Evening star., 1945-03-18
War Review
Fire Raids Play Havoc
With Jap Industry
Bp Howard p. Bailey

The war against Japan entered a new
Corps apparently started a systematic
campaign to wipe out her principal cities
by fire. -Four of the five main manu-
featuring centers have had the most
extensive fire raids of history during the
past eight days.
These raids coupled with important
gains in Europe against Germany mate
rally frightened the entire picture of
the war. The high points of the past
seven days were:
Sunday: Nagoya, with population Of
100000, hit by 1000 tons of incendiaries
dropped by 300 Super Fortresses. Salts
factory results reported. Tokyo still
smolders from previous days raid. Koiso
warns Japs they must expect invasion.
Yanks expand control over Zamboanga
approaches on Mindanao Island Japs
cornered on northern tip of Two Jima.
American 1st Army expands hold on east
bank of Rhine, Sd and 7th gather forces
to clean up Saar and Palatinate. Cana
dians smash Wesel pocket. Reds only
8 miles from Danlg.
Monday: Rhine bridgehead widened to
1914 miles; 10000 Americans pour across
Remagen Bridge. Patton takes II towns,
wipes out all but few of enemy between
Moselle and Rhine. Coblenz besieged.
Stettin bombed by American planes to aid
Red drive which nears Pomeranian capi-
tai Reds shift troops for drive on Berlin.
Nagoya fires still rage, visible for 80
miles. Macarthur troops capture air.
field near zamboanga as drive for Min
danao gains impetus.
Tuesday: American 1st Army, driving
fer Rhine superhighway reaches point
only 2 miles away. Nazis make numer-
GUS hits on Ludendorff Bridge. Main
resistance at northern end of bridgehead,
% miles from Ruhr. Dortmund wiped
out by 5000 tons of bombs. Won Rund-
stedt reported out as Nazi west front
commander. Soviet drives to expand
bridgeheads over Oder, last natural bar
rier to Berlin. Kuestrin captured. Reds
in sight of Danzig, tighten siege of
Koenigsberg. Fleet aids Marines on Two
Jima but progress is slow. Shumushu
and Paramushiro bombed by Aleutian-
based planes.
Wednesday: Pontoon bridges aid
Yanks in pouring more men and mate
rial across Rhine at Remagen. Gain
mile toward superhighway. Patch's
7th Army reaches Saar River near
Saarbruecken. Reds break through Nazi
defenses on Oder River. Frankfurt
threatened as 115-mile front flames into
action Raid on Osaka Tuesday re-
ported. Super Forts drop hundreds of
tons of incendiaries, setting fires burning
square miles in heart of industrial city.
Fire visible lbs miles. Marines seal Japs
in Two Jima caves. Jap resistance
stiffens north of Zamboanga.
Thursday: First Army cuts Hitler
superhighway. Nazis report new Amer
ican 18th Army in action at Remagen,
bringing to 10, number of divisions
across Rhine. Raj plane blasts viaduct
at Bielefeld with new 11-ton "town-
buster" bomb. Reds improve positions
from mouth of Oder to Frankfurt. Army
claims Osaka arsenal blown up in raid
Tuesday. Americans seize two small
islands in Sibuyan Sea, continue ad-
vance on Mindanao and drive Japs on
Luzon further back into the hills.
Friday: Nazis begin evacuation of
Saarland and Palatinate as 7th Army
rolls forward on 50-mile front. First
Army's bridgehead expanded to Is miles.
Patton's Sd, breaks out of Saar BRIDGE
head to rush south in effort to trap all
Nazis in Saar and Palatinate. American
.tsee WAR REVIEW. Page C-3)