Evening star., 1945-02-17
Enemy Fears Action
Moy Be Prelude to
Strike at Homeland
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
American amphibious troops
today invaded Two Jima, 750
miles south of Tokyo, an I'm
perial japanese communique re-
ported, and one Tokyo news
paper was quoted in other broad
casts as saying the heavy car
rier- borne air raids around the
capital, now in their second day,
may be preparatory to the en-
emy's landing scheme on the
homeland"
Unconfirmed Domei news agency
dispatches, intercepted by the Fed
eral Communications Commission
which said Yank assault forces had
landed on two beaches on the south
ern shore of Two within 10 minutes
were followed by the Imperial an
nouncement which claimed the at
tacks were repulsed and five at
tacking ships sunk.
The communiQue said the land
ings on the largest island of the
Volcano group were made under the
support of furious naval gun bar
RACES" 1t said one battleship, two
cruisers and two unknown type
ships were sunk under attack by
shore guns and the japanese Ali
Force. Three assault ships were
claimed damaged, and 10 attacking
planes downed.
Another enemy communique
claimed one American warship
probably carrier, was set ablaze
and lat American planes shot down
in raids on the Tokyo metropolitan
area. The Japanese high com.
mand admitted loss of 81 aircraft.
Tokyo asserted today's carrier
strike at the Tokyo area lasted fol
6 hours, in contrast with hour!
yesterday. and the number of raider.
dwindled to 600,
HachiJo Jima Attacked.
The Tokyo home radio also re
ported simultaneous attacks by 20'
carrier based planes on Hachij,
Jima Island, in the Izu group SOM
200 miles south of Tokyo. o..--e=.-.
The Tokyo newspaper Asahi wa
quoted as editorializing that tn,
raids around Tokyo may lead to /,
landing on the homeland Mainichi
another leading Tokyo newspaper
was quoted as saying amphibiou,
forces backed by the United State.
5th Fleet might strike directly al
the japanese homeland and effect
landings there"
Landings such as the report of the
Two assault normally are first an.
nounced by Tokyo, which invariably
says that they were "repulsed.'
Chungking. intercepting Tokyo
reports to the Orient on the Two
invasion. made no mention of g
claim that the attack had been re.
pulsed.
Thunderous Bombardment.
The reported invasion came in the
wake of thunderous air and nava
bombardment, backed by the biz
guns of a task force which the Jap.
anese said included at least 81
American warships.
The Domei report which preceded
the Tokyo communique said:
"All the enemy attempts at land.
| ing on Two Jima have so far beer
repulsed by our garrison troops, with
heavy losses inflicted on the enemy
front-line dispatches reaching her,
this afternoon reported.
According to the dispatches, tn,
enemy task force operating in tn,
waters of Two Jima started landing
operation on Futatsune Beach or
the southwestern part of that islane
about 10:30 am. Saturday. Our gar,
rison troops in that area promptl,
counterattacked these enemy troop.
and completely smashed the enem.
attempt at landing, the dispatche'
declared.
Following this failure all enem,
troops Withdrew far out to sea, tn,
dispatches added.
Another Landing Attempt.
About 10 minutes later, accordin,
to the same dispatches, the enem.
made another attempt at landing
around lao am. In this Secont
Attempt the enemy started landing
ION Kamiyama beach on the south
eastern tip of the island.
Our garrison troops going int
action to engage these enemy force
(See TWO JTMA, Page A-3.)