| Show Yanks Blasi Biasi 46 Jap Ships in Biggest Victory Enemy Planes Ruined in Fight Near to Philippines By William F. F Tyree PEARL HARBOR April 8 UP Destruction or damaging of 46 Japanese ships and planes by bya a huge U. U S. S task force in the western Carolines Americas Carolines-America's Americas America's biggest big big- gest gelt naval victory of the war war war- was believed Saturday to have driven the enemy fleet into its inner strongholds an and completed the at least temporary neutralization neutralization neutralization of as ag an offensive base A from Admiral Chester W. W Nimitz Friday disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed that the most powerful naval striking force ever assembled assembled assembled assem assem- bled in th the Pacific sank 28 Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese ships including three warships warships warships war war- ships and damaged 18 others one of them a battleship during operations operations operations op op- op- op that carried nearly 1200 miles west of to within miles east of the Philippines Most of the destruction including including including ing the razing of at least 65 buildings build buik- ings was wrought at the Palau islands last enemy stronghold east of the Philippines in a two- two day assault March 29 and 30 Yap miles northeast of pt f Palau Uli- Uli thi thi miles f farther Uie west and oleai nearly neatly miles miles' east of Palau Plau were atta attacked k March 30 and 31 Not Nota a a single American ship was damaged in the raid Twenty Twenty- five five Ameri American AmerIan a planes pIxies i S Were were lost but only 18 airmen One and nd sixty Japanese planes were destroyed and 54 damaged many of them so badly they probably never reached their their- bases Close Close on the heels of Nimitz disclosure of ot the brilliant Caro- Caro Une Itne victory General Douglas MacArthur's MacArthurs MacArthurs MacArthur's Mac- Mac Arthurs Arthur's headquarters In the southwest Pacific announced that planes a and d warships from his command command com corn mand had added to the toll of enemy enemy enemy en- en en en- emy shipping by sinking a Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese tanker a coastal vessel and Continued on Pale Pace Two Column Seven f. f S- S Si i 1 i 1 1 c J U. U u US U.S. S. S s Blasts Ships j In Greatest Victory Continued from fro Page One 12 barges and setting afire a ton cargo vessel The latest American blows brought the total number of Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- Japanese anese snips slips sunk since the start of the war to o 1358 the number probably sunk to 86 6 and th the t ber damaged to 1163 5 Key Link to I IThe The attack on Palau out temporarily a key ey link i j ii Japanese chain of bases sup and reinforcing once nce Tin Tined rega ed as the enemy's Pearl Hart Barl depriving of needed aid aids i time when it was being brou br under increasingly heavy air sault by bombers from the ao KM southwest and central Pj Pacific A Japanese Domel dispatch dispa ported by the U U. U S. S foreign bri cast intelligence service said at ab 20 American bombed Thursday Two of the raiders were shot d the broadcast claimed a aThe The fact that the only cap cJ warship sighted a battleship battleship- torpedoed and damaged b bj American submarine submarine- March i 2 23 1 it fled from Palau was as a sign that all major ve of the Japanese fleet now'S taking refuge in Japans Japan's faner inn of bases against the day j they Will be called caned d dUi de e Ui th the Japanese homeland ja t Warships Add Havoc J Hundreds of dive and ton lp bombers and fighters from a gr pi g armada of aircraft carriers carriera ip headed the assault on Pala th Ui big guns of warships na from the inch 16 rifles o of bat bait batt ships to inch five-inch weapons of oli on also joined in add the coup de grace iI D Details ils of Cf the h damage amage in at m Sunk Two Sunk Two destroyers 1 Ui aJ e titled warship 2 large cargol sels 6 medium cargo ves I Isman small cargo vessels 3 large Iii 1 medium 1 small oller a patrol boat fl Damaged Two Damaged Two small cargo cargon sels left in flames 1 destroy Beached One Beached One large repair i ii 1 medium 2 small oll small cargo vessel all in flao 1 large cargo vessel 2 ne mea meE cargo vessels and 6 small i cr 1 vessels Ii 1 Aircraft casualties casualties N Nine I n tt three destroyed in combat 39 on the ground or J in fil water 29 probably destroyed damaged in combat 20 ro roba destroyed or damaged on graor gra gr or in the water f Ground installations destro destroys Forty buildings at hangars and small buildings building t seaplane base more than 20 n houses at dumps and hangars at Ko Korr Komi Ground installations dama Phosphate plant at Angur at i At several small T VE were sunk and the dock aI station and other buildings damaged maged while at Yap a facilities and nd buildings in thu were damaged I Seven Se Planes Downed Seven planes were destroyed five probably destroyed at W WS Wk Small craft stores dumps buildings were damaged i Another 17 Japanese plates planes W we shot down by American cirri M based planes and four by antia craft guns during enemy atta on on the task force preceding E following the Palau assault pi warships also sank at sea Be 1 small enemy ships n The class of the battleship by the American was not identified I 1 Although she suffered COM able damage she was as able t toj cape at moderate speed of her destroyer eSCO escoS escor Nimitz said 1 Commanded Force t M The task force operated U Uthe w the tactical command of Ad R. R A. A Spruance while pla plathe the carrier force were comm commas by Vice Admiral Marc A. A Mn MacArthUrs MacArthUr's airmen made th first raid of the war on W W island miles west of the nO no em ern New Guinea base of Ho Twenty-nine Twenty tons of or bombs bombs 1 dropped and fires visible fO Cc miles were kindled Night P ps bombed Hollandia starting and probably blowing up an B dump 3 The Seventh air force forceS base baSei basei the central Pacific also w was r tive blasting Japanese held W f. f miles north of the theand theand Mar Marand and Carolines with 44 H to bombs Wednesday Large Larg and fires were observed ing the attack the since Japanese seized the island J 1 in the eastern Carol Care Caroland CarOLand and the last four enemy hew 5 a l in the Marshalls also were rai by the Seventh air force 1 |
