The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-17


 sula,' western arm of Tokyo Bay and site of the Yokosuka Naval base.
 Domei said American forces be- gan landing operations on Futat- sune Beach in southwest Two about 10:30 a. m. (9:30 p. m. Friday, EWT) but were completely smashed"
 Following the failure, all enemy troops withdrew far out to sea-" the broadcast said.
 Ten minutes later - 10:40 a. m. - American troops began landing on Kamiyama beach on the southeast ern tip of the tiny eight-square- mile island, Domei said.
 Our garrison troops going into action to engage these enemy forces successfully repulsed them, with severe losses inflicted on the invad- ers," 1t asserted.
 The broadcat, while saying that the second landing had been re pulsed" notably made no claim that these forces also had with drawn.
 Two, a gourd-shaped island in the Volcano group, is barren and rocky. The Japanese, however, biult three airfields on its shore from which to intercept Tokyo-bound Superfort- resses and raid their bases in the Marianas. It also has served as an observation post from which to warn the homeland of the approach of Superfortresses.
 On Jap Soil?
 The landing, if confirmed, would put American troops for the first time on Japanese soil administered as part of the Tokyo prefecture. Winter monsoonS normally sweep the area from December to March, bringing strong winds and high seas.
 Another Domei broadcast said the Japanese garrison of Two up to Q a. m. (8 D. m. Thursday, EWT) had accounted for" one large American cruiser, one destroyer and one unidentified type of warship sunk. One flying boat was said to have been shot down ard another damaged.
 Three waves totalling 50 planes from the sky-filling fleet of 1,200 to 1900 aboard the worlds biggest carrier armada standing les than 300 miles off the Japanese coast opened today's assault on the Tokyo area soon after dawn, enemy broad casts said
 Other formations followed at in- tervalS of an hour and a half, con- centrating on greater Tokyo itSel4 rather than inland targets as yeS- terday, broadcasts said. They admit ted transportation facilitets in the Tokyo metropolitan district and ad- jaccnt areas had been hit.
 A Japanese communique issued at 3:30 p. m. (2:30 a. m. EWT) &C., knoWledged that the raids SGll were continuing at that hour and claimed that 147 American planes had been shot down yesterday and 50 others damaged. Japanese planes at- tackfiing the American Task Force heavily damaged and set afire" a large warship, believed an aircraft carrier, the communique said.
 An American cruiser was sunk by Japanese planes off Two, the enemy communique said,
 It asserted that the American carrier planes had caused only slight" damage to ground installa- tiosn in yesterdays attack on the Tokyo area. However, a pail of smoke, broken by occasional flashes of fire. Stil hung over Tokyo from that attack as the second phase of the assault got under way today.
 Tokyo said the waves of raiders today averaged 70 to 90 planes, com- pared with 15O at time yesterday. However, & superfortress pilot who witnessed yesterdays raids said as many as ,l200 planes were over the capital at one time. It was speculat- ed that the planes flew more than 2000 SortieS yesterday
 Fierce Fight
 Japanese fighters and anti-air- craft defenses again engaged the raiders and 'fiercest fighting fol- lowed, Tokyo said. Other broadcasts claimed variously that 43 to l45 planes were shot down yesterday.
 IT. their first reference to a count er-attack against the task force it. self the Japanese said that Japanese planes had set afire Large war ship, probably an aircraft carrier"
 Admiral Chester w. Nimitz, con- mander of the Pacific fleet, con- firmed that the assault on Tokyo had extended into second day in brief communique which said merely that the attack was con tinuing." Unofficial re rorts reach- ing headquarters indicated that the first days attackers met "consid- erable success"
 Sunperfortress crews who witness ed the attack from the sub-strato- sphere told of smoke rising to 1000 feet or more from burning installa- tions and Of scores of Japanese planes shot down or destroyed on the ground.
 IL was assumed that yesterdays attacks were design ned to destroy or pin down enemy fighter planes on the several dozen fields dotting the great plain around Tokyo. Today, 1t was believed, helldivers and Aveng- CTS began pinpoint bombing Of Jap ancse military installations, includ- ing aircraft repa irand manufacture facilities.
 Tokyo conceded that the assault appeared to have the aim of destroy tng the Japanese air force. Man SIuSheS