U.S. Carrier-Based Planes Blast - Japanese Fleet Unites In Home Waters -- Bombs from U.S. carrier-based planes drop on Japanese ships and docks at Kure, Honshu, important naval base on Japan's Inland Sea during an attack, on March 18, 1945, against the enemy fleet in its home waters. Other American carrier-based planes struck at the great Japanese industrial city of Kobe, also on Honshu, on the same day, in their second major strike in two days at the heart of the Japanese homeland. The U.S. planes destroyed or damaged 731 Japanese planes, damaged at least 15 warships, including one battleship and two air-craft carriers; damaged seven freighters and sunk six others in the attacks. May 11, 1945. (Photo by U.S. Office War Information Picture).