Evening star., 1945-04-14
Japs Use JET Fighters
Against Tokyo Raiders
With Scant Success
BY. the Associated Press.

81 hAS F1oooSiatCd 1865.
GUAM, April 14.-The great
est B-29 raiding force yet struck
the arsenal area of Tokyo early
today with fire bombs, causing
explosions which pilots said
were heard more than 100 miles
away.
Explosive blasts bounced the CO.
ton Super Fortresses as much as
mile upward through the air, pilots
said. They and crewmen unani-
mously agreed it was "a very sue
cessful raid"
The japanese met the raiders with
jet-propelleo fighters, which B-29
crewmen said flashed across the sky
line like great balls of fire.
There was no official report yet on
Super Fortress losses, but one re-
turning crewman said losses were
light despite the jet-propelled in
terceptorS. Tail Gunner Sergt. Reno
Lodi, North Plymouth, Mass, said
pilots of the jet planes apparently
were not able to locate the Super
Forts.
Shrine Reported Destroyed.
A japanese imperial communique
claimed Al raiding planes were shot
down and 80 damaged after wan
tonly'' bombing the city.
(The goth Air Force reported
in Washington that six aircraft
were missing, but did not specify
whether they were bombers or
escorting fighters)
Enemy headquarters asserted the
Meiji shrine, one of Japans major
Shinto shrines was destroyed, and
fires started in the Imperial Palace
and the detached Alaska Palace.
Beginning at 1890 am. Japan
time Q1:30 am. Friday Eastern war
time) the sky giants from Marianas
bases poured thousands of tons of
incendiaries on the choicest targets
thus far attacked in the enemy
capital-a smile square area con-
tanning arsenals, chemical plants
and explosive factories.
Fifteenth Raid on Capital.
1t was the 18th Super Fort raid
on Tokyo. The raiding force was
officially described as of very great
strength" which probably meant as
many as 400 planes The largest
previous B-29 assault on the enemy
capital, March 10, involved probably
300 planes.
Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Power of
Fort Worth, Tex, who cruised over
the city nearly two hours after the
raid, said it looked as if the boys
did a eood job, but I wouldn't want
to estimate the damage until We see
the photographs"
Tokyo radio reported fires con-
tinued to rage several hours after
the assault but said the first of the
conflagrations was brought under
control by dawn. Super Fort crews
said some of the smoke columns
rose higher than their planes, which
went over the city at 5000 to 1000
feet.
Heavily Populated Area.
The target area, miles north
of the Imperial Palace, has a popu-
lation of 10000 or more persons to
the square mile and includes the
famous ItabaShi Arsenal On its
fringeS are countless home indus
tries doing piecework for war.
While today'S raid was under
way, 2lst Bomber Command head
quarters here reported reconnais-
sance photos of the April Super
Fort raid on Nagoya showed vir-
tually complete destruction of the
great Mitsubishi aircraft plant
there.
The plant had been hit several
times previously. Pictures taken
after the April 7 assault indicated
all major assembly buildings and
machine shops of the plant had been
either destroyed or heavily dam
aged. OF l40 buildings in the area
only "a showed no visible damage. |.