Evening star., 1945-04-18
2,280 Jap Aircraft
Destroyed in Aiding
Invasion Of 0kinawa
BY the Associated Press.

GUAM, April 18.-More than
2,260 japanese planes were de-
stroyed by American and British
carrier planes and antiaircraft
gunnerS in the last month in
support of the OkinaWa invasion.
This toll was announced by Ad-
miral Chester w. Nimitz today amid
increasing indications that Japan's
fierce air attacks on the American
invasion armada off OklnaWa heav-
lily drained the enemy's supply of
planes and pilots.
The planes were knocked out of
enemy air fleets attacking the
Americans on and of Okinawa, and
also in American and British car
rier raids on the Ryukyus and the
japanese main islands.
Pilots from Vice Admiral Marc A.
Mitscher's fast carrier force shot
down the greatest number 900.
Land-based aircraft, antiaircraft
guns and planes flying from escort
carriers accounted for 600. British
carrier planes covering the south
ern flank wiped out 80.
Toll IS Planes Daily.
Destruction of the Japanese air
force thus averaged 76 planes a day
from March 18 through April II.
This toll does not include planes
shot down by Super Fortresses or by
escorting Mustangs from Two Jima.
/ In one recent Tokyo raid, B-29 gun
ners alone shot down or damaged 1856
aircraft and escorting fighters add
( ed 81.
japanese planes hit the Okinawa
area heavily again on Monday, strik-
ing in 10 waves between 9 and 1890
am. At least 10 of the attackers
were demolished in suicidal at
tempts. Sixty-two were shot down
in combat and 38 fell to antiaircraft
fire.
Infantrymen on Southern Oki-
nawa still were locked in a bitter
artillery duel 4 miles north of the
capital city of Naha, while Marines
edged closer to the northern beaches
through small pockets of japanese
resistance.
lie Almost Captured.
Ten-square- mile lie Island off the
west central coast of Okinawa was
virtually in American hands.
Invaded by oath Corps Doughboys
who quickly seized four-strip air.
field, the island was reported today
two-thirds in American control.
The Yanks were meeting only mod
crate resistance as they closed in
on the remaining garrison, encircled
in the southeast corner.
Tokyo radio claimed. meanwhile,
that American forces had invaded
tiny Menna islet. about miles south
of lie. Menna also has an airfield.
GA japanese imperial COM
munique claimed today that
nine American warships and
four transports were sunk Mon
day and yesterday by suicide
plane attacks near Okinawa.
simultaneously, Tokyo radio
asserted an American sub
marine was sunk Dy japanese
| patrol units. Neither dispatch,
both recorded in San Francisco
by the Federal Communications
Commission, had Allied con-
firmation.
(The communique listed the
assertedly sunken warships as
five aircraft carriers, a battle
ship, two battleships or cruisers,
and one cruiserD
Admiral Nimitz gave cleanup
report of Two Jima, the little island
in the Volcanos, $50 miles south OF
Tokyo. Two was the bloodiest con-
quest of the Pacific war.
He reported that 22.73l Japanese
were killed from D day, February
10, through last Saturday. The
captured totaled 624. American
Marine casualties have been listed
as 4,189 dead, 15,308 wounded and
AL missing-a total of 1888.