The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-27
Yanks Ashore
In Ryukyus,
laps Report
Naval Forces Continue
Bombardment OF Is
land Group

GUAM. Tuesday, March 81
II :. warplanes and battleships
borbarded the big Ryukyu island
If OkinaWa yesterday, it was an
no,lnced today. and Tokyo broad
casts said American invasion for
res we're sWarming ashore on three
inv islands to the west in a drive
which carried the Stars and Stripes
within 1856 miles of the japanese
mainland.
Adm. Chester w. Nimitz amour
ced that carrier planes and fast
battleships battered airfields and
shore installations on Okinawa in
the third attack on the island in
four days.
Tokyo reported that the Ameri-
cans had landed on the islands OF
Aka. Zamai and Toka shiki, in the
Kerma group west of Okinawa,
main island in the Ryukyu chain
which protects the approaches to
southern Japan and the Asiatic
mainland.
Ninitz announced that a small
number OF Japanese planes sought
to intercept the attacking fleet,
which the enemy said included Is
aircraft carriers and II battleships,
but six were shot down. That
brought to 1877 the number of planes
destroyed or damaged by Vice
adm. Marc A. Mitscher's famed
Task Force So which started the
present sweep with an assault on
the Japanese mainland on March
49,
One American light uni" pos
Sbly a destroyer-suffered some
damage.
Battleships - Including giants OF
the new $4,000 ton class-turned
their big guns of Okinawa's shore
installations in Mondays attacks
while carrier planes blasted air
fields and other targets not speclfl'
cally identified.
The attacks on OkinaWa and 9TH
er islands in the Ryul1yu chain
started Friday and continued
through Saturday before apparent.
ly being broken off Sunday.
Nimitz also disclosed that Army
Air Force bombers on Saturday
hammered the airfield on Chichi
island, north of newly-conquered
Two and Mustang fighters followed
through Sunday with another as
Sault.
The Japanese sent planes out to
attack Two Sunday night, but Amer
lean Black Widow night fighters
turned them back before they could
reach the island. A number of Jap
anese bombers were shot into the
sea.
Tokyo, reporting the landings
which pushed the American lines
075 miles westward from Two al.
most to the underside of Japan it
self said the japanese garrison
had launched violent counter-at'
lacks against the invading forces.
In broadcast at am. DAP
nese time), or several hours be-
fore Nimitz issued his bulletin, the
enemy said the Americans hac
begun landing Monday morning un
der cover of a heavy lombard
ment. g..
The enemy, who has been con
Quoting carrier attacks against the
Oklnawa group since March "a (Sat
urday), has finally begun landing
operations under cover of a heavy
commandment at am. March 70,
Tokyo said. japanese garrison!
were dealing violent counter-at
tackS upon the invaders"
Tokyo originally said the land
hgS on the three tiny islands hae
Stared Sunday morning (Japanes'
tlme) but claimed that through
Monday night all had been beatel
back, without a single American
soldier landing.
The enemy said four u. S. nava
task forces were off the Ryukyu!
and 430 carrier planes and war
SHIPS were bombing and Smelling va
tlous targets, the principal ones be
ing Okinawa and the island OF MI
yako, $50 miles to the southwest
Japan claimed II American plane
were shot down and 10 damaged.
Tokyo said among the ships il
The various fleets were IS carriers
II battleships, 10 cruisers and
oestroyers which had been shelllni
Key islands since Saturday morn
ing. The enemy said the landing
operations began Sunday morning