Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-18
Secret Air Bases
Make u. 5. Able
To.Bomb Toxic

Washington Lacks Word
of Raid as Experts Tell
How " Gould Be Done
WASHINGTON, April Is tUP)
1.-The army and navy had no con-
|. 1rmation today OF official Toxic
SS1iip reports that the japanese
rcapital had been bombed by
e<Alled" planes for the first time
ia the war.
But unofficial sources believed
.fbe United Nations, notably the
Halted States. are well equipped
10 carry out such a raid either by
.Sea-based or land-based planes.
hey pointed out that:
g IAN American task force
: tarly in March raided Marcus
Inland. enemy base only $50
Iniles from Japan's biggest fort.
and that a similar force of air.
craft carriers, cruisers and pro-
4 tectfng destrUyers could have
8lipped within striking distance
6 of the island kingdom.
IN RANGE OF CHINA
4 2-Tokio would be within
!: easy range of giant bombers
y based on secret airfields along
{ the China coast. A raid Of this
kind would require less daring
than was displayed by army air.
nien In last weeks 4.000-mile
Z hop. skip and "bomb-hell-out-of-
en-" attack on japanese lorces
ID the Philippines.
These sources believed that the
'undoubted effect of such a foray
~ the Japanese people. plus what
ever material damage to hippo
1lcse war industries resulted, would
Justify the risk.
NOTHING OFFICIAL
The war department said IL had
mo confirmation" Of the reported
attack. The navy said 1t had mo
official information"
II Allied planes did raid Toxic.
II was felt here that ii would be
several days-or weeks-before
any official word is given out
from here.
Observers pointed out that a
raid by land-based bombers would
not be disclosed until the attack
ing planes had returned to their
base and full data compiled on the
results. This conceivably would
require several days. -
a II conducted by carrier based
naval planes, II would require
more time for official confirma-
ton. American warships in en-
envy waters invariably black out
their radio sets to prevent be-
trayal Of their positions to Japa-
nese forces. Announcement of
their activities thus must await
their return to home bases.
U. 8. NAVAL ACTION
Most observers felt that IL the
Toxic radio reports on the bomb
ing raid are authentic, the attack
ing planes most likely were
United States naval craft operat-
ing from one or more carriers in
waters close to the island king
dom.
They pointed out that the Japa-
nese repeatedly have a stable
naval force in the Indian Ocean
and that the remainder of its fleet
undoubtedly is spread out guard
ing the extended supply lines 10
The Southwest Pacific.
M They recalled that the. Ameri-
can task force under Vice Admiral
-3Kllliam F. Halsey which raided
MafctS and Wake Islands in late
February and early March en-
countered little opposition in its
DARING foray. Striking within 1000
miles of Yokohoma. that attack
virtually destroyed all base facili-
ties at the two outposts in the
screen of bases protecting both
Japan proper and its supply lines
TO the southern war area.
RED ACTION UNLIKELY
IKuling out the Soviet Union,
which has a nonaggression agree
nient with Japan, the Chinese
coast is the nearest point from
which land based bombers could
operate against Nippon.
Toxic is at least 1000 miles
from the closest spot on the coast
line - about the maximum range
Of the early version of the Boeing
flying fortress bomber. a range
which has been extended in later
models.
Extreme distances would seem
20 rule out the possibility that the
planes could have come from
australia. some $500 miles away,
or from the secret Philippine bases
from which the American long
range bombers in last weeks raid
attacked the invader on Luzon,
Cebu and Mindanao Islands.
BURMA VITAL SPOT
Brig. Gen. Ralph Royce, who
Lad The rhilir,pfpa coYtia TOLD -