Evening star., 1945-08-13
Sd Fleet Guards
Against Possible
Bunzui Assaults

sey's powerful Sd Fleet guarded
against possible banzai attack
by the japanese Air Force today
as his carrier planes blasted the
Yokohama docks and submarine
pens after being turned back by
heavy weather from the Tokyo
area.
Associated Press War Correspond
ent Richard K. O'Malley, with the
fleet, reported that six enemy
planes, attempting sneak attacks
were shot down by carrier planes.
A Tokyo broadcast, recorded by
the FEC. admitted some damage
was caused by 300 carrier based
planes attacking the Kanto district
of East Central Honshu. The at
tack, the japanese said, lasted IL
hours, and II planes were shot
down and 25 damaged.
Possibility Of a japanese aerial
banzi assault against the fleet was
voiced by some officers, Correspond
ent O'Malley said. because of per-
sistent attempts by reconnaissance
planes to locate the American force.
Docks and Sub Pens Hit.
Turned back by heavy weather
at Tokyo, the carrier planes picked
targets of opportunity. The Yoko-
hama docks and submarines in pens
at Shimoda. to the south along
Sagami Bay. were hit hard.
Numerous merchant vessels and
luggers were attacked. Returning
flyers said the only two airhelds in
land on Honshu not shrouded by
fog were Kiryu and Nagano. These
were worked over, with early esti-
mates listing scores of planes de-
stroyed or damaged on the ground
Returning pilots said the enemy
offered no airborne opposition over
the targets and one group flew over
three fields without drawing anti
aircraft fire.
Far East Air Forces squadrons also
their daily assaults on
Japan. No details were given.
1000 Planes Take Part.
Radioed dispatches from Halsey's
flagship said more than 1000 British
and American planes participated in
today's carrier plane attack.
A japanese torpedo plane was
shot down near the vast fleet early
today, and Admiral Nlmity an
nounced another had torpedoed and
damaged a major" American war
vessel at Okinawa last night.
CA Japanese broadcast from the
Domei news agency asserted with
out confirmation that japanese
marine forces had sunk a large
aircraft carrier off Okinawa in
an attack today. The communi-
que was published at 3 pm.
japanese time.
Earlier, the Japanese said they
had sunk a seaplane tender off
Okinawa Sunday.
Associated Press War Correspond-
ent Spencer Davis reported from
Okinawa that the major feet unit"
attacked suffered only minor dam
age.
Norman Paige, in an Ameri-
can broadcasting Co. report from
the Sd Fleet, said the ship at
tackled was a battleship).
Both Admiral Nimitz and Admiral
Halsey had maintained a tense alert
against possible japanese treachery
during the two-day naval lull ended
by this mornings smashing attack,
Admiral Halsey's pilots Thursday
and Friday had destroyed or dam
aged TIL enemy planes and 81 sur
lace craft-in addition to their
July toll of more than 1000 vessels
and nearly 1900 aircraft DESTROYED
or damaged.
KyuS6u Battered.
There was no hull in Far East all
forces assaults over the week end
More than 400 bombers and fighters
hammered Kyushu Saturday. sink.
Ing or damaging 81 enemy vessels
and small craft and leaving the
rubber manufacturing center o1
Kurume a hollow, flaming ruin
pilots related. 1t. Gen. George C
Kennedy declared his squadrons
continued their attacks Sunday and
swept over the enemy homeland
again today.
B-29s resumed attacks after only
a one-day respite, striking Sunday
with 70-plane blow at industria]
Matsuyama on Shikoku, the enemy
radio reported.
There was no immediate con-
flrmation of this resumption of Su-
per Fort strikes, but Associated
Press Correspondent Vern Haug-
land reported from BIG headquar-
ters that the goth Air Force Is
prepared to equal in the next five
weeks as much devastation as il
wrought in the past five months.
Another Possible Weapon.
Mr.. Haugland mentioned another
possible weapon not yet used by the
Super Forts-fuel oil sprayed on rice
paddles, to starve out the blockade
strangled enemy.
The blockade, maintained tightly
by both Army and Navy land-baseo
aircraft, was not relaxed by surren-
der offers.
In addition to the 81 craft sunl
or damaged by Gen. Kenney's FEAI
(See FLEET, Page A-3.)