern Kyushu
Friday as two other naval strikes
indicated stepped-up fleet activ-
ity in the Far Western Pacific
and B-29s attacked the Jap
anese homeland again.
About 100 Two Jima based Mus
tangs escorted the bomber flights,
hitting three targets in the Tokyo
area
These were aircraft plants at
Chiba, 20 miles southeast Of Tokyo,
and Tomioka, miles south of Yoko-
hama, and an army air depot "A
miles west of Tokyo.
High Explosive Attacks.
Super Fort sections, without es-
cort, bombed the engineering works
at Sukagawa, about lis miles north
east of Tokyo and seaplane base
on Kasimaga Lake, 35 miles north
east of Tokyo.
Following demolition attacks on
three aircraft plants yesterday, this
f1ve-pointed strike discloses a shift
in the 21st Bomber Commands
campaign from mass fire bombing
to precision blows on key war plants
and bases with high explosives.
Pilots flying from Vice Admiral
John S. McCain's fast carrier task
force, part of the 3rd Fleet, destroy
ed % enemy planes on the airleld
and two in the air in Admiral
Halseys third blast at Japan in
eight days.
Four American planes were lost,
but all pilots were rescued,
Shore Facilities Bombarded.
Elsewhere in the Far Western
Pacific, heavy fleet units bombarded
shore installations on Okino Daito
Island, 300 miles southeast of Oki-
nawa, and escort carrier pilots
raided the Sakishima Island group.
Both Okino Daito and the Sakishi-
mas. are in the Southern Ryukyus
chain, of which Okinawa is the
center.
Between $50 and 200 Super For
tresses struck five japanese Indus
trial plants and repair bases on
Honshu Island in daylight this
morning in the second consecutive
day of precision raids on key enemy
warplants.
Admiral Halsey, who boldly as
serted his fleet could 60 into Tokyo
Bay if necessary, sent strong forces
of carrier planes to raid five or
more airfelds on Kyushu on June
and 3-just week after he re-
turned to active command of the
Sd Fleet. Those attacks destroyed
So Japanese planes and damaged
ground installations.
The latest raid covered Kanoya
airfield with bombing and strafng
attacks which were concentrated
on parked planes Admiral Nimitz's
communique reported today,
Our pilots reported observing
numerous fires and explosions
Suicide Attacks Continue.
Kanoya is one of the most i'm
portant Kyushu airfields, from
which the japanese have launched
or staged their kamikaze (suicide)
aerial assaults on American shipping
in the Okinawa area.
Admiral Nimitz said the japanese
continued their kamikaze attacks
Friday but caused no damage to
American shipping. Twelve Japa-
nese raiders were destroyed.
Sixty-seven enemy planes had
been shot down in attacks Wednes-
day and Thursday, which damaged
two small American vessels.
Heavy forces, undoubtedly includ-
ing battleships, cruisers and de-
stroyers, bombarded ammunition
dumps, radio installations, barracks,
small craft facilities and other tar
gets at Okino Daito yesterday.
Okino Daito has been hit pre-
viously. Although small island,
it undoubtedly has proven valuable
(See HALSEY, Page abb