START OF SEA BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 26 June 1944, Page 5

START OF SEA BATTLE

U.S. Fleet Attacked Off Guam ENEMY PLANES ALL DESTROYED (British Official Wireless.) (Received June 25, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, June 24. An eye-witness’s account reveals that the United States fleet was off Guam Island, the southernmost of the Mariannes, when it was attacked on .Sunday by Japanese carrier planes. The Central Pacific commander, Admiral Spruance, disposed his fleet, the correspondent says, so as to prevent an attack on the American transports and ground troops at Saipan. This move prevented Japanese landings to refuel and “made it virtually certain that no planes survived the aerial battle which raged over 100 miles of sea.” Enemy personnel losses were almost 100 per cent., since Admiral Spruance controlled the area. As for aircraft—on one Guam field only five planes remained next morning of more than 100 which the Japanese had planned to save there. The correspondent added: “We never did catch the Japanese fleet and today nothing remains anywhere in the waters east of the Philippines except a .few pieces of floating wreckage and some huge oil slicks.” It is now known that the Japanese carrier probably sunk by a United States submarine on Sunday was of the Shokaku class, comparable to the 27,000-ton American Essex class carrier. It is also stated that a Japanese vessel reported damaged by United States aircraft on Monday was a small destroyer, not a smal carrier as previously announced. AMERICAN ADVANCE ON SAIPAN Main Battle Yet To Come (Received June 25, 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 24. The Americans have reached Laulau, on the east coast of Saipan Island, in the Mariannes. Patrols probed the suburbs of Garapan virtually without opposition, says a Combined American Press representative. The whole area below Aslifo aerodrome was turned into a mighty artillery base, the guns hurling shells continuously against the Japanese positions. The Japanese are still abandoning food, ammunition and stores. One marine force has been operating a mortar battery for four days with captured 81-millimetre shells. Throughout the campaign the Japanese have not attempted a massed infantry defence in any sector. Even when tanks were sent out in strength, the enemy failed to follow up with infantry, and consequently the coastal plain is littered with burnt-out enemy light end medium tanks. The return of the American carrier aircraft has given the invaders an overwhelming air superiority, though superiority was not lost, even during the fleet action. It appears that there is unlikely to be a repetition of Wednesday’s incident when Japanese night raiders harassed United States ships and shore positions.

The terrain and jungle growth enable the Japanese to fight a strong rearguard action without major losses. It is safe to say that the main battle for Saipan is to come. The Americans have not yet met the bulk of the defending forces, which are concentrated in the area of Mount Tapotchau, in the centre of the island, behind strong concrete emplacements. Tokio official radio says enemy planes raided Iwo and Jima, south-westward of the Bonin Islands, today, and Yap, Palau and Tobi Islands on Friday. It added that aerial battles in various areas in the Central Pacific were increasing in intensity, in conjunction with the furious battle round Saipan. Fleet Communique. “Aircraft of a fast carrier task force swept Iwo and Jima, in the Bonin Islands on Friday,” says a Pacific Fleet communique. “We shot down more than 60 enemy planes attempting interception. Twelve enemy planes found our carriers, but all were shot down by our combat air patrols. We lost four fighters. Our surface ships suffered no damage. “Carrier-based aircraft attacked Pagan Island on Thursday and sank four small cargo vessels and one sampan and damaged'two small cargo ships and 12 sumpans. They also destrpyed four aircraft and probably destroyer! two others, and destroyed a wharf and fuel dumps. We shot down one bomber aud five fighters at some distance from our carriers. “Our marines and army troops made further gains on the northern shore of Magicienne Bay, on Saipan Island. Car-rier-based fighters shot down two enemy aircraft on Saipan on Wednesday. Japanese coastal guns on Tinian Island intermittently shelled our ships anchored off Saipan, but did little damage. We. heavily shelled Tinian Island airfields on Friday. Carrier-based aircraft attacked an airstrip and buildings on Tinian and Saipan on Thursday. One of our aerial torpedoes sank a medium cargo ship at Rota. Venturas attacked Shtimushu Island on Friday, when onr aircraft continued neutralization raids against enemy positions in the Marshalls aud Carolines.”

x Enemy Lack of Water. NEW YORK, June 23,

As the Battle of Saipan entered its second week it became apparent that the lack of drinking water is the fatal weakness of Saipan's strong defences, said the Baltimore “Sun” correspondent on Saipan. Behind the .fap lines the water supply is critically low. American naval artillery smashed a. big Japanese waler distilling plant and fresh water tanks before the marines landed. Since then the Japanese have probably existed on the few rainwater wells and cisterns, most of which are empty because of the light rainfall since the invasion. . . Promises of plentiful drinking water have proved an effective means of inducing the Japanese to emerge from their pillboxes find surrender, which they are doing in large numbers. Tokio official radio t broadcast: a statement by Etsuzo Ktirihara, cliier of the naval Press section, saying that the battip situation in the Saipan area was the most critical one since the beginning ot “A major effort will be necessary to tiii-u back the advanced naval elements centred round over 20 carriers, over a