Evening star., 1944-06-03
Shuttle Bombino
Continued From First Page.

Bari, Italy, was held up by the
censOrs
GA special communique issued
by the Supreme Allied Com
mand in the Mediterranean this
morning several hours after
full accounts had come from
Russia-said that "a force of
Allied strategic bombers and
fighters attacked enemy targets
in Romania yesterday and pro-
ceeded to Russian bases"
ct continued: "As is custo-
mary. no further details can be
given on this operation, except by
the air commander in Russia.
Complete details will be made
available when publication will
in no way jeopardize the success
of combat operations.
Late last night the Budapest
radio went off the air, a posi-
bility that the second phase of
the shuttle operation might be
under way)
Americans Welcomed.
The American flyers were greeted
by beaming Russian and American
ground crews as we'll as an official
welcoming group which included
United States Ambassador w
Averell Hartman, his daughter
Kathleen, and Maj. Gen. John r
Deane, head of the American mill
tary mission to Russia.
In an enthusiastic celebra ton
the American Legion of Merit
which the flyers had brought, was
presented to Soviet 1t. Gen. Alex
ander r. Perminov, in charge OF
Russian facilities for the Americans
1T was a brief but happy celebra-
ton before servicing the aircraft
with fuel and ammunition for an
other call on the Axis en- route to
their home bases in England Italy
and Africa" Gen. Deane said.
First Big Joint Air Operation.
The operations carried out today
mark the first large-scale physical
cooperation of the air forces of
Britain, Russia and America"
Gen. Deane explained that with
out British aid the American planes
could not take of from their original
bases.
One Russian observer hailed the
event as certainly the greatest ac-
complishment in Soviet co-opera-
ton"
(The Moscow radio broadcast
an official announcement that "a
considerable force of American
bombers and fighters dealt a blow
against enemy objectives in Ro-
mania" adding that "a part" of
these planes landed on bases In
Soviet territory.
(Another Russian announce
ment declared: The westward
advance OF the Red Army has
brought the area of operations
within the range of the air forces
OF the United States of America
and Great Britain.
C"In order to insure that efforts
OF the combined air forces shall
be concentrated on the most i'm
portant objectives for the United
Nations, direct contact has been
established between the head
quarters concerned.D
Decided on Mt Moscow Talks.
The American airmen, unable to
speak Russian, heartily greeted the
Russians as "Ivan." The Soviet me-
chanics replied appropriately. They
had worked for months with Amer
lean ground crews to get the bases
ready.
While the idea of the west-east
shuttle bombing was said to have
with Gen. H. H. Arnold,
commander of the United States
Army Air Forces, the project was
first decided on at United States
Secretary Of State Hull's Moscow
conferences last fall, and got under
way last February after 1t had been
at the Tehran conferences
Of President Roosevelt, Marshal
Stain and Prime Minister Churchill.
The RAJ, however, pioneered
shuttle bombing. On the night of
June 20, 1943, Lancasters took off
from Britain, bombed Friedrichs-
hafen, Germany, and landed at Al
lied bases in North Africa. They
made the return flight three nights
later, bombing the La Spezia naval
base, Northern Italy, without loss.
On August II, 1943, American
Britain-based air units carried shut
tie raiding stage further with a
daylight Britain Germany Africa
assault, bombing the Regensbure
Bavaria) aircraft center. On the
return flight via the west coast of
France the Fortresses bombed the
German U-boat base at Bordeaux.
Buy War Bonds to have and
to hold!