The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-21


or 20 feet above sea level--that they
were almost skimminR tho wave
tops. Then they famed out, each
plane with specific ohjoctives - ono
q tank factory, another q Bhipyard,
stu another q steel plant. ono by
one, each objective was checked OF,
There were powder factories, ma
chlnory works, railroad yards,
docks, arsenals and oil reflnerles,
Just for good measure, bombs were
dropped directly on q new cruiser
or battleship under construction.
There was antl.nlrcraft Gre, some
heavy, but no real C'image was done.
And there were Ut least 30 pursuit
planes aloft but htey couldn't lay q
finger on the hedgeshopping Amer
leans.
Over Tokyo, II was exactly accord
Ing TO plan,
But ahead lay trouble. Upon leav.
Ing Japan, the scattered alrplaneS
ran into o storm.
"Thelr already depleted gasoline
reserves wero drained further rs
they bucked the Winds" the Official
account said. Darkness was coming
on and the unfamiliar terrain added
TO the difllcultics. There were no
light beacong or landing fares. I'm.
able 10 30 farther, there In the
darkness, 5000 10 10000 feet above
strange land, the great majority
Of tho men bailod out"
Most Of tho men landed In unoc-
cupled China and succeeded In
reaching Chungking, deneTRlisslmo
Chang KalsHhek's capital. But some
less fortunate landed In occupied
China. This led 10 the capture Of
eight. Others managed 10 make
their way out Of enemy territory
with the aid Of friendly Chinese
who hid several Of them for long
periods.
Tho only known dead was Corp.
Leland D., Taktor, OF Plymouth, Ia,
who made Q getaway IN his para
chute but may have been killed by
0 fall after landing In mountain.
Gus territory. His body was found
later.
Only plane 10 make @ safe land.
ing was piloted by Capt. (now
major) Edward J. York, OF San An
tonic, Texas, and Batavia, N. Y.
After bombing Tokyo, his plane Ind
10 little gas left, he headed for
Siberia and landed 40 miles north
Of Vladlvostok. The ship and crew
were informed by the Russians.
One OF the planes plotted by Lieut..
Ted w. Lawson OF Los Angeles,
Calf, crashed In the China Sea
within three miles Of Japanese
forces. Corp. David J. Thatcher OF
Billings, Mont; was cited for his
initiative, and courage IN tending
his companions.
Thatcher, although badly cut on
the head and InomentRrily knocked
unconscious when the plane hit the
sen and turned over, nevertheless
swan back to secure the medical
kit from the crushed plane" the
War Department said. Tie was the
only one physically able TO carry
1t.
after IL became plain that any
further walt would result IN cap.
ttire by the japanese forces, which
were only about three miles away,
Thatcher persuaded Chinese fisher
men 10 carry his injured crew mates
TO temporary safety around the
Japanese outposts. Chinese village
ers carried his companions over
mountainous and difIlcult terrain
until they reached medical aid"
The War Department credits
Thatcher with saving all OF his COM
panioil5 from capture or death.
Another example Of heroisrn cited
what that of Lieut.. J. n. White
Of RedIands, Calf, flight surgeon
in q plane piloted BY Lieut.. Donald
O. Smith Of Belle Fourche, 8. d.
Lieutenant White remained
inside the sinking plane. with water
rising dangerously, until his surgi-
Gel instruments and medical KIT
could be saved" the Official story
said. srhe plane plunged into
100 feet OF water just after he had
completely this effort and escaped"
The War Department said that the
preoccupatlon In bringing American
AAySkD W 1AtSJ W1D 9 bkAtIAbAi ECA~
son why no detailed statement was
issued after the raid.
ITO have named the flyers and
disclosed that they were stan miss.
Ing would have intensified the efforts
OF the japanese TO capture Them"
&c said. ALSO. consideration had 10
be given 70 the possibility Of repris-
sis on friendly Chinese who helped
the American In Japanese-o ccupied
China"
!. The idea Of the raid on Tokyo was
first conceived IN January 1919,
when the desire for revenue on the
Japanese for the Pearl HARRY at
tack war barely q month old. Whose
idea II was, the War Department
81 rot reveal, bat DoolistIs. VINO
US 6Aen . KAeuesmamt GoAomel, teu&
charge q the preparations. He
personally selected the men who
weEe 70 aeeeaRangina him. They