ATTACK ON BONINS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 238, 5 July 1944, Page 5

ATTACK ON BONINS

Tokio Radio Account (Received July 4, 11.55 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 4. “Planes from an enemy naval task force today attacked Iwojima and Chichijima, iu the Bonin Islands,” reports Tokio radio. “At least 30 planes were shot down. Heavy fighting continues. A preliminary attack was made on Iwojima yesterday. A number of large enemy planes attacked Ytip Island, in the Carolines, yesterday. Japanese fighters intercepted and a fierce air battle developed. Two enemy planes were shot down for the loss of one Japanese." The prevailing east-west wind spoiled Admiral Spruance’s naval party on June IS and 19 when the Japanese Fleet moved from the Philippines to the Mariannes, says the Associated Press of America correspondent with the United States Fifth Fleet, in a delayed dispatch. The Japanese launched their planes when -!<><> miles from the American Fleet, which had to turn east for launching its aircraft, losing 90 minutes for this operation. After the aerial battle in which almost all the Japanese planes were destroyed, the American Fleet again had to steam east for the landing of the returning planes. The time thus lost prevented the American Fleet from catching the Japan-