Evening star., 1944-12-28
Zone I Blocks Iona
And 7 Wide Blasted
In Tokyo by B-Ns
BY vERN HAUGLAND.

So1MhNb, OdlpdQ, dec. Z6.-Supe
Fortress bombers, streaking out of i,
clear sky, ATTACKED Tokyo for al
hour and half yesterday and ont
returning pilot said his formation
alone laid pattern of explosives
two blocks wide and seven loni
across an important industrial ares
where no missile could fail to hit {
target"
The Musashima factory of the
Nakajima Aircraft Co. was the pri.
mary target, but the first B-29 for
nation, led by Capt. Vance Black
Fairfax, Okla, and pushed by a
terrific tailwind, overshot the plant
Nevertheless, they said they ap-
parently hit the factory somewhere
In its so acres of one-story work
shops.
Early photographs showed at least
dozen new bomb hits in the plant
Pictures of budding bomb bursts
gave rise to hope later photographs
would show heavy damage in the
works, one of the keys to Japan's
aircraft production.
One Plane Lost.
One plane was lost over Tokyo, but
the Super Forts shot down perhaps
the largest number of enemy planes
yet destroyed over the island of
Honshu, on which the imperial cap
ital is situated The total bag has
not been officially announced.
The japanese apparently were
caught by surprise. Early B-29 form
ations found both antiaircraft fire
and interception light, but later
arrivals encountered heavy opposi-
ton.
Tokyos industrial center was
swept by great fires, returning air.
men reported. 1t Col William Nc
Dowell Brady, Tex, an observer,
said that on the return trip the
smoke could be seen from 80 miles
away.
CA Washington communique
said fires were started in the big
Musashima plane plant)
The Japs tried out a new defense
wrinkle, touching off smudge pots in
an effort to lay a smoke screen, but
the attackers described the tech
nique as unsuccessful.
Tokyo Admits Damage.
(The raid caught the japanese
Parliament in session and the
Domei news agency said the law
makers ate their lunch before en-
tering AFRAID shelters. Tokyo
said so Super Forts participated
in the raid, claiming that 9 were
shot down and another prob
ably. Twenty-seven were declared
damaged. Tokyo acknowledged
some damage to industrial areasO
ct don't think the fighters were
alerted," said Capt. Black. 1--WE
usually see them climbing at steep
angle. We saw nothing like that,
and Radio Tokyo was still on
There was no antiaircraft fire until
we were over the target. We came
in earlier than usual and from
different direction, and 1t must have
confused them"
Capt. Black said his formation
laid pattern seven blocks long and
two wide in the northeast part of
the city between two major rivers"
The bomb train started at rail-
way junction where bridge crossed
the river and extended toward the
water front in an area where no
bomb could fail to hit a target" he
asserted
Fifth Raid in Month.
1t was the fifth time in little
more than a month that the B-29s
had hammered Tokyo in force.
A Super Fort commanded by 1t.
AL Williams, Dallas, Tex, had mar
row escape. Near the target one
engine caught fire It was extin-
guished and the ship flew on three
engines until another started to fail
just off Honshu.
Limping along on two engines, with
third cutting on and off, the plane
was in the last formation over
Tokyo 1t was attacked repeatedly
by enemy interceptors. Approx
mately so passes were Tended off by
the B-29's gunners, the last on the
home trip by a group of fighters
waiting over the Honshu coast to
pick off cripples. The plane was the
last one to return, ending a trip of
l6 hours Is minutes.
A plane piloted by Capt Harold
F. Schramm, St. Louis, Mo, whose
wife lives at Aransas Pass, Tex, also
came home on two engines when
forced to feather the other two pro-
oellers to conserve fuel. He Travelled
he last $50 miles In this fashion
and landed Is minutes after he had
about decided to abandon ship.
When 1t Williams plane got in
is jam, a B-29 commanded by 1t.
w. Morgan, Oklahoma City,
;urned back to help and almost met
itself. The ship was caught
IN 1t. Williams slipstream and fell
out of control for 1000 feet 1t.
Morgan escorted 1t. Williams most
Of the way home.