Alaskan Reports of Soviet Planes Denied

Chronicle (Levin), 17 April 1948, Page 5

Alaskan Reports of Soviet Planes Denied

Received Friday, 7.40 p.m. AXCUORAGK (Alaska), April 15. lueutenant-General Nathan Twining comruander of the ITiited States armed forces in Alaska, today braiuled afictilious reports that Russian jei pbuies had scouled Alaska, that an Ainerican Superfortress was force-1 down witli a Russian shell in hcr belly, and that a Soviet submarine had liugerod in Alaskan waters. (Tenera-. Twining, who was eonimenting on state ments published in the Ketchikan Daiiy dhronicle, admitted that an uu identilied submarine had been seea " Init only for a ]>eriod of two miinites and lins not been sightod since". An earlier message stated: A PnittM States Repr.esentative," Miss Atargftrc Smitli (Republican, Mainei, was correri when she told a meeting that Russian planes had violated Alaskan skies, a'cording. to the proprietor of the Ketchi kan (Alaska) Daily t'lironicle, M r. Wil lian Baker, writing' in his papFr today. However, Alr. Baker added, bolli Arnerican and Russian aircraft had crossed eacli otlie.r's borders oyer a period of several montlis. M r. Baker also said that a "mystery submarine" first reported to have be'»n seen iti Kiska harbour by an Americau pilot over a fort night ago lingered in Aleutian waters for about 10 days. Tlnnavv had a radar ti x on the suljmariiuse\ eral times and awaited orders from Washington. Several thousand person nel at Aleutian bases wero plaeed ol the alert and sailors' leavo caneelled, .Mr. Baker said he had received re ports that a Superfortress which crash ed nortli of Nomp on Deeember 27 "had a Soviet shell in its belly". In Washington the army annotmeed tonight that an undisclosed number •) i •ombat troops, anti-aircraft units, and other ground foives had been ordered to Alaska from Ilawaii and the Ameri can West Coast. The sliift was intemf ed to "balance" the Alaskan forces •ind train the ground troops in co operation with air force units.