The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-19
3O,OOO Marines
 Storm Two Jina
Continued from Page 1J

famed It. Gen. Holland M. Smith commanding the expeditionary groups.
 The invading fifth amphibious corps, under the command of Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, comprised the Fourth Marine Division under Maj. Been. Clifton B. Gates and the Fifth Marine Division under Maj. Gen. Keller E. Rockey.
 Japanese attention and strength was diverted from Two during the crucial pre-invasion bombardme4lt by the assault on Tokyo itself by more than 1200 planes from task force 58 standing less than 300 miles off Japan.
 Nimitz's first communique gave the following summary of the re- suits of the precedent breaking at- tack on the worlds third largest city:
 Enemy Ships
 At least B sunk-one destroyer, two destroyer escorts, one cargo ship, nine coastal vessels and nu- merous picket ships.
 One Wrecked-an escort carrier set afire and overturned.
 g coastal vessels damaged.
 Enemy Aircraft
 332 shot down.
 177 destroyed or the ground
 150 probably destroyed or dam aged on Friday alone.
 An unokn number damaged Saturday.
 Ground Installations
 eStroyed-Airfield hangars, shops and other installations.
 Damaged - Ota aircraft factory; Susashia, Tamaa nd Tathigawa en- zine plants.
 American Losses ShipS-None.
 Aircraft-49.
 Pilots-30 to 40.
 It was 10-to-one victory for Amer ican planes. NimitZ reported that all enemy efforts to reach task force 58 were turned back by com- bat air patrols before they could reach the ships. Enemy fighters were 'unaggressive" and avoided American fighters, he said
 Approaching the enemy coast under cover of darkness and wealth CT so adverse as to handicap enemy air operations, complete tactical sur prise was accomplished by our forces" Nimitz siad.
 Tn comparing this record of dam age done, the forces under com- mand of Admiral R A. Spruance, commanding the Fifth Fleet, and Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, in tactical command of the carrier forces, have won a victory a shis- toric as it Is decisive in the hearts of the enemy defenses.
 'T'he airmanship of our naval aviators was superior to anthing the enemy and adverse weather could offer"
 In sending his congratulations to the task force, Nimitz added
 T know that our future opera tions will hurt the enemy even more"
 The communique incidentally re- vealed that the attack extended south to Lokohama, main port of Tokyo bay. The enemy escort car- rier which turned over in flames after the attack was at Yokohama
 Some of the enemy shipping was sent to the bottom by surface war ships guarding the carrier fleet One picket ship was ramed and sunk by an American destroyer. Radio Tokyo said the naval Ar mada off Japan turned south to the Bonin Islands. presumably to SUD- port the landing on Two, after breaking off the raids on the Jap anese capital Saturday night.
 Tokyo finally acknowledged that the Americans had gained footholds on Two after trumpeting claims that four abortive landing attempts had been smashed Saturday.
 During the final stages of the pre- liminary bombardment, Tokyo said some maojr fleet units approached as close af half mile from the Two coast.
 Then, promptly at 8 a. m, the first landing craft hit Futatsune beach on the southwest coast, Tokyo said.
 The Japanese garrison immed- lately began pushing the enemy in- vaders back to the sohre and now are engaged in a fierce counter attack against the enemy" the broadcast said.
 Garrison units also intercepted landing forces on the southern and eastern coasts, Tokyo said. Vast battles" were raging, the enemy ac- count said, with coastal artillery and Japanese planes backing up the garrison.
 A Japanese communique claimed that Japanese ground batteries and aircraft had sunk or damaged 2; American ships Friday and Sat- urday off Two. Listed as sunk were 8 battleship. four cruisers, two mine- sweepers, four landing transports and three unidentified warships.
 A number of Japanese coastal bat. teries were smashed in the prelim- mary bombardment. A Pacific fleet communique early todd ysaid three havily-ecasmated coastal guns were knocked out and three others wert damaged by battleships on the thirc day of the bombardment Sunday.
 Rear Admiral W. H. c. BlanGy former chief of the Navy Bureau ol Ordnance, had tactical command oi