The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1943-04-13
|RUNWAYSARE
seen At kI5kA,
|AT1U ISLANDS
One Should Be Done This
Month, Other by
Fourth Of July
Continued from Page one)


Eleventh Bomber Command head
quarters here reveals that the Kis-
ka runway which may have zeros
looming up to meet American
bombers in a few weeks, has been
bombed six times, and our Light
ming fighters have plugged at the
Jap workers regularly.
Attu also has been hit twice
both times by Liberator bombers
which unloaded 20 tons of explos-
ives.
The building of the Jap runways
in ap-occupied Alaska may indi-
cate:
Suggested Reasons
First, that the Japs are getting
set to repel naval bombardment by
U. S. forces with Zero fighters.
Second, that the runways are
being built to repel attempted land
ings by U. S. forces at the few ex-
listing beachheads.
Third, that the fields are being
pushed to completion to harass, il
possible, the United States advance
bases in the Aleutians.
Fourth, to hit our shipping in
Alaskan waters.
Fifth, to launch japanese Of
fensive against Alaska.
Offensive Probable
The use of transports by the
Japs in these waters last june
would indicate they had the last
possibility in mind ~
Equipment for the fields must be
flown in by the enemy or taken
in by surface ship, the last of the
Japs shipping effort was on March
26 when an American naval task
force, outnumbered two to one
turned back a Jap force of three
cargo ships, two heavy cruisers and
two light cruisers along with -four
destroyers.
Full details of this engagement
have never been revealed.
The enemy has lost a total of
Is ships so far in attempts to sup
ply the islands. 1t is not known
whether they have used submarines
as they did at Guadalcanal. f'
When the Attu and Kiska fields
are finished the Japs will be able
to fly from Paramushiro to Attu
distance of only 735 miles, and
then 1876 miles to Kiska.
Could Hit Alaska
From Kiska they could attack
Alaskan bases
The first signs of the Kiska work
was noted by photo intelligence on
December 81, and on Attu on
March IL when the job was about
10 days along.
Following the turning back OF
the enemy convoy on March 26 by
a surface force, of the United
States Navy, an American air force
of 81 medium and heavy bomb
,ers flew out to sea hunting the
transports and cripples of the scat
tered group.
The position of the Jap force
was believed just inside airplane
range, and against 35- to 4O-knot
wind, the planes failed to locate
the convoy within flying range, and
after Kiska was closed over by fog,
the U. S. pilots were forced to re-
turn home without dropping a
bomb after eight hours of flying.
They just beat snowstorm to
their base by 10 minutes.
Many Workers
More than a half mile in length,
the Kiska runway is built on a
ridge by cut and fill methods. Using
bulldozers and light trucks along
with hand carts, picks and shovels,
hundreds of Jap workers are NOV
ing some $500 cubic yards daily.
Large buildings near the bottom
OF the fill apparently house run
way equipment The workers live
in huts in valley a half mile
away.
The hangar, when the time
comes. could be hit in deep cut
from which the fill is being built
today.
Near the runway, foxholes and
trenches line the east and south
east ends of the runway building
The land field seems to be re-
vision of earlier plans by the Japs
for using seaplanes, apparently
after the American bombers
wrecked one Of the hangers on the
beach and blew up the foundations
for a third.
Ready BY Easter?
This Kiska field, it is estimated
by one officer who flew over the
job, will be in operation about
Easter time.
The Attu construction, probably
begun about March /, is taken as
an indication that the Japs are
strengthening their air defenses
along the northern approach line
perhaps as far back as Tokyo. &.
Attn uyoc ahapdo,,a<J a.aaz..-s;-.