July 14, 1945 – News reports from Gordon Walker – Mutual – Communiqué from 3rd Fleet – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
July 14, 1945 – While Europe was beginning the long and arduous process of rebuilding and restoring, War in the Pacific was reaching a fever pitch. This July 14th marked the second straight day of Naval bombardment of the Japanese coast by the 3rd fleet. Coupled with virtually around-the-clock raids over Tokyo and other industrial centers by B-29’s to very little, if any resistance by Japanese fighters.
The first heavy bombardment of the Japanese coast began on noon the previous day – attacked and destroyed was the Imperial Iron and Steel Works and the raids over Hokkaido were the first staged by the allies during the war. The Japanese Domei News Agency admitted that a raid had taken place over Hokkaido and that the raid had lasted some seven hours. A repeat performances was expected on this day. The attack by the carrier planes at Hokkaido and Northern Honshu, and a toll of some 342 Japanese aircraft and some 15 airfields destroyed was further announced in another communiqué from 3rd Fleet.
Each other the battleships had nine 16-in. guns, hurling shells weighing over a ton each, plus secondary 5-inch batteries firing 50 pound projectiles. The Heavy Cruisers were armed with nine 8-inch guns apiece and 5-inch secondary turrets. The carrier straike at Hokkaido was originally scheduled for Friday the 13th but was delayed by fog.
There are two reports from Guam and both of these, along with the banter and reading of the communique were not intended for broadcast aside from the actual reports themselves..
And that’s what happened, this July 14th 1945 as reported via shortwave to Mutual in New York.
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