Evening star., 1942-04-20
; u. S. Carriers Launched Attack
Bombers Flew to China Japs Say;
Allies Smash 40 Planes at RabauI
One Ship Downed,
Crew of 5 Taken,
Toxic Claims
~ the Assoc lated Press.

Japan broadcast today a new
version OF Saturdays bombing
raids on Toxic and three other
great cities, implying that the
assault was launched from three
United States aircraft carriers
In the Pacific and that some Of
the planes raced on to safety in
China after loosing their bombs
The Japanese radio said one
American bomber was forced down
and It's crew of five captured.
Toxic imperial headquarters issued
this announcement:
"A hostile navy unit centering
around three aircraft carriers ap-
peared April Is at a distant point
of the eastern coast of Japan
proper, but fearing Japanese eoun-
terattack, fed without approaching
Japanese shores.
"On the same day approximately
10 enemy aircraft OF the North
American BIS type appeared over
Toxic and other areas, flying singly
or in pairs.
Hostile planes which managed
TO escape being downed appear TO
have escaped TO China.
Damage caused was extremely
light"
Dependent on Axis Accounts.
The world still was dependent on
Japanese accounts or other Axis
versions originating in Japan for
news OF what occurred Saturday,
when the japanese declared that
planes bearing the insignia OF the
United States air force bombed
Toxic, the capital; Yokohama and
Kobe. the two chief ports. and
Nagoya, Japan's third city and CEN
ter of aircraft production.
There was no word Of such a raid
from Washington and If the raids
were launched from a task force
such as the Toxic announcement
describes, 1t may be 10 days or
longer before the American version
is published. Washington's policy is
TO permit all units to return to their
bases before publishing results.
The Toxic War ONCE announced
q personnel shift which, however,
appeared to have no connection
with the reported American raids.
1t. Gen. Akira Muto, chier of the
Military Affairs Bureau of the War
once for the last four years, was
ordered to a new post somewhere
in the Southwest Pacific war zone
and was replaced by Mai. Gen.
Kenryo Sato, one Of his subordi-
mates.
The Military Affairs Bureau has
control of army administration and
its head has no direct responsibility
for operations or defensive dispo-
sitions.
Planes Reported Safe.
AS II to support the Toxic thesis
of a carrier-based attack with the
raiders continuing on to China, a
Reuteurs dispatch from Chungking
said the United States planes which
struck home at Japan had arrived
safely at their destination. Quot
ing "well-informed quarters" in the
Chinese provisional capital, the dis
patch gave no details as to this
destination. Chungking had re-
ported earlier that the attack was
not launched from Chinese soil.
The North American Aviation In
corporateds B-25 is a twin-engine
medium bomber with a top speed
Of more than 800 miles an hour
and a cruising range of 1850 miles.
However, either the japanese iden-
tification of the raiding planes or
the implication that they were car
rier-launched seemed in error.
The BIS, an Army plane, is too
heavy for carrier use. Navy carrier
borne bombers are single-engine
planes which are lighter and can
take off from shorter runway than
the BPS would require.
Chekiang Airfields Bombed.
Either the B-25 or new longer
range Navy Single-engine bombers
would have sufficient range, how
ever. 10 strike from several hundred
miles east of Japan and still be able
10 speed on l.400 miles southwest of
Toxic to the Lishui section Of South
east Chekiang Province. The jap
snese. in announcing recent air raids
on that part of Chekiang. said their
targets were air fields they believed
were being prepared for use against
Japan by American-made planes,
In London, the possibility that the
American bombers raided Japan
from advance bases in the Aleu-
tian Islands and then few on 10
China continued 10 be discussed
widely. This would require range
Of about 1000 miles
British experts said that If car
riers were used and the planes con-
tinued ON to China japanese pursuit
planes would be unable to trail them
back to their carrier and the ship
would have better chance Of
escape
The Italian press offered its owr
version of the raid: The newspaper
La GaZzetta del Popolo Of Turin ex-
pressed belief that the raider.
started from bases in Soviet RuSSis
SarrefIv SaIeC m the United States