The Daily Alaska Empire

THIRD FLEET FLIERS SWEEP WIDE AREA
Ports, Fuel Installations Severely Damaged-
Nip Convoy Hit
By LEIF ERICKSON
(A. P. War Correspondent)

U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, PEARL HARBOR
Jan. 16-Third Fleet fliers bombed Hong Kong, Swatow and Amoy Saturday in the first full-scale carrier attacks of the war on Japan's lifeline of ports along the China coast.

The navy announced the bold sweep of more than 300 miles extending behind Formosa, which was pounded anew at the same time. followed by two days of Third Fleet carrier attacks along the Indo-China coast which wiped out two enemy convoys and sank or damaged a total of 69 enemy ships.

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said no details are yet available on the China coast raids, but he moved sharply upward the previously announced totals of 25 enemy ships sunk and 13 damaged off Indo-China.

Nimitz disclosed that venturesome Third Fleet pilots sank 41 Jap ships and damaged 28 in wiping out the two convoys. The overall picture is that of an audacious American carrier force sweeping like a huge paint brush from Formosa, where more than 100 ships and 98 planes were destroyed or damaged January 8, down to Indo-China for the Thursday strikes and back to the China coast Saturday.

In the Indo-China sweep American fliers destroyed 120 planes. Seventy-seven were caught on the ground, so great was the surprise and about 50 others were damaged in the western most penetration of Japan's inner defenses.

They also pounded the key facilities at Saigon and Camranh Bay, excellent Indo-China ports in enemy hands.

Oil refineries in the Saigon area, vital fuel source for Japan, were badly damaged and fires were started in the Saigon navy yard oil storage facilities. Warehouses and buildings in the Saigon area were set ablaze, and the large dock at Camranh Bay, one of Asia's best harbors, was demolished.

Sixteen American planes were lost in the Indo-China raids, remarkably few for the results achieved in crippling the area from which the Japs would likely be able to bolster slipping Philippine holdings.

Of the two convoys knocked out, one contained an oiler, four medium cargo ships, two destroyer escorts, four coastal cargo ships all sunk. The second convoy included a light cruiser. four destroyer escorts, four oilers, seven medium cargo ships, two small cargo ships and one coastal vessel, all sunk or beached.