PROGRESSING WELL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 224, 19 June 1944, Page 6

PROGRESSING WELL

Attack On Saipan Island DRIVE ON AIRFIELD (British Official Wireless.) (Received June IS, 7.20 p.m.) RUGBY, June 17. United States Marines, supported by elements of an army infantry division have improved their positions on Saipan Island and are driving toward Aslito aerodrome, states a \\ ashington message. The harrassment of the beachheads by enemy mortar lire lias lieen considerably reduced. On the night of June 14 torpedo planes attacked a United States carrier force but were repulsed without damage to the ships. A Pacific Fleet communique says that on Friday and during Thursday night our troops were withdrawn a short distance toward the beach in some sectors in face of intense motar and artillery fire. Lne positions were consolidated and during the night our naval forces carried out a heavy bombardment of enemy strongP °On S Thursday morning enemy resistance in the strongly-held sector northward of Charman Kanoa was broken. The major element of our forces commenced an. attack nt. midday which advanced our line nearly half a mile m the southern sector of the island. Lesser advances were made in other sectors. Our assumption that Saipan would be strongly held because of its strategic location in the Japanese defence system proved correct- Preliminary estimates indicate that upward of two divisions ot troops are defending Saipan. The greatest battle of the Pacific war is expected as the fighting progresses into the more mountainous regions in the centre and north of the island. The large Japanese garrison is well organized. Estimate of Casualties. The United Press correspondent with the United States expeditionary force savs the first assault waves from the loaded alligators battled their way to the shore under a shower of Japanese longrange mortar and artillery fire from mils rising toward the 1500-foot Mount Potchau. „ . Battle casualties in the Saipan invasion, which is the first Pacific fighting comparable with house-to-house encounters in Europe, are not expected to equal the Tarawa figures, though the assault troops suffered material losses. The heaviest fighting developed behind Kanoa in a swampy lake area, where the Japanese mounted tank-supported coun-ter-attacks which the Americans turned back, thus securing a small airstrip, which, however, is not yet out of the range of Japanese mortars. Air preparations prevented the Japanese sending up a single plane to interfere with the Allied landing. Naval forces patrolled the two-and-a-half-mile channel separating Saipan and Tinian Islands, effectively preventing an artillery enfilade during the assault by knocking out the Tinian batteries.

NAVAL CLASH HELD LIKELY Importance Of Area (Received June IS, 8.50 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 17. The Americans have taken the_ sugarmill town of Charankanoa and its airstrip after street fighting, and have brought Garapna, the chief town of Saipan. under American artillery fire. The Saipan action may turn out the most important Pacific operation, and the opening scene in actions, transcending anything previously seen in this area for drama and critical bearing on the war, says the "New York Times Pearl Harbour correspondent. There is the possibility of a major fleet action m the Mariannes or its vicinity. There has not been a single mention of enemy surface units since the battle opened,, blit the enemy is gaining time in getting them to the scene. . . . American Navy officials were warned privately that as the offensive reaches closer the enemy’s home empire we must expect counter-actions representing the greatest strength the Japanese can muster, and that we cannot conduct operations of such magnitude and daring with-/ out expecting losses. The force which landed on Saipan was described by Admiral R. K. Turner, the navy’s expeditionary forte leader, as the most experienced amphibious war fleet in the world, says the Associated Press correspondent at Pearl Harbour. The training, for the move began at Attu has been continued ever since. . American battleships and. cruisers opened up with guns after earner planes had knocked out the southern Mariannes air force and silenced most of Saipan s coastal batteries and flak positions. The shells of the warships and rockets from planes and landing craft effectively curtained the troops moving toward the The Americans moved from the beaches against mortar, machinegun and artillery fire. __ BLOWS AT KURILES (British official Wireless.) (Received June IS, 7.10 p.m.) RUGBY, June 17. The offensive against the Kuriles goes on. Liberators bombed Metsuwa, Paramuslfiro and Shimushiri on June 14. Fourteen enemy fighters appeared over Paramushiro and several attacked, causing damage to one United States plane. One enemy fighter was probably shot down and a medium bomber damaged. Ventura search planes also bombed Paramushiro and iShumushu. Fifteen enemy fighters attacked a United States, force, causing minor damage to .several aircraft. Shimushiri was again attacked by Liberators on June 15. Central Pacific air forces bombed objectives in tile Marshalls and eastern Caroline Islands. A United States carrier task force, reaching within 600 miles of Tokio, attacked three Japanese 'bases in the Bonin and Volcano Islands, shooting down 4< enemy planes, sinking two enemy ships, damaging 10 others and blasting barracks, airfields, and fuel supplies, according to a Navy Department announcement from Washington. Carrier aircraft on M ednesday attacked Chichi Jima and Haha Jim, in the Bonin Islands, and Iwo Jima, in the Volcano Islands, says a Pacific fleet communique. , . , Thirty-three enemy fighters which attempted to intercept, our forces at Chichi Jima were shot down. Four multiengined seaplanes were damaged at Chichi Jima. Two air-borne enemy aircraft were probably destroyed and 14 more were destroyed on the. ground at Iwo Jima. ’ , . . One medium cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Chichi Jima and four small cargo ships and six small craft were damaged. A medium transport, which was discovered under way near the Bonin Islands, was heavily damaged by aircraft and later stink by one of our destroyers. A total of 112 survivors were rescued and made prisoners of war. Ground installations, including airfields and fuel tanks, were bombed. Our losses were five flight personnel.