The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-16

'rica ever before assembled in
sending raiders in continuous
waves against Tokyo's air.
fields and military defenses,
tangling in sky battles with
the enemy airforce.
| The carriers, protected literally
by thousands of anti-aircraft guns
mounted on battleships, cruisers
and destroyers, disgorged swarms
of bombing, torpedoing and STRAIT
| ing raiders in the first such naval
smash of the war at Japan's CAPT.
tai.
The huge and audacioux opera
tons, posing a challenge to Nip
pon's fleet, strongly suggests ma
jor developments.
CThere was no word from head
quarters of the raids purpose but
it easily could he intended to cover
new amphibious landing operations
within the inner defense ring Of
Japan's island outguards).
A Navy communique today, first
disclosing the action, said the
planes were raiding ''in and
around Tokyo" while warships
shelled Two lima in the Volcano Is
lands and other enemy bases some
700 miles to the south.
Tokyo confirmed the attack, said
it began at ISIS am. Tokyo time,
reported two hours later it still was
continuing and still later that the
planes were tanning out in at
tacks southeast to air bases on 70
the Boso peninsula.
Screaming Hencats, their heavy
multiple machine guns spewing
death and destruction in the first
American carrier sweep over To-
kyo, Jared the japanese capital
shortly after dawn into a day OF
hysterical terror" reported Al
Dopking, Associated Press war
correspondent, in a Guam head
quarters dispatch.
The Tokyo smash followed by a
day Superfortress blow at Ma
goya on the same island. The 21st
Bomber command said the force
of BIOS possibly was the largest
ever to strike at Japan.
Signaling the beginning Of the
carrier assault on Tokyo, the jap
anese radios there went silent at
7 am. just as the American flag
was being raised over headquar-
tiers on Guam.
The overall fleet actions-the
Tokyo raids, the BONN and Vol
cano shellings-were under the di-
rection of Adm. R. A. Spruance.
Vice Adm Marc A. Mitscher
commanded the huge task force
off Japan.
Mitscher, victor over the JAP
anese fleet off the Marianas in
June, 1914, in the battle of the
Philippines sea. directed an OPP
Grafton which ''fulfills the deeply
cherished desire of every officer
and man of the Pacific Fleet"
Adm. Chester W. Ninitz announc-
ed.
Nimitz, who only recently NOV
ed his base of operations to Guam.
within 1,500 miles of Tokyo, said
the operation "has long been
planned"
Pacific Fleet surface units also
were bombardi1g Two Jima. tiny
island in the Volcano group just
$50 miles south of Tokyo, the Su-
pelfortress bombing route from
the Marianas to Tokyo.
Text of Admiral Nimitz' special
communique follows:
Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher
is in command of a powerful task
force of the Pacific Fleet which
is now attacking enemy aircraft,
air forces and other military tar
gets in and around Tokyo.
This operation has long been
planned and the opportunity to ac-
complish it fulfills the deeply
cherished desire of every officer
and man of the Pacific Fleet.
Surface units of the Pacific
Fleet are bombarding Two Jima.
Aircraft of the Strategic Air
Force, Pacific Ocean areas, are
bombing Two Jima and nearby po-
sitions in the Bonins. The fleet
forces are under the tactical COM
mand Of Adm. R. A. Spruance,
commander Of Fifth Fleet"
Tokyo radio almost simultan-
eously confirmed the opening
stages of the bold operation by re-
lConfinued m Pare Three. Cal ~