Evening star., 1943-04-25


brated his birthday. He had nothing
else to celebrate.
Pacific Front
The announcement Wednesday by
President Roosevelt at Corpus Christi,
Tex, of the execution of a number OF
the eight flyers forced down in Japan
stirred this country as it has not been
stirred since Pearl Harbor.
From all sides came a demand that
these deaths, which were contrary to
all of the laws of modern warfare, should
be avenged and the promise that the
militarists of Nippon would pay and pay
dearly was quickly given. The people
back home who are not in position to
reach the Japs directly did what they
could individually by wave OF War
bond purchasing and they made their
purchases with the assurances OF the
War Department that last years raid
was just gentle prelude to the pound
ing to come In the administration in
Congress and in the Army and Navy
there is fixed determination that those
responsible for the barbarous treatment
of gallant flyers who had the misfortune
to fall into the hands of an enemy COM
pletely ruthless, will be brought to JUS
tice.
The official War Department story of
the raid on Japan by Army flyers re-
vealed that the planes
Took OFF had taken off from
From Hornet the deck of the car
rier Hornet, which,
after launching the planes, rushed
down to the Solomon Islands area
where later it was to be sunk, victim OF
Japanese submarines in the Santa Cruz
battle on October 26. The raid was
started from a point twice as far from
the japanese coast as the originally
planned position because the task force
under command of then Rear Admiral
William F. Halsey, jr., was spotted by a
japanese patrol ship. The Japanese
boat was quickly sunk, but because of
concern over the possibility that the
ship might have had an opportunity to
radio warning, the planes took off 800
miles at sea and in so doing the pilots
started with the almost certain knowl-
edge that they would not be able to
reach their ultimate bases in China and
land safely.
Knowing that their chances of safety
were slim the 80 flyers manning 16 BIS
lo To no
launched from carrier, hoped braveiy
off without ever a practice take-oh to
give them confidence. Straight to their
targets the planes sped and reaching
their objectives, they passed up many
likely target, such as an aircraft carrier
riding at anchor because each flyer had
his instructions and each had been thor
oughly drilled in what to bomb ano how
to reach it. Behind them as they sped
away, that is the IA planes which escaped
the fate of the two which came down on
japanese soil, they left a tremendous
so miles, blasted aircraft factory,
ruined shipyard at which a cruiser was
building, wrecked steel and powder
plants, and badly damaged machinery
works and railroad yards. Hits also were
scored on a heavy cruiser or battleship
under construction.
But most of ALL they left terrified
population which for weeks lived in fear
of repetition. They left, also, puz-
zled military command which could not
no Nf ho roii
time when our strength was badly weak
ened. the Japs were forced to withhold
much of their air and naval power to
guard their homeland against possible
attack from many directions and now
that We have grown strong it is even
the Japs divert a substantial part of
their planes to oppose the new raids
which are destined to teach them, as the
Germans have been taught, that retribu-
ton is certain for those who defy the
laws of humanity.
The IA planes, speeding on west for
airflelds in China, were overtaken by
night before they could reach safe ter
ritory and of the IA, all but one were
finally abandoned by the crews who were
forced to bail out when their gasoline
was exhausted. The 14th plane landed
in Russian territory and the crew was
interned. Out of the 80 men who made
the flight, one was killed, two are missing
and the fate of the eight who fell into
japanese hands is still partly obscured.
The Japs admit that the eight were tried
and sentenced to death. but that the
sentence was commuted to life i'm
prisonment in some cases.
Completely misjudging American char
acter. Japan now warns that all flyers
who attack the Japa-
Will Toke Wor nese islands or Man
To the Jops chukuo will receive
ticket to He'll and 1t
will be one-way ticket This warm
ing may bolster the courage of the Japs
but it won't halt the plans to take the
war to Japan by the many paths which
President Roosevelt some weeks ago
declared exist.
Going steadily ahead with the de-
velopment of defense positions to protect
our supply lines to the Southwest Pa
aiA. and r,rolino around LANA nese ha Gas