Evening star., 1943-09-14
Jap's Pearl Harbor'
In Bomb Range Now,
Returning Flyers Say
BY NELSON SHEPARD.

American airmen may soon be
raiding Truk, the Japanese Pearl
Harbor" Of the South Pacific, said
now to be within range Of our long
distance bombers.
With Munda airield capable oi
being fitted for heavy bombers. two
veteran airmen of many battles
against the Japs said yesterday that
"Truk should now be within range
Of our Bills, just the same %
Berlin"
The two officers, Brig. Gen
Glen G. Jamison Of Washington and
Col. Brooke e. Allen Of Wilmington,
N. G., were formerly with the hard
lighting 18th Air Force. They left
the South Pacific shortly before
American forces seized the vital
Munda airfield.
Patterson Landed 1T Field.
Undersecretary Of War Robert p.
Patterson, also returned from a
so,000-mile tour Of Pacific posts.
said he had landed at Munda field
In a medium bomber two or three
weeks after it had been seized. Even
then, he said, there was fighting IL
miles away on Arundel. He added,
maybe heavy bombers are there
by now" The ingenuity and skill
of Army engineers and the Navy's
seaBees, so highly praised by Mr.
Patterson on his return, will play
an important part in providing
maximum use OF the captured air
Geld.
Gen. Jamison, whose family re-
sides at 1880 Thirty-third place
NV, had been in the South Pacific
since early 1912 as chief of staff Of
the 18th Air Force. Col. Allen,
veteran Of four years in the Pacific,
commanded one of its heavy bonn
bardment groups. Both officers have
been decorated.
Gen. Jamison, who was on duty
here three years ago before going
overseas, cited the bombing Of the
kahili airdrome on August as a
sf1rst-class example" Of the deadly
effect Of daylight precision bomb
ing.
Precision bombing is paying US
dividends in the South Pacific and
1t viii be continued wherever and
whenever possible" he declared.
Forced Down at Sea.
Gen. Jamison was in a plane with
Maj. Gen. Nathan F. Twining, COM
mander Of the 18th A. r. when 1t
was forced down In the sea during
q heavy rainstorm the night Of
January as. 1943. With 13 others
they drifted In two small rubber
RATS for six nights and five days
before rescued.
The is officers and men had be-
tween them one chocolate bar, one
bottle Of vitamins and q canteen
and . half Of water, Gen. Jamison
said.
Our chief worry was not that
we might fail to be rescued but
fear that surrounding sharks might
upset our RATS" he explained.
Their ocean plight, like that Of
Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker's, resulted
IN some immediate good. Gen. Twi-
ming ordered each airman there
after to carry . medicine belt, con-
centrated food and two canteens Of
water.
The principal objective Of the
18th Air Force, he said, was to
hit the japs day and night" After
night raid, the Japs were usually
"groggy the next day." condition
that kept their nerves on edRe.
In the solomons and the New
Hebrides, he said. the 18th A. +.
succeeded in preventing the Japa-
nese from extending their holdings
and lines of communications. He
gave ample credit to the co-opera-
ton of the Navy and the Marines.
Col. Allen Tells Of Job.
Col. Allen, who has taken part In
the battles Of the Coral Sea, Mid
way and In fighting in the Solo
mons. New Guinea and over Munda,
was at Pearl Harbor on December 7.
1941. He had just finished a tele-
phone conversation with his wife in
Miami, Fla, when the Japs began
bombing Hickman Field" Here 1t
is," he said to himself.
He succeeded in getting two of
the 48 Flying Fortresses off the field
and cruised around all day looking
for Japs, only to return safely that
night. With him was Col. l.. q.
Saunders, now a brigadier general,
and known as Blonde" since his
West Point football days.
The job of the heavy bomber In
the South Pacific is to destroy en-
emy shipping and lines of communi-
cations and they are doing an ex-
ceIent job Of that" he said.
our boys can Outright the Japs
anytime-and that goes for the
Navy, the Marines and the New
zealanders who co-operated with
US" he said.
I'VE have never yet been unable
to hight our way to a target and
back again"
Unit Lost Only One Plane.
The 18th Air Force was organized
and built up to formidable strength
In the South Pacific, where 1t has
been longer than almost any other
outit. Col. Allen said his group
had lost but one plane and was
credited with destroying many OF
the enemy's.
He told of taking part in one ex-
pedition for the relief of hard
pressed Marines who had toe hold
on Bairoko Harbor, west Of New
Georgia.
The Marines driving on the har-
Dor base had met such strong oppo-
sition, he said, that they had to
withdraw to better positions and re-
organize. They were badly outnum-
bered by the Japs, who brought in
reinforcements at night by barges
Col. Aliens bombers blasted jap
anese positions and dropped food by
parachutes to the Marines. "The
enemy would bring In their barges
ut night and we would destroy ali
their equipment the next day." he
related. "The Japs were making
every attempt to hold New Georgia. !"
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