MYSTERIOUS BALLOON FOUND IN MONTANA MOUNTAIN AREA Huge Paper Bag Bearing Jap Characters, Incendiary Device Studied by Military KALISPELL, Mont., Dec. 18 -The federal bureau. of investigation announced tonight that a paper balloon 33½ feet in diameter, bearing Japanese mountain region near here. An official statement said side an incendiary device, 33 More Jap Ships Sunk by U.S. Submarines WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (LP) -American submarines have sunk 33 more Jap vessels, including 12 warships, i in sweeps against the enemy's supply lines, the Navy announced today. The combatant ships sunk were one light cruiser, three destroyers, six escort vessels, one mine sweeper and one mine layer. Enemy noncombatant losses in the latest submarine attacks were two tankers, 17 cargo vessels and two cargo-transports. The announcement boosted the total of enemy ships sunk by U. S. submarines to 907, of which 94 were fighting ships. Japs Lose 742 Planes in Week Americans Meet No Mindoro Opposition GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS, Philippines, Dec. 19 (Tuesday) (AP) - Destruction or serious damaging of 742 Jap warplanes during the past week was disclosed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur today as American invasion troops met no resistance on Mindoro island. The Jap planes were bagged by land-based American aircraft and planes operating from Adm. Willim F. Halsey's Third fleet. The chief American purpose in seizing Mindoro island is the construction of airdromes from which further to harry the Japanese. Manila is only a half hour's flight from Mindoro. American and Australian construction men were busy putting airstrips into shape. The communique said the Yankee landing on Mindoro had "caught him (the enemy) completely off balance," and except for few nuisance air attacks, the Americans were making their characters had been found in a the balloon had attached to its apparently intended for destruction of the balloon. An F.B.I. spokesman gave this explanation of the find: "On Dec. 11, 1944, a woodchopper named Owen Hill, and his father, O. B. Hill, who had been working in a mountainous forest region 17 miles southwest of Kalispell, Mont., reported to the sheriff's office the discovery of an object which was thought to be a parachute. "It was brought into town the next day and the F.B.I. office at Butte was advised. Upon examination, the object was discovered to be 33½ feet in diameter, with a gas capacity of over 18,000 cubic feet and a carrying capacity of at least 800 pounds net. USE NOT DETERMINED "The bag itself is of high grade processed paper. There appeared on the balloon Japanese characters indicating completion of construction at the factory on Oct. 31, 1944. Attached to the side of the balloon was an incendiary device with a fuse apparently intended for its destruction. A typical balloon rope structure attached to the flange around the bag ended in an elastic type cable at the bottom which had been severed. "No determination has been made of the use for which it was intended. Prevailing winds on the west coast have blown strongly directly from the west or northwest in recent weeks and persons experienced in the use of free balloons report they are known to travel at speeds well in excess of 200 miles an hour. The balloon has been turned over to the military authorities who together with the Navy checked into the matter with the F.B.I. GREEN RISING SUN The balloon was found by Rancher Hill and his son while cutting wood in a grove of trees. The balloon apparently had settled into the soft snow at night. Deputy Sheriff Royal Hopkins said, "There was a rising sun in green painted on it, and there was oriental printing on it that looked Jap to me. It was cream colored, about 50 feet long and about 150 feet around. The bomb-looking thing -about a foot -was attached to the ballon and there were several fuses on it."
