The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-06
BLAST IMPORTANT
DRYD0CKS, SHOPS
Also Damage Second Big
gest Airplane Fuel
Source In Far East

WASHINGTON, Nov. D.
(P) - B-29 superfortresses
Numbered a mighty double
strike at Japanese power to-
day, hitting Singapore naval
installations and the second
biggest airplane fuel source
in the Far East.
A communique from the
goth Airforce which flies the
ali. giants on their worldwide
missions called bombing re-
suits good to excellent" both
at the former bulwark of
British sea power on the tip
of the Malay peninsula, and
at the Panykalan-Brandon
oil refinery on the north coast ,
OF Sumatra.
The primary blow in Substantial
force" was against dockyard and
repair facilities at Singapore.
which the Japanese are understood
to have converted into the chief
brace of their navy in the south.
Hamper. Repairs
The presumption was strong that
main purpose of the Singapore
attack was to hamper the refitting
of Nipponese warships which NAV
have escaped in that direction
from the great naval battles in
Philippine waters.
That theory was supported by
the language Of the communiQue
which mentioned two direct hits
on a Japanese ship that was in
the drydock for repairs" Other de
rect hits were reported on a con-
troll house at the largest drydock
and "other vital points" Bombing
there was visible.
The flight, from India bases. was
reported by the Goth Air Force as
the longest daylight mission ever
flown by military planes. The only
longer one-and that by only a few
miles-was the August 10 night
blow by the same bomber COM
mand against the Pladioe refinery
at Palembang, Sumatra.
Hit Refinery
| At least one bomb dropped
square on the refinery in the SUI
matra strike, the communicate
said. The Goth airforce described
Pangkalan-Brandon as the second
most important high octane gaso-
line source in the far east, prob
ably exceeded only by the PladJoe
refinery hammered in August.
Only weak tighter plane oppo-
sition was reported. Anti-aircraft
fire was called moderate" over
both targets. and none of the Am
erican craft was reported lost in
either strike.
The headquarters Of the big
bombers said nothing about Jap
anese radio reports of "enemy
planes in unspecified numbers
scouting over the eastern seacoast
of the main Japanese home island
of Honshu.
The Japanese guessed that the
| reconnaissance flights over the
home islands came from the Mari
ana islands.
Most of the eastern seacoast OF
Honshu, where Tokyo and most OF
Japan's heavy industry are located
was covered by scouting planes,
radio Tokyo said.
Communicate
The text Of the Goth Airforce
communicate No. 20:
SIN the longest daylight mission
ever flown by military planes, B-29
aircraft of the goth airforce today
bombed the dockyards and repair
facilities of the great Singapore
naval base, on the southern tip OF
the Malay peninsula.
1.-THE strike was made by SUBJ
stantial force of the goth bomber
command from India bases. 1t was
exceeded in length by only few
miles on Aug. 10, 1914, when the
same bomber command conducted
night mission from India against
the Pladjoe refinery at Palem-
bang, Sumatra.
'Coincidentally with the attack
on Singapore, some elements hit
the Experimentation oil refinery
on the Japanese-dominated isle Of
Slunatra.
Good to excellent results were
reported at both primary and sec.
ondary targets. At Singapore, the
former British naval base now in
Japanese hands, the weather was
clear enough for visual bombing
and direct hits were observed on
control house in the largest dry.
dock and on other vital points. In
addition. two direct hits were scor.
ed on Japanese ship that was in
the drydock for repairs.
cat Experimentation at least
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