The Ypsilanti daily press., 1945-08-03
Senators FaV0r P0tsddm Terms
IAir Blockade
Cutting Japan
|Off From Aid
iBy the Associated Pressl

10y Ine AssOCldltu EIesbJ
A complete aerial blockade has
cut on Japan from any aid from
Asia where a huge Allied offensive
is expected soon, American com.
manders said today shortly after re-
porting 119 more japanese vessels
have been sunk or damaged.
The air blockade was announced
by Supsrfort headquarters. a
spokesman said every harDor OF
Japan and Korea has been virtually
closed by history's most extensive
air-borne mining operation.
Whatever shipping manages 70
run the gauntlet OF mines is hunt
ed down by patrolling American
aircraft from Okinawa.
Japanese broadcasts said Ameri-
can naval forces recently concen-
trated 500 warships, including
battleships and cruisers" in the
Okinawa area to support an inva-
sion OF Japan.
The broadcast, based on an edi-
torial In the Tokyo newspaper Yu-
miuri Hochi, said the United States
could throw 40 divisions into an
invasion today.
Voices Expectation
The expectation of major fighting
on the continent was voiced by 1t.
Gen. Albert c. Wedemeyer, U. s.
commander in China. Such cam
paign, he said, would be supported
by the American-trained, American
equipped Chinese forces who did
so well in the reconquest Of north
ern Burma.
Other Chinese forces are being
coached in the U. 8. style Of war
fare by American officers. Ulti-
mate goal, Wedemeyer said, Is the
reopening Of coastal ports to supply
Chinese troops. Presumably this
would involve an American landing
on the China coast.
Wedemeyer's statements were
accompanied by renewed drive by
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek's
forces in southeast China. They
were reported hammering against
stubborn and reinforced Japanese
81 miles northeast Of Kweilin, re-
Gently recaptured U. 8. airbase
city. =. u.
In other. land actions, Yanks
hunted down cornered Japanese
generals in the northern Philip
pines and Australians were sup
ported by their own light naval
units in the reconquest of northern
Solomon Islands. British forces
fighting through southern Burma's
monsoons have killed $500 Japa-
nese and captured $50 in the last
two weeks.
Major blows OF the war we're still
being struck from the air.
As 100 Mustang fighters struck
the Tokyo area again today Japa-
nese domestic broadcasts said that
the "beastly" air offensive would
be carried out fiercely" with the
objective OF "Yiping out the Japa-
nese people.
1t. Gen. James H. Doolittle, com
mander of the Sth Air Force which
is soon to go into action with its
B-29s from Okinawa, said the o1-
jective was to knock out Kamikaze
suicide planes which would be the
emperors principal anti-invasion
weapon.
Add to Toll
Whatever the purpose, the re-
ports on Allied air strikes added
81 Nipponese vessels to this weeks
toll. in addition to extensive lana
damage.
A recapitulation Of last Mondays
carrier raid reaching from Tokyo
Bay across Japan's main island
was responsible for the largest In.
crease. This final" recapitulation
added 4s ships and small craft, IN
cluding four small warships, to the
days toll. The revised carrier
plane bag for the day is 27S air
craft and 1I6 vessels-24 sunk and
90 damaged.
Okinawa bombers and fighters