Evening star., 1942-06-30
Army Bombers Level
All Jap Installations
In Wake Island Attack
Longest Overwoter Roid
Made Without Casualties
Or Loss Of Single Plone
BY WALTER b. CLAUSEN,
Assnciaten Press War CORRESPONDENT.

Associated Press War Correspondent.
HEADQUARTERS, Hawaiian Air
Force, June 30.-American Army
sombers. striking at the enemy in
probably the longest over-water
bombing flight ever made, have dealt
new destruction to tiny Wake Is
land, which the Japanese seized at
a high cost last December %.
Sweeping over the strategic atoll
under full moonlight last Saturday
night, the bombers hit all their tar
gets, set the main building aflre,
leveled everything on the surface,
snd returned to their base without
casualties and without the loss of
plane.
Col. Art w. Meehan, pilot Of one
Of the bombers and former quar-
terback at West Point. said 1t prob
ably was the longest range over
water bombing flight ever achieved"
Wake is 1000 nautical miles west of
Pearl Harbor and little more than
1000 miles southwest of Midway
Island.
Announcement Of the raid was
made after all the planes had re-
turned safely.
It was the second American attack
On Wake since the japanese over
whelmed its gallant Marine Corps
garrison after q heroic l4-day de-
fense.
Everything on Surface Leveled.
The first. made by Navy planes
from a task force last February "a,
rounded shore installations to bits,
damaged the airfield and wrecked
several small boats.
I'VE leveled everything on the
surface and crippled this Japanese
stepping stone in the Pacific at least
until the Japs can repair the
damage and fly in new planes" Col
Meehan.
I'VE gave them everything we
took over and all our planes re-
turned without casualties. Only one
plane was hit, by a fragment OF
antiaircraft.
Credit was shared by all who
vent on the mission, but we cannot
disclose all the names. I would give
the most credit to the navigators
Who made perfect flight like pick
Ing up handkerchief in the ocean.
I'm fact, it probably was the long
est range overwater bombing flight
ever achieved. The navigation was
90 excellent that 1t amazed me. and
would have said 1t couldn't be
done when they hit the corner OF
the tiny island as they said they
would"
Bombed From Medium Level
Col. Meehan added:
1--WE were / minute out when the
first burst Of anti-aircraft fire just
beneath us rocked the squadron, this
ceing the nearest shot the Japs got
at us. I was over the targets for
5 minutes. 1t was beautiful sight,
like the Fourth of July on Coney
Island, only not so peaceful. They
had plenty of Notifications but could
not see us and missed their mark.
There was perfect moonlight and
it was clear, after being overcast all
the way over. We hit all our targets,
set the main building af1re. leveled
everything on the surface. One plane
started to take of Wake but didn't
get far. Two others got into the
air and one tailed us but didn't at
tempt to attack.
II don't think they'll get any more
planes of from there for some time,
and I don't think we left any for
them to take of with.
II never saw such enthusiastic
crews, all raring to go and ready to
carry this offensive to all the Jap
islands. We dropped our bombs
from a medium level. There were no
lights showing and the Japs seemed
slow to 90 into anti-aircraft action
after the first burst, but when they
did, everything lit up"
Col. Meehan lives in Indianapolis.
His wife Is at Newburgh, N. Y.
1t. T. N. Warren, Macon, Ga, one
Of the navigators, said: I'm ready
to start out again tonight"