Evening star., 1944-12-14
.ThaiIand Raided
By Super Forts
Based in India
Jops Report Attack
On Rongoon by
Eleven B-2os

Super Fortresses from Maj. Gen
Curtis LIE Mays goth Bomber
Command today flew across the
Bay of Bengal to hit military
targets in Thailand, now domi-
mated by the Japanese. A War
Department announcement de-
scribed the striking force, which
took off from bases in India, as
substantial" but gave no fur
ther details.
The blow at Thailand followed
major raid by B-29s vest erday on
Nagoya. Japan, where, returning
flyers reported, the big Matsudoki
aircraft factory was left in flames.
The planes took off from bases at
Saipan in the Marainas. Examina-
ton of photographs, reports from
there said, revealed that at least Al
direct hits were made on the fac
tory.
Meanwhile, Japanese broadcasts
reported that IL Super FortresSes
today raided the port of Rangoon
in Southwest Burma at l pm. and
that a single B-29 appeared over
Tokyo at am, but fled without
accomplishing anything"
The Japs said five of the big
planes were shot down over RAN
COON by antiaircraft within a few
seconds" and that the others were
driven off, preventing damage to
ground installations. 1t is quite
possible that the B-29s were a part
of the force which raided Thailand,
adjoining Burma
Thailand Hit Before.
sThailand last was hit by the big
bombers on November 81. The rail
center of Bangkok. heart of the
enemy rail system radiating to
Singapore, Burma and Indo- China,
was struck with heavy loads Of DEM
clifton bombs. All planes returned.
Super Fortresses of the Goth
Bomber Command first attacked the
Thailand port early last June.
At the same time, the Army Air
Forces raised the possibility that the
aerial pincers clamped on the Jap
anese from east and west may be
implemented by B-29 blows from
Aleutian bases.
An air force spokesman said ex-
listing Aleutian bases west of Umnak
can accommodate 1.-The largest air
craft we have" Umnak is about
1000 miles from Japan. The long
est reported flight of B-29s to date
was 3,000-mile round trip.
"a Hits Recorded.
One B-29, which was over Nagoya
commanded by Capt.
Thomas Kuenning, New Bremen,
Ohio, obtained pictures showing "a
hits upon the great rambling plant.
Other early photos disclosed Al
direct hits on Hatsudoki-particu-
larly its machine shops and assem-
bly, departments. The administra-
ton building also was hit.
War correspondents on Saipan in
spected the photographs today
There were three or four tall, wispy
columns of smoke. but most impress
sive were the geyserlike multiple
bomb spouts, looking almost like or
derly rows of Lombardy poplars,
puncturing the factory area.
1t was explained that most uf the
bomb damage was from the blasts
rather than from the fires.
Fires Set in Suburbs.
The pictures also showed that
other planes had released their
bombs too early and had set fires in
the suburbs and that a number of
bombs had dropped harmlessly in
rice paddles.
However, the general impression
of the pictures is that accuracy was
achieved in laying most of the
bombs in a half-mile pattern upon
the aircraft factory, from an alti-
tude of or miles $4,000 to 81 900
feet).
Domei, the japanese news agency,
broadcast a claim today that two
American Super Fortresses were
definitely shot down" and eight
others heavily crippled in yester-
days raid on Honshu, main island
of Japan.
American reports said early indi-
cations were that none of the B-29s
was lost over the target.