Evening star., 1945-04-08
BottIeship, 5Othe'
Vessels and All
Planes Destroyed
PREMIER SUZUKI FORMS new
japanese cabinet. Page AS.
YANKS GAIN in northWard push
on OkinaWa, Page AS.
BY the Associated Press.

YANKS GAIN in northward push
on Okinawa, Page As.
BY the Associated Press.
GUAM, Sunday. April g.
United States Navy carrier air
craft smashed probably the last
strong Japanese naval force. in
cluding the superbattleship va
mato, in the East China Sea
Saturday as the japanese
steamed out apparently in a
"banzai" effort to turn the tide
of war.
Admiral Chester w. Nimitz an
nounced from his headquarters
here that the battle was fought
around noon Saturday. japanese
time. I'll pm. Friday. Eastern Wal
Time.
The communique reported six
japanese Warships, including the
Yamato. and 391 enemy planes were
destroyed in Friday and Saturday
sea and air actions.
All Jap Planes Destroyed.
A later count raised to AIT the
number of enemy planes destroyed
In Washington an official Navy
spokesman said "a good 25 per cent
of the remaining japanese major
combat force was lost or put out
of action in the engagement,
United States Pacific feet losses
were listed as three destroyers
sunk. several other destroyers and
smaller craft damaged and seven
carrier planes destroyed.
In a second communique. Admiral
Nimitz added that "one OF our
heavy fleet units suffered minor
damage during an aircraft attack,
but is fully operational The heavy
unit, presumably a battleShip or
large carrier, had participated in the
naval battle.
The japanese initiated the two
days of desperate action in efforts
to Shatter the American amphibious
force invading Okinawa Island, some
1926 miles south of the japanese
Big B-29 Raid on Japan
AS word of Japan's latest sea
disaster came from Admiral Nimitz
the Guam 2lst Bomber Command
disclosed the greatest land-baSed
plane lashing of the home islands
since the start of the war. More
than 300 B-29s. escorted for the
first time by Psi fighter planes
from Two Jima bases, rained in
cendiary bombs on Tokyos Naka-
jima- -Musashino aircraft engine
works and Nagoya's Mitsubishi plane
plant shortly before noon SATURDAY.
I'll pm, Friday Eastern War Time)
The American bomberS and Mus
tangs destroyed or damaged 173
japanese fighter planes. The
bombers accounted for 1876 and the
fighters for 81. OF the latter. S21
were shot down, 6 probably
destroyed and 10 damaged.
Five Super Fortresses and two
Mustangs were lost as the Americans
ran into intense antiaircraft fire as
we'll as surprisingly heavy fighter
opposition.
(The goth Air Force announced
in Washington that a force of
perhaps half a hundred Super
Fortresses struck military targets
in the Kanoya area on the south
ern tip of Japan Sunday, Tokyo
time. 1t gave no details)
a large force of Japanese air.
craft attacked the invasion ships
and Okinawa shore positions Fri
day. The communique said the
desperate japanese airmen sue
ceeded in sinking the three destroy.
ers and damaging the other war
ships. United States fighter planes
and gunners brought down lit
japanese planes.
50 Miles South of Kyushu.
The japanese surface force-rep'
resenting probably about all tina
remained of the Emperor's once
proud combined heets-was sightee
heading into the East China Sea
from Japan's Inland Sea bases by
United States Fleet Air Wing
search craft before noon Saturday
Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitschel
Immediately sent his carrier tasl
force to intercept the japanese.
The carrier planes struck the
japanese during the middle of the
day" only so miles southwest o.
Kyushu Island, which is a part o1
the Japanese homeland.
There was no air opposition ovel
(See NAVAL BATTLE, Page A-5J