JAPANESE LOSE 300 PLANES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 226, 21 June 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE LOSE 300 PLANES

Saipan Air Battle MINOR DAMAGE TO ONE U.S. SHIP (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received June 20, 9.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON. June 19. The Japanese Air Force has met defeat in the greatest air battle of the Pacific war. More than 300 enemy planes have been destroyed in a vain attempt to interfere with the American amphibious operations at Saipan., “Our assault troops on Saipan Islam, have captured Aslito aerodrome and driven eastward across the island to Magicienne Bay where we hold the western shore,” says a Pacific Fleet communique. Two pockets of enemy resistance remain east of Lake Susupe. The enemy continues counter-attacking, but all the attacks were successfully repulsed. Seabees are now working on airstrips at Aslito. “Our carrier task force providing cover and support for the amphibious force task force was subjected yesterday to a severe asyial attack which continued for several hours. The attack was successfully repulsed bv our carrier aircraft and ackack. The information at present available indicated that one of our surface units received minor damage only. “Some of the enemy planes are Believed to be carrier-based and using nearby shore bases as shuttle-points. However the effectiveness of this procedure was sharply limited by our systematic bombing and strafing of airfields at Guam and Rota. It is estimated that more than ow enemy aircraft were destroyed, by our forces during this engagement. ’ Greatest Since Midway.

The Pearl Harbour correspondent of the Associated Press of America says it was the greatest Pacific air battle since Midway, where 275 Japanese planes were lost, and also the first engagement with Japanese carrier-based planes since the battle of Santa Cruz, in October, 1942. The fact of the planes using Rota and Guam as shuttle points indicates that Japanese carriers are reluctant to coma within range of American carrier-planes and operated at a considerable distance from the Mariannes. The “New York Times” Pearl Harbour correspondent says there is no information as to the strength of the Japanese carrier force, nor whether American planes located it. Observers believe that the ground strategy ’entails cleaning up the southern end of the island quickly and then turning north against the remaining defences.