GAINS ON SAIPAN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 234, 30 June 1944, Page 5

GAINS ON SAIPAN

Pacific Fleet Bombards Paramushiru (Received June 29, 9.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 28. “Marines and army troops have made further gains on Saipan Island, pushing north nearly two miles along the east coast and passing the villages of Donnay and Hasigoru,” says a Pacific Fleet communique. “Further penetrations were made into the town of Garapan on the west coast. , “Enemy troops broke through our lines containing them on Nafutau Point on Monday night and attempted to drive northward. Two hundred of the enemy were killed in a counter-attack. Next day, further attacks were launched by our forces against Nafutan Point. The enemy now holds only the extreme tip of the point. “Close support is now being given pur troops by shore-based aircraft operating from Aslito aerodrome. Tiniau Island has been subjected to protracted daily bombardment to neutralize enemy positions. On Sunday night, several enemy torpedo-planes attacked a carrier group screening our transports. Several torpedoes were launched, but no hits were obtained. One enemy plane was shot down and others probably destroyed. On Monday night, enemy aircraft again attacked our transports. All the bombs landed on the water. One near-miss on a transport injured a member of the crew. Fires on Paramushiru.

"Surface units of the Pacific Fleet bombarded Karabuzaki at the southern tip of Paramushiru on Sunday night. Army Liberators and navy Venturas bombed Paramushiru and Shumushu before dawn on Tuesday, starting several fires. Eleven enemy fighters attacked a single Ventura near an airfield on Paramushiru. Two of the attacking planes were damaged and one disappeared into a fog-bank trailing smoke. The Ventura returned superficially damaged. ‘Carrier aircraft swept Guam and Rota Islands, in the Mariannes, on Monday, bombing fuel reservoirs and coastal defence gun positions, and destroying three small craft. At Apra harbour, Guam, a cargo vessel damaged in a previous strike was observed to have sunk. An airstrip on Rota was strafed and buildings set on fire. There was no enemy air opposition to these attacks. “Army Liberators bombed Truk atoll on Sunday. One of five intercepting enemy fighters was shot down. We suffered no damage. Army and marine aircraft attacked enemy objectives in the Marshalls on Sunday. A navy searchplane shot down an enemy twin-engined bomber south of Hall Island on Monday. Another search-plane damaged an enemy torpedo-plane north-west of Truk.”