Us Official Photographs

TWO VESSELS ABLAZE

TWO VESSELS ABLAZE: From the tail camera of a Mitchell bomber flying at mast-height the blasting of two Japanese merchantmen is brought into sharp focus. Scoring a dir-ect hit on a 10,000-ton transport of the Hakone Maru class (24) the attackers have left it listing and burning. In the right background, a cone of smoke rises from the stern of a 3,800-ton freight-er (12). "We came low over the hills in a formation of planes echeloned slightly to the rear. Before us was spread a scene of utter des-truction. Flame and smoke, exploding bombs, fire from ship, shore and aircraft were every where..." (From narrative report by Lieuten-ant Henry B. Rust, 8th Attack Squadron.) DESTRUCTION -- AND DEFENSE: While two ships blaze in the background, a heavy cruiser of the powerful Machi class (25) maneuvers in the foreground. The cruiser, later damaged and possibly sunk, was one of more than a dozen war vessels assembled in Simpson Harbor. "I moved into close formation with Major Hinebery as we started our run on a 10,000-ton-transport. We drop-ped two 1,000 pound bombs on this vessel, one of which the gunner re-ports landed in number two hold. The whole side of the vessel appear-ed to blow out and fire could be seen to spread over the ship and wa-ter." (From narrative report by Flight Officer Harold Prince, 90th Attack Squadron.) BOMB-BLASTED HARBOR: Debris from the 6,800 ton destroyer tender "Yamabiko Maru" (26) hit amidships by a thousand-pound bomb, hurtles high above the masts. In the background, a heavy cruiser (25) is almost hidden by guy-sers from exploding bombs. "On this run I crossed the bow of a cruiser that was firing salvos at the second wave of airplanes. Fire from the tender was heavy and accurate. My right engine was hit by a 20-millimetre shell." (From narrative report by Captain Richard Ellis, 90th Attack Squad-ron.) ATTACK IN PERSPECTIVE: With two more echelons yet to rain their bombs and machinegun fire against en-emy shipping, lead elements of the striking fo