TOKIO ROCKED

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1944, Page 5

TOKIO ROCKED

Superfortress Raid WAR INDUSTRY TARGET (ec. 9.40) WASHINGTON, Nov 24 General Arnold announced: A sizeable task force of Super-fortresses of the Twentieth U.S. Air Force on Thursday attacked industrial targets in Tokio. Their mission was a daylight operation by the newly-estao-Twenty-first Bomber Command under Brigadier H. S. Hansell, from bases on Saipan Island. A communique will be issued when further details are available.

He said: The Twentieth Air Force rocked the heart of Japan with bombs from a mighty task force of Super-fortresses based on Saipan. This should be convincing proof that the Pacific Islands captured by our Army and Navy at a great cost of' men and material have been put to the greatest possible use. Tokio's war industries have been badly hurt sow. As American factories feed the voracious appetite of the Super-fort-resses with replacements and bombs, we will pound Japan’s war machine out .of existence. With General Lamay’s Twentieth Bomber Command in China and General Hansell’s Twenty-first Command on Saipan Island, we may now strike Japan from two directions and . sustain our attack until the destruction of war industries is completed. No matter where the Japanese may try. to hide factories, we will seek them out and destroy them. Japan sowed the wind. Now let it reap the whirlwind.

A correspondent of the Associated Press o£ America at the Army-Air Force headquarters in the Pacific says: The raid was. made by probably the greatest force of B-29’s yet to attack Japan from either land or sea. It was the Twentieth Air Force’s Thanksgiving Day message to the Japanese.. The American Associated Press later said: So far as’ has been officially announced, Super-fortresses have used only Chinese bases in their raids. Saipan is mentioned, but it is as a possible future base. The Japanese radio has reported that some of the raiders were believed to have come from the Mariana Islands. General Wedemeyer, U.S. Commander in China, in a press interview, said that the Super-fortresses raids against Japan are doing much more damage than the Japanese have acknowledged. Attacks soon would be intensified from another direction.

Jap Account THREE BOMBERS DOWNED. DAMAGE ONLY SLIGHT’. (Rec. 12.5).' NEW YORK, Nov. 24. Tokio radio announced; About 70 Superfortresses l participated in a raid on Tokio which began at 12.20 p.m. It lasted two hours. The raiders caused slight damage. The radio added: It is so far confirmed that three of the bombers were shot down. The bombers failed to attain tangible results, because of the effective interceptions. .Ten groups of planes, each comprising bombers, fled eastwards, after dropping bombs and incendiaries in southern and northern outskirts of residential sections. Several enemy planes also appeared over central Japan, but they fled without causing damage. (Rec. 11.45). WASHINGTON, Nov. 24. The United Press says the raid was the first attack on Tokio since General Doolittle’s raid in April, 1942, and the first raid by land-based bombers. The Japanese knew the raid was coming. Superfortresses repeatedly flew reconnaissance flights recently over Tokio and other cities. The Japanese had evacuated the civilians to safer areas. They announced the construction of vast shelters accommodating hundreds of thousands of P e °P le ' • x- r x>. General Arnold’s description of the strength of the Superfortresses as sizeable indicated that at least one hundred participated. The U.S. War Department announced that th e 21st Bomber Command was activated last March in Kansas. Initial elements reached Saipan immediately after the island was taken and began constructing great airfields needed by Superfortresses. Tokio radio has not yet reported the raid, which occurred at noon, Tokio time.

General Arnold, in a message to Mr Roosevelt, said: “This operation was in no sense a hit and run raid. It was the calculated extension of our airpower. No part of the Japanese Empire is now out of our range. The systematic demolition of Japan’s war production began seven months ago from China bases. It will henceforth be carried out with decisive vigour. We have opened an attack against Tokio which will be carried out relentlessly from the air until the day of invasion.” KURILE ISLAND BOMBARDED. (Rec. 9.40). WASHINGTON, Nov. 24. The Navy announced that a naval task force shelled Matsu Island, in the Kuriles, starting large fires and explosions. The Japanese did not

return the fire. None of the American ships was damaged. Tokio radio stated United States warships bombarded Matsu Island in the Kuriles on Wednesday evening. Shelling was continued for twenty minutes. Tokio radio stated that on Thursday, the Japanese thanksgiving day, Superfortresses flew over the Nagoya area. A Pacific Fleet communique says: On Tuesday a naval task force bombarded Matsuwa in the Kurile . Islands. Large fires- and explosions were observed. No enemy guns replied. None of our ships was dam-, aged. Our fighters destroyed an ammunition dump, an d set fire to trucks and barges at Babelthaup m the northern Palau Islands. Other fighters bombed an airstrip on Yap and strafed shipping and harbour installations at Chichijima and Hahajima. Venturas bombed and strafed a barracks area and power plant on Wake Islai ? d ' NEW YORK. Nov. 23. A Pacific Navy air group of eight onerating from an Essex Class carrier during a prowl of 72 000 miles across the Pacific in the New Guinea and Formosa ■ areas,, destroyed or damaged 691 Japanese aircraft, sank 44 ships and strafed 20 airfields. The group personnel are at present on home leave prepartory to making another tour.