Evening star., 1941-12-26
j. :. and British Join
In Routing laps in
Rangoon Air Attack
Allied Flyers Greatly
EIuted Over Blow to
Enemy in 2-Hour Bottle
BY LELAND STOWE,

Chicago Daily News.
RANGOON, Burma, Dec. % CDe-
loye6 The first American and |
British aviators to fight in COM
mon engagement as official allies in
the second World War fought side |
by side above Eangoon today, and |
dealt severe losses to japanese
bombers and fighters who were raid
ing this city American and British
squadrons of equal number met two
successive waves of japanese bomb
ers. 1t was the first air battle both
for American volunteer groups here
and for the Royal Air Force boys
among whom are also New Zealand
ers and Australians.
Although official figures are not |
yet available, it is believed that the |
Japanese lost at least IL, possibly 13,
bombers while the Allied pilots also
declared there were several others |
which they were sure would be un- |
able to return safely to their bases |
Two American planes are missing .
with their pilots; one other was SHOT |
down, but its pilot parachuted un- |
hurt.
Accordingly, the Anglo-Americans
averaged at least four-to-one pun /
ishment against the Japanese, even |
when they were protected by fight
ers.
English-speeking Allied flyers are |
greatly elated over their shared |
blow to the Japanese and at hav-
ing won decisively in their air COM
bat christening. In the course of |
the two-hour battle the American
R. A. F. squadrons fought as one
unit, sometimes downing enemy |
planes together. Once, an American |
got in the first bursts on bomber |
and then was threatened, but !
New Zealander rushed in and fin
ished off the Japanese.
A British correspondent and I
talked with the winners of this first |
joint British American air victory |
of World War II, just after they
left their planes at the end of the
battle. They were flushed, but in
wonderful spirits.
Did you get any of them?" I
asked a young volunteer from Lin
coin, Nebr.
Hate to say" he said, but three
of us got at least two of them.
After I shot for about 2 seconds I
was practically right on the tail of
one. I kept pouring in the lead.
Then the d. bomber blew right
up in my face The conclusion
tossed my plane pretty bad and a
piece of the Jap's plane hit my wing.
I didn't see anything bail out of
that one"
Fired on In Chute.
The luckiest escape was had by
tall, ard-jawed lad from Claren-
don, Tex, who parachuted after his |
plane had burst into flames. He !
was shot at by two Japanese fighters |
while drifting to the earth but
landed with only bruises. When
picked up by police official the
Texan insisted that he would leave
the hospital Immediately so as to |
"get back to my squadron" The |
police officer told us afterward: |
"Really good stuff that chap-and
his first fight, too"
The Texan told us his story:
eve made few passes at the
first wave of bombers. They were
pretty close to the field but we met
them Is miles out. We were still
climbing so didn't have enough
speed yet. Our formation broke be-
cause of the japanese pursuits
which were following the bombers.
1--WE met a fighter squadron. I
got two of them. 1t isn't confirmed
yet but I was firing pointblank at
them with all my guns going. saw
two ships 60 down. AS far as I
could see I was by myself in that
tangle.. There were six Japs I was
playing with. They're pretty poor
shots, some of them. But others
were pretty good.
Two Cannon Shots.
During the first attack I made on
the bombers, I got two cannon
shots. 1t sounded like BIB shot fall
ing on a tin roof I saw one hole
in my right wing, but my plane was
still in good shape. Then I got |
mixed with five or six more fighters .
One of them must have hit my con-
trolls because the ship went into a
spin. I couldn't get it out and had |
to leave.
ITO top it off, all Japs like to
strafe you when you're in a para
chute. One Jap fighter made few
passes at me as 1 was coming down.
I couldn't do anything but scream
and cuss. Then a second Jap came |
tearing around me. He circled half |
a dozen times and kept pumping at
my chute. He shot about a third of |
it away and the top looked like
watering can. The chute gave me |
a beating. I opened it too soon |
1t jerked me like the devil, but that's
all I got"
The American and British flyers
went into action to beat off two
waves of japanese bombers total
ing 54 in all, which poured eXplo-
sives in the center of Rangoon be- |
tween 1890 and IL o'clock in the |
morning A large but unknown num-
ber of civilians were killed and sew
eral buildings fired. Anglo-Amer-
lean squadrons caught the japanese
before they could turn homeward |
and fought brilliantly co-opera-
tive battle under terrific pressure
against real odds, but took sur
prising toll of the enemy-especially |
in view of the fact it was their |
first air engagement.
copyright, 1941 Chicago Daily News. Inc) |