Evening star., 1942-09-15
Jap Markings Found
On Bomb Fragments
In Oregon Forest
Army Disc'oses Evidence
Of Air-Roid Attempt
On September 9
BY the Associated Press.

| s\Aso
On September 9
By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15.-A
| foot-deep crater, apparently
caused by an incendiary bomb,
gave evidence today of what may
have been the first aerial assault
on United States home soil, an
! apparent attempt to set fire to
F. an isolated forest on the South
! ern Oregon coast.
The Armys Western Defense
Command, in carefully worded
communique, disclosed that an un-
| identified, small seaplane of type
that might have been carried on a
submarine was seen coming inland
just before dawn September 9. and
was heard roaring out to sea about
half an hour later.
Some time after the plane was
seen circling the Mount Emily area
nine miles northeast of Brookings,
Greg, a fire was observed, and for
estry patrols who extinguished the
blaze found a crater and metal
fragments which the Army said
bore markings of japanese ideo-
graphs which may have been part
of code indicating the arsenal
where the bomb was manufac-
tured"
Sub Bombed by Plane.
Several hours after the appear
ance and disappearance of the sea-
plane was reported, an Army patrol
plane sighted and bombed a SUBJ
marine 80 miles off the Oregon
coast with ''unobserved results"
The Army communique noted:
1T is possible plane of this type
might have been carried on a sub
marine"
1t. r. J, Runyon, area super
visor of the AFRAID warning sys-
tenn, said the plane was spotted on
the filter center control board
within seconds of its appearance
over the coast, and observed: TT
was an excellent test, and the sys-
tenn proved fully effective"
Forestry patrols reported the in
cendiary bomb left crater about
three feet in diameter and a foot
deep.
japanese submarines shelled an
oil we'll area in Southern California
February %. causing slight damage,
and beach near Seaside, Greg,
June %, but it was the first evidence
of an actual air bombing of the con-
tlnental United States.
Saw Fire Break Out.
Howard Razz) Gardner, Forest
Service lookout, observed the plane
and saw the fire break out from his
post on Mount Emily, nine miles
from Brookings, Greg.
Looking into the darkness at 6
q. m. September when he heard
the sound of single motor, Mr..
Gardner saw a circling plane over
Eead-saw 1t SO closely he identified
1t as small seaplane.
Shortly afterwards he saw flames
break through the tree roof below
IN the same general area where
disastrous fire in the middle thirties
destroyed great forest and most
OF the coastal city of Bandon.
Mr.. Gardner sounded the alarm
on the forest telephone, gathered
some equipment and plunged
through the forest by a short cut to
battle the flames single handed. He
succeeded so well he had them un-
der control by the time the forest |
fire suppression crew arrived after
four and = half-hour battle |
through brush and over rugged ter
rain from their station.
Area Heavily Timbered.
So isolated Is the spot that Ed
Marshall, Federal forester, was sure
that the Japanese had chosen it for
the assault. The countryside is |
h eavily timbered, mountainous
sparsely settled, with few trails and |
no highways into the interior.
Before the war Japanese worked
extensively through the Chetco
River country buying logs and raft
ing them downriver.
The Japanese, the plane and the
fire became linked together shortly
after Mr.. Gardner had controlled
the flames.
He found bomb fragments and a
"s1zable crater" The bomb sheared
a 6-inch tree and set fire to a stump.
he reported to H. R. Dewart, Curry
County AFRAID chairman.
Mr.. Marshall dug out of the crater
what he said was the nose of an
lncendiary bomb. Attached was a
steel shank bearing japanese char
acterS
Then the Army began Investigate
ing. Today it announced the results
OF its inquiry, which it indicated
still was progressing and for the
first time allowed the stories of wit
nesses to be published.
In communique issued by 1t.
Gen. John L. De Witt, commander
of the 4th Army and the Western
Defense Command, it cautiously re-
ported the sighting of the plane, the
fire that followed, the discovery of
the bomb crater and bomb frag-
ments carrying marking of Japa-
nese ideographs which may have
been part of a code indicating the
arsenal where the bomb was manu.
featured" 1t related that on the
same day, only 80 miles off the
coast in the vicinity where the plane
was seen, an Army patrol plane
bombed the submarine.
False Trouble Calls