Evening star., 1944-12-10
Navy Raiders Assist
In Air and Sea Action
Against Two lima
1y the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUAR-
TIERS, Pearl Harbor, Dec. 9.-The
mightiest warship and plane blow
yet to crash down on q Japanese
base-the December 7 attempt te
eliminate Two Jima as an interven-
ing menace to the B-29s now raid
ing Tokyo-was expanded by new
Navy reports today.
A conmunique said Navy search
planes, In the face OF intense en-
envy antiaircraft fire, few low to
bomb airstrip installations at I've
Jima, which Is In the Bonin Islands
$50 miles from Tokyo and about
an equal distance north Of the B-2e
base on Saipan.
Previously official and spokesman
reports had told of more than i0C
Liberator bombers and perhaps as
many SIS 10 Super Fortresses, es-
corted by long-range Lightnings
pouring down an estimated 900 tons
of bombs on Two Jima during the
day. The reports also told of q
naval task force heavily shelling
the island with the aid of aerial
spoilers.
Time of Raid Unspecified.
Today's communique did not
specify whether the Navy search
planes preceded or followed up the
bombers and warships.
(Mention of the heavy anti
aircraft might indicate the
search planes went in first mas
much as ack-ack was reduced to
almost the vanishing point dur
ing the heavier assaults.)
One Navy search plane was dam
aged, the communique said. All re-
turned safely.
The conlmunique also reported
raids December z on Pagan and
Rota, enemy bases in the Marianas
close to Saipan.
At the B-29 base on Saipan, 1t.
Gen. Millard F. Harmon, comman-
der of the Army Air Forces in the
Pacific Ocean areas, said the Two
Jima attack was just a curtain rails
er and that although the results
appeared good 1--WE definitely are not
happy about the overall result" be-
cause the weather proved a handi-
cap.
10000 Pounds Dropped.
Speaking at press conference in
the office Of Maj. Gen. Robert w.
Douglass, commander of the 7th Air
Force, Gen Harmon estimated that
100000 pounds of bombs were
dropped on Two Jima. His figure
was based on incomplete reports.
Roughly, 20 per cent of the bombs
landed in the target area" he said.
But that doesn't mean that the
other 80 per cent didn't do damage,
because Two is pretty densely covered
with installations of all kinds.
The results appeared good despite
thick cloud cover. The best part
is that the attack cost nothing ex-
cept time, fuel and the bombs used
We lost no aircraft or personnel and
hone of the planes was damaged"
Command Setup Changed.
Gen. Harmon disclosed that the
Army's forward air command setup
in the Pacific, commanded by Mai.
Gen. Willis H. Hale, has been re-
placed by new task force called
"Comstratair The abbreviation
means command strategical air
forces.
The new organization Is COM
manded by Gen. Harmon and en-
braces all land-based units In this
area that can be used for long range
offensive operations. These include
medium bombers and long-range
fighters.
Gen. Harmon said Gen. Hale has
returned to the United States, but
will be reassigned In the new organi-
zation when he returns to the Mari
anaS.
When Gen. Harmon is absent
from the Marianas, Gen. Douglass
will serve temporarily as deputy
commander of Comstratair.
Brig. Gen. Truman H. Landon,
commander of the 7th Bomber Com
mand for three years, has returned
to the United States. He has been
succeeded by Col Lawrence J. Carr,
Chicago, who was chief of staff to
Gen. Hale.
Navy Capt. w. V. Davis, Savannah,
Ga, who was deputy chief of staff
to Gen. Hale in the old forward air
command, will succeed Col. Carr as
Gen. Hale's chief of staff when the
latter returns to his new command
here.
Gen. Harmon said the Two attack
was the first operation of the new
Comstratair, and that the CO.
ordination worked out perfectly" ;"
Gen. Harmon also is deputy COM
mander of the Army's goth Air Force
which directs BIG operations.