Show Behind the War News By Bv Major Malar Paul C. C Noted Military Writer Shuttle bombing of Japan Is definitely a possibility of the new mechanized might of the United States American bombers could fly to China from our base at Dutch Harbor approximately midway in the Aleutian islands passing over en route from east to west and blasting by bombs the Japanese empire In this region seasonal climatic climatic climatic cli cli- matic conditions are rapidly approaching favorable flying weather and although fog is almost continuous in the Bering sea it would not stop our fliers any more than darkness We can easily fly any number of planes from the continental United States to Alaska Seattle Seattle Seattle Seat Seat- tle is only miles by air from the southernmost eastern point of Alaska Distances in that northern Pacific area are not generally known and are more than inter inter- esting Few people realize that from the westernmost Aleutian island Attu it is less than miles to Japans Japan's advance base on which is just justoff justoff justoff off the toe of the of-the the peninsula As summer approaches approaches approaches ap ap- this is a world section section section sec sec- tion that will certainly figure most prominently in the news From D Dutch Harbor to Tokyo it is only a little more than 2200 miles and from Tokyo to Nan Nan- king China is less than 1200 miles In other words our bases in Alaska can receive limitless flying flying flying fly fly- ing units including both bombers bomb bomb- ers and fighter planes The United States can send bomber squadrons from Dutch Harbor to an i interior China location which in passing over can hurl destruction on the principal principal principal prin prin- cipal Japanese cities and the entire trip would be approximately approximately approximately miles These planes arriving in China could remain there in the defense defense defense de de- de- de of that country or their fuel and bombs could be replenished replenished replenished and on their return trip they would again pass over the empire of the rising sun That Tha would be truly shuttle bomb bomb- ing Fighter protection for such expeditions might be secured by means of naval plane carriers carrier operating in the north Pacific ocean to the east of the Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese islands No United States possession Is more important to our of ot- defensive action than thai Alaska and its adjoining Aleutian Aleutian Aleutian Aleu Aleu- tian islands Fortunately our naval bases at Dutch Harbor and Kodiak Island were under construction a considerable time before even the period of our declared emergency Kodiak island is inside and on the western western western west west- ern edge of the Gulf of Alaska These bases now should be entirely entirely entirely en en- usable and even approaching approach approach- ing completion of construction By means of Alaska and the Aleutian islands the United States truly rubs elbows with willi Asia In the Bering strait our little Diomede island is only mile and a half from the R Rp R sian big Diomede where the soviet not so long ago set up aradio a a. aradio radio weather station and an advanced advanced advanced ad ad- air base And again our westernmost Aleutian island Attu is only miles southeast of Russia's submarine base on the Islands Stalin has continuous mainland air airbases airbases bases from the eastern point of Alaska west to Vladivostok and our Attu island Is only about 2900 miles from Vladivostok The study of possible combined combined com com com- United States-soviet States naval and air offensive action against Japan should Russia enter the fighting is most fascinating However even with the soviet on the sidelines as a neutral our north Pacific offense defense locations are most ideal In view of the recent reported bombings of Japan the distances distances' mentioned and the location of our bases can supply considerable ble food for thought as to what may have already happened and what in the near future maybe maybe may be almost continuous occur- occur |