November 24, 1944:DAYLIGHT RAID ON TOKYO:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1944 

HUNTTINGDON, PA. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1944

OFFICIALLY OPEN

2-PRONGED DRIVE

TO SOFTEN JAPAN

By FRED SCHERFF

United Press Correspondent

Washington, Nov. 24. —

One hundred or more B-29 Superfortresses, officially opening a two-pronged air offensive to soften Japan for invasion, bombed Tokyo by daylight today, (Tokyo Time) and the enemy admitted factories and other important installations had been damaged.

Roaring out from new bases on in the Marianas, 1,550 miles to the southeast, giant four-engined bombers swept over Tokyo at noon (11 p. m. Thursday, EWT) to five the jittery Japanese; capital its first taste of American bombs since the historic April 18. 1942 raid by Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle's fliers.

Four hours later Tokyo belatedly admitted the raid and backed into admissions of what it sought to imply was slight damage to factories and other major installation.

"Small fires" were caused, Tokyo broadcasts added, but only among "civilian homes and hospitals" and all were controled, "immediately.'' Tokyo said the bombers, attacking in 10 or more groups, were over the city for two hours.

Three were shot down, a later Japanese communique said, adding the customary: "our damages have been slight."

The attack, the first on Tokyo by land-based aircraft, was announced here, by Gen. H. H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces and chief of the global

Air Force. He said another communique on damage done to the industrial targets would be issued "when further details are available."

Blazes Continue for Hours

After Bombing; Only Two

Big Planes Fail to Return

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.—(/P)—

Fires still were burning in the center of Tokyo hours after the attack by B-29s today, the 20th Air Force reported.

A communique reporting this said that all but two of a "large task force" of the super-fortresses making the strike against the enemy Capital have returned.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 24. — (U.P) —

 One hundred or more B-29 super-fortresses winged back toward their Saipan base today, flashing word ahead that they had "successfully attacked important military installations in Tokyo in the initial attack of the softening up of Japan for invasion.

The super-forts attacked Tokyo by daylight, and the enemy admitted factories and other important war installations were hit.

Among other battered targets was the Nakajima aircraft factory in the western outskirts of the Japanese Capital.

Brig. Gen. Emmett (Rosey) O'Donnell Jr., leader of the first B-29 smash at Tokyo. radioed back to Saipan that the mission had been a big success. It was the first attack launched from the now Saipan bases in the Marianas, 1550 miles to the southeast of Japan.

Arnold Says Raid Opens

Real ‘Battle of Japan'

TWENTY-FIRST BOMBER COMMAND.

Saipan. Nov. 24 —(AP)

A mighty armada of B-29 super-fortresses blasted Tokyo today with hundreds of tons of bombs, opening what Gen. H H. Arnold said was "an attack which will be carried on relentlessly from the air until the day of land-sea invasion" of Japan's home islands.

British Lose

2 Towns in

Counter Blow

By \VII.UAM KRYK

LONDON. Nov. 21.—(AP)—

Allied advance units were reported today to have crossed the flooded Rhine east of Strasbourg, which French and American troops had captured

save for a small but powerfully defunded bridgehead at the western end of the mam bridge.