Evening star., 1942-08-06
5oIoy
Continued From First Page

one Of the memorable exploits Of /:
the war, Mr.. Patterson said.
Sergeant Praises Planes.
Six American air crews flying
twin-engine A-20 bombers lashed
across the Channel in a low altitude
attack on the Netherland coast.
They were flying American-made
planes carrying British insignia.
Don't let anybody tell you that
these planes aren't among the best
in the world" Sergt. Golay said.
Sergt. Golay was a gunner in q
plane piloted by Capt. Charles G.
Kegelman of FL Reno, Okla; Second
It. Randall M. Dorton, jr., 36l9 Fes-
sender street NV, Washington, was
the bombardier, and Sergt Bennie
B. Cunningham of Tupelo, Miss,
was the other gunner.
How his damaged plane ever got
safely back to England after the
hazardous fight is still mystery
to Sergt. Golay The damages sus-
tanned by plane were: One pro-
peller shot away, one engine afire,
right wing badly battered and tail
riddled with bullets. Nobody knows
just how many bullets punctured the
fuselage. In addition there was 4
huge hole in the fuselage.
Escape Hovering Messerschmitt.
With only one engine function
ing and flying 80 feet above the
Channel on the return trip, Sergt.
Golay said the bomber sighted a
German MesserSchmitt above them
They escaped unseen, however, and
flew only 10 feet above the water
the rest of the way. The bombers
had no fighter escort.
Sergt. Golay, who is ready to go
back as soon as ordered, was caustic
about critics of American bombers.
There are very damn few planes
better made than these" he said.
"The British boys think the world
of American equipment, like to use
it and are proud of it. Our plane
took a terrible beating and brought
us back safely"
On its mission, the boyish sergeant
said, his bomber knocked out q
flak-flak tower mounted with guns
and two machine gun positions. Il
got one gun battery and Bennie got
another, so we did plenty of dam
age" he said
Their objective was an enemy air.
drome at De Kooy, where the plane
met heavy machine gun and anti
aircraft fire. Sergt. Golay said
Channel fishing smacks equipped
with radio had warned the German
battery commanders Of their ap-
proach.
1--WE were about three miles from
the German air field when they
opened up on us with 30-mm. guns,
he added.
II was lying on my stomach
handling the lower flexible machine
guns. We were just over the air.
drome with bullets flying in all di-
rections, when I saw our starboard
propeller come sailing past. 1t had
been shot of and the starboard en-
gine nacelle and wing had caught
fire.
MY principal thought at the time
was, this is pretty rough stuff" he
grinned Despite the intense fire
the plane dropped . bomb in the
middle of the gun emplacements
The crew saw one of the other
American planes crash under Ger.
man hre.
Just after I saw our propelle,
fly of, there was a terrific noise
sort Of w-i-r-r-u-ump-and q
shot, and the floor of the plane
folded right up in the middle" he
said. MY legs were numb and
thought was shot. Afterwards, o1
course, I realized we had hit the
ground
They Keep the Guns Going.
How Capt. Kegelman even pulled
that plane up I will never know.
never heard such q racket before
The captain was firing and Bennie