Up Ag'in, Down Ag'in

For five months, since the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese had been busy repairing damaged warships. Soon, although their fleet had been permanently pared down, they might have enough patched-up battleships and carriers to offer a sizable threat to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz' extending operations in the far western Pacific. Something had to be done.

To Japan's home waters Nimitz sent his mighty Fifth Fleet, under Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. The carriers cruised (by Jap admission) within 60 miles of Shikoku. Still the enemy fleet skulked in its bases.

If the Jap ships would not come out and fight, they must be hunted down in their yards. Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's birdmen found good hunting at Kure and Kobe on the Inland Sea. In one day they damaged one or two battleships; two or three larger carriers, two medium carriers and two escort carriers; two cruisers and a dozen smaller craft. Six small freighters were definitely sunk.

Insult to Injury. Though the enemy refused to fight back with his surface ships, he was as eager as ever with his planes. Reinforcements staged from northern fields lashed again & again at Mitscher's carriers and their screen. One U.S. ship was seriously damaged. In two flays, over land and sea, 281 Jap planes were shot out of the air, 275 were destroyed on the ground and 175 more were crippled.

Spruance and Mitscher turned south to hammer the central Ryukyus. Main target was Okinawa, 60 miles long and up to 16 miles wide. The weather was bad, but Navy airmen hunted through the overcast for Jap airfields, arsenals and shipping.

Then Spruance sent his fast battleships inshore for heavy bombardment of coastal objectives. This was the crowning insult.

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