The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-24

(Continued from Page D was among Japan's greatest naval centers, and might shelter much of'' the enemy fleet.
 The first Superfort attack by daylight in more than a month hit the Japanese war centers late in the morning. The B-29's dropped their bombs mostly through cloud cover. The weather forced some of them to take alternate targets. Weather Clears A break in the weather permitted visual bombing of the Sumitomc light metal industry plant at Osaka and the Kawanishi aircraft plant al Takarazuka, eight miles northwest of Osaka.
 Clouds obScured the Nagoya tar gets, where the bombs were dropped by instrument on the urban indus trial centers of Kuwana, 12 miles southwest of Nagoya proper. and Tsu, 34 miles southwest of the city Also hit were the Nakajina air. craft plant 13 miles southeast of Ma goya, and the Aichi aircraft plant at Nagoya. The Shimitomo light metals plant in that area had been damaged earlier by the Superforts The Aichi plant turns out compo- nent assemblies for all Aichi planes of which the Judy" dive bomber is the best known.
 The Sumitoma light metal plant is a major producer of propellers for combat planes. as well as aluminium and duralumin for aircraft produc- tion. Some l3.5 per cent of its roof area was damaged in earlier at- tackS.
 Many" Japanese warships were caught riding at anchor in Kure harbor on the inland sea, United Press War Correspondent Richard J. Johnston reported from the at- tacking fleet.
 The Japanese ships and their shore batteries threw up terrific hail of flax and swarms of en- emy fighters rose to battle the raid- CTS, but Johnson said the Ameri- cnn Helldivers pressed their at- tacks home with excellent" re- suits.
 Tokyo admitted slight" damage to warships at Kure, and claimed to have shot down 30 American planes
 United Press War Correspondent Earnest Hoberecht, also with Hal scy,s fleet, said at least two Jap- anese warships were hit directly by heavy bombs and that a number cf other enemy craft were left burning f!ercely.
 Aircraft Disclosed
 Upwards of 1000 carried planes were on the attack over Kure and the chain of enemy airfields around the naval station and 1t was in- dicate they flushed out a huge concentration of Japanese aircraft hidden there.
 The carrier strike kicked off Q day of unprecedented American aerial offensive during which per- naps 2,OOO Yank warplanes, ranging from fighters to giant B-2o super- fortresses were over the enemy homeland.
 A record fleet of over 600 B-ao's bombed Osaka and Nagoya. and Tokyo said another 400 Army fight. ers and light boTnbers also hit H0nshu from their bases on oki' nawa and Two Jima.
 The main blow at kure opened At dawn, when Halsey launched ms first waves Of fighters, dive bomb CTS and torpedo planes from. . slett rendezvous that Tokyo said was somewhere off the southeast coast Of Honshu.
 Surprise Attack
 Cauehk flatf0otsd in the opening minutes Of the American strike, the Janan0so reacted At first with A terrific aFlti.aiFcFaft bAFFAee |, Than, for lhN first time since Hal" sey began hIs fleet aSsault on ja. pan on Jnly 70, Japanese lighters Eose te meet the attacking Amsb' Climbing through their own blAA. Inc flak screen. the enemy flyers pat ip a aespeFale but ApeafenslF futile battle le deiena the great naval enehoTage.
 Dv all accounts lFiekllns Into fleet heAeallsFssFs shelg defense was hn' Eliooe5flll.
 aNesihsr lIns, Taaulle excellent, ," Has Us slIll ieEza lspeIl ifoIA te4s