Evening star., 1943-04-13
Japs Rush AifieIds
On kiska and Attu
Despite u. 5. Attacks
Fighter PIone Runway
May Be Ready for
Use Before Easter
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
A FAR WESTERN BASE IN THE
ANDREANOF ISLANDS, April 8
Delayed the face of heavy
bombings and naval action against
their fog-shrouded supply lines, the
Japanese are building air fields on
Kiska and Attu Islands in the outer
Aleutians. -> -.
Eleventh Bomber Command head
quarters revealed today that steady
progress in developing a half-mile-
long runway on Kiska might make
1t ready for fighter planes before
Easter. The field already has been
bombed halt dozen times, and
Lightning, fighters have strafed it
repeatedly. It's completion would
mean speedy land-based Zero
fighters could rise to challenge
American bombers above the Aleu-
tian chain.
! At Attu, westernmost of the Aleu-
tian Islands. long bomber field is
under construction. 1t has been
bombed twice, with 20 tons of eX-
plosives.
Aerial photographs show several
hundred fox holes already ringing
the Attu Field and many clusters of
buildings in the valley nearby.
Stepping Stones From Toxic.
The Kiska runway is being built
by cut-and-f1ll methods along a
ridge. Bulldozers, so light trucks,
hand-propelled trucks and narrow
gauge rails are believed to be in use.
Indications are that the japanese
either have, or expect to have a
large number of men on Attu, which
is only rs miles from the northern
most Japanese island base, Para
mushiro.
Completion of Attu and Kiska
helds would provide the enemy with
= string of stepping stones from
Toxic, which even fighter planes
could span. Kiska and Attu are
l95 miles apart.
The japanese once almost COM
pfetely evacuated Attu after occupy
ing it last June, but reinforcements
were sent there late in 1912, after
much of the original garrison had
been shifted to Kiska to offset the
new American base In the Andrea
nofs.
The enemy's building efforts open
a wide field of conjecture as to
Japanese intentions. They may be
getting set to repel a naval bonn
bardment with Zeros, to throw back
any beach landing attempts, to
harass our advance bases if possible,
to hit our shipping lines or to launch
an offensive against Alaska.
Aleutian Fog Aids Japs.
Quitting and supplying the fields
poses a major problem for the jap
anese, but the enveloping fog of the
AleutlanS is an aid in the effort.
What airmen refer to as ''stinking
weather" all too frequent in the
Aleutians, helps enemy shipping run
the gantlet to their island bases.
The last reported japanese effort
was March 26, when two or three
cargo ships approached the Aleu-
tians under heavy cruiser and de-
stroyer escort. A United States Navy
task force of half the enemy
strength sent that Japanese convoy,
which apparently carried vitally
needed supplies, scurrying west
ward.
1n an earlier delayed dispatch
Mr.. Burns related how he flew
with force of 81 medium and
heavy bonlbers out beyond Attu
seeking the Japanese sea force
only four hours after the long
range naval engagement had
been broken of. Parka-clad air.
men flew over both Kiska and
Attu under poor visibility condi-
tions, carrying bombs with the
snow and ice still clinging to
them. But they never were able
to sight the enemy ships and had
to turn book because of dwindling
gasoline and approaching twi-
light
To date, Is Japanese ships have
been listed as destroyed by Navy
guns. torpedoes and bombers in the
Aleutians theater.