Page:Military Occupation and Military Relations of the Allied Forces, Dossier 1, November 1945.pdf/11



UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET THIRD FLEET

Operational Press Release No. 5 For Release 11 Sept. 1945 (east longitude date)

1. Representatives of the Commander, Third Fleet, and Commanding Geneeral [sic], Eight Army, landed at Katsuura Naval Base on the east coast of the Chiba peninsula on 9 September to inspect and direct demilitarization of Japanese fleet units and and shore installations.


 * By noon yesterday, the following navel vessels had been destroyed by United States naval demolition forces in the Katsuura area: 34 suicide boats, four waterborne midget submarines and three landborne midgets. In addition two 12 centimeter coastal guns and a number of torpedoes found on railway cars were destroyed.


 * Approximately 30 tons of various kinds of ammunition and 70 tons of beach mines and other naval explosives were found in caves in the Katsuura area.


 * At the naval headquarters, the representatives found approximately 90 heavy and light machine guns, 770 assorted rifles, 40 pistols and 21 motars [sic], all apparently in operating condition.


 * Also discovered were five submarines stowed in caves in Ubara Wan, with explosive charges removed.


 * Katsuura was revealed to be a major radar station for the Tokyo area, with seven radars and one radio station in good condition. The Japs, however, had removed the tubes and disconnected the power loads.


 * Demilitarization operations are continuing.

2. Patrols under the command Brig. Gen. William T. Clement, USMC, dismantled eight anti-aircraft batteries and demilitarized at training area on Uraga Peninsula in operations on 9 September.

3. Three new prisoner of war camps in the Kobe-Osaka area were located by Third Fleet carrier pilots on 8 September. One had American and British flags flying. At Tsuruga, 60 miles northeast of Osaka, a sign read "U.S. Fourth Marines."


 * Following the evacuation of prisoners from the Hammamatsu area on 7 September, one repatriate ate 32 eggs at one sitting, believed to be a world record.

4. An inspection of the NAGATO, seized by U.S. naval prize crew on 30 August, has disclosed that the second battery and ammunition has been removed for land defense. From interrogation of the Officers and crew it was learned that in Manila, in October, 1944, one near miss opened a hole about 20 feet by 10 meet on the port side near the waterline. On 18 July three direct hits demolished the bridge, damaged the tower and wrecked a large area in the vicinity of one of the turrets. The captain of the NAGATO state that 60 near misses opened the blister and some double bottom fuel tanks, flooding them with at least 2000 tons of water.