Evening star., 1945-07-24
ThreeWarships
Reported Hit by
Yanks at Kure
japan Roided by Z, 900
Planes, Including
Record BIG Force
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
GUAM, July 24.-Two thou.
sand American planes from car.
rierS and half a dozen land base:
hammered Japan with concen,
trated fury today, pounding
warshipS in the great Kure
naval base and blasting the in
duStrial centers of Osaka anc
Nagoya with 1000 tons of ex-
ploSiveS.
The prowling United States 80
FleeS moved back to the shores OF
Japan in force, sending between
1000 and $500 carrier planes racing
over Kure and inland cities of
Honshu Island.
Associated Press war correspond
entS with the feet reported pilots
located hiding enemy warShips al
Kure and dived to the attack through
intense antiaircraft fire and the first
aggressive fighter interception the
enemy has mounted in two weeks of
naval air and sea bombardment.
Correspondent James Lindsey re-
ported at least one direct hit with a
1,000-pound bomb on warship
Correspondent Richard O'Malley told
of hits on two others.
More Than 600 B-29s in Raid.
The greatest force of Super
Fortresses ever to take the air few
from their MarianaS bases to attack
Osaka and Nagoya. Headquarters
here said there were more than 600
Tokyo placed their number above
700.
The 1000 tons of bombs-Some of
them 2 tonners-were dropped on
five war plants in the Nagoya-
Osaka area in the attack, first day
light strike of the B-29s since June
26. The Super Forts encountered
no fighter opposition and only mod
crate antiaircraft fire.
simultaneously with the carrier
attack on Kure, the Goth Air Force
disclosed that the huge naval ar
senal was Sc per cent destroyed or
damaged in a Super Fort daylight
raid a month ago-June %. Recon-
naissance photos showed 2,400,0 1000
square feet of roof space and more
han 70 buildings damaged.
Other Areas Attacked.
Japanese broadcasts today reported
Mustang fighters, Liberator bomb
ers and other light aircraft from
Two Jima and Okinawa hammered
widespread areas of Southern Hon
shu in co-ordinated sorties. Nor
mally about 300 of these land-based
planes hit Japan daily0
The Tokyo radio admitted that
some 1000" American planes were
on the loose over Honshu. 1t quoted
a Kure naval station communique,
which confirmed that vessels at
anchor" as well as airflelds were
the target.
The enemy communique said
about 80 B-29s escorted by Mus
tangs and $50 carrier planes started
he raids at 6 am. Other waves
)lloWed.
Called Heaviest" Assault.
The Domei News Agency termed
he 2,000-plane assault the "heav-
lest ever carried out on the home
land" 1t claimed damage to ships
was light, but admitted that i'm
portant establishments at Osaka
were hit and fires started.
Correspondent Lindsley's dis
patch said that the enemy, appar-
entity goaded into action by the Sd
Fleets recent taunts, finally sent up
planes to harass the attackers.
Returning carrier pilots reported
hat IL Japanese fighter planes
swept out of the clouds and made
passes at them. One Hellcat was
lost in the swirling fight that fol-
lowed. At least one Jap pilot was
doWned.
The attack on Kure, where carrier
irmen left IA major japanese ships
rippled March 10, was the third
onsecutive day of widely separated
ct attacks.
ParamuShiro Shelled.
Paramushiro in the Kuriles, north
Japan, was shelled Sunday, while
estroyers for the first time at
lcked enemy shipping off the China
cast, south of Shanghai.
Yesterday two other light forces
irecked four-snip convoy in outer
tokyo Bay and shelled Chichi Jima,
so miles south. The Tokyo radio
eported this area was struck again
oday.
The assault on Nagoya-an impor-
ant aircraft manufacturing center
was the 18th by Super Forts. II
was the sixth on Osaka, which has
population of 3,250,000 and is
Japan's second largest city.
The carrier attack on Kure was
primarily for the purpose of hunt
ing out Japanese battleships, car
riers and cruisers believed heavily
damaged in the big strike OF
March 10.
American planes at that time
damaged one or two battleShipS, two
or three aircraft carriers, two light
aircraft carriers, two escort car
riers, one heavy cruiser, one light
cruiser, four destroyers and SUBJ
marine. Putting the ships back into
commission would require at least
three to five months under ideal
conditions, American naval officers
estimated. Presumably they had
remained at their Kure moorings.
Important Targets in Area.
Japan's greatest battleship. the
Yamato, was added to the toll
shortly afterward She went down
blazing, along with two cruisers
and several destr Dyers, south Of
Kyushu April 6.
Kure, hemmed in on three sides
by green hills bristling with anti
(See FLEET, Page A-3D
to0e TI1.r. 2 7oe nror