Evening star., 1942-08-23
Army Bombers Helped
Soften Up So|omons
For Landing Operation
One Bags Four Zeros,
Puts Three to Flight
And Completes Mission
b. the Associated Press.

HA> H1rbr 1bLD In HE PACIFIC
Delayed American Army bomb
ers from bases hewn out of trop-
1cal jungles participated in early
softening-up raids on the Solomon
Islands, where the Marines and AL
lied ships drove to victory in the
first major offensive against the
Japanese in the Pacific.
1t was told today, for the first
time, how these bombers engaged
In dogflghts with japanese Zero
fighters, one bomber shooting down
four Zeros and putting three others
to flight, then proceeding on its
bombing mission.
The plane was piloted by Maj.
James V. Edmundson of Santa
Monica, Calf, who a few months
ago sank a japanese submarine off
Hawaii with his bomber
Another raid participant was Col.
l.. G. Saunders of Aberdeen, S. Oak,
once famous tackle on the Army
team, who commanded an undis-
closed number of bombers.
Col. Saunders described the de-
struction of IL japanese zero fighters
and two enemy flying boats during
an action in which only one Ameri-
can plane was lost
Hit on Ground and in Air.
The bombers under Col Saunders
command hit the japanese on the
ground and in the air.
''All three services, the Marines.
the Navy and the Army. operated
with complete unity the Colonel
said.
Il see no reason why unified
command shouldn't continue to op-
crate successfully in the Pacific area.
Definitely, it will not be an easy
job to beat the Japs back to Japan,
but I believe it can be done"
Col. Saunders said that besides the
III Zero fighter planes shot down
by his bomber crews I'VE got two
big Anchored japanese seaplanes.
I'VE dropped bombs on the sea-
planes just as they were taking off
from Tulagi harbor.
Off-Color Plane.
"On one of these missions I flew
with 1t. Fritz Waskowitz as my
wingman. Fritz, as you may recall.
was once an all-coast football star
at, the University of Washington.
Fritz has the only Off color plane
In the outfit. 1t is painted sort
of baby-blue color. Fritz calls it
the Blue Goose
Seven fighters attacked us that
day. I saw them coming toward
us out of the sun and figured
they'd head for me, since my plane
was the leading element.
Instead, they hit Fritz's plane.
They kept working him over and
gave me very little attention.
THE Blue Goose got hit by can
non fire and damned near lost a
wing. After it was all over we
figured Fritz got all the extra play
because the Japs figured someone
really important was riding in
special blue plane.
TT might be a good idea to put
bright blue paint on one plane in
each flight just to serve as decoy.
I'm my case. know that as long
as Fritz keeps that blue paint on
his ship he can be my wingman.
Got Three Of Seven.
incidentally, our fight got three
of those seven planes that worked
Fritz over"
Col. Saunders graduated from the
University of South Dakota in 1924
end from West Point in 1928. He
played four years of football in each
institution. He was one of Army's
greatest tackles, and later served as
a line coach at the Military Acad-
eny. from 1880 to 1899.
He emphasized that the personnel
OF his command are in excellent
health latter a month or more of
field duty under extremely bad con-
ditions and under great physical
and mental tension"
II am convinced that Americans
can take it under the worst condi-
tions," Col. Saunders declared. Il
knew that we were in good training
so far as flying was concerned, but
wasn't sure how we'll the boys
would take to the field. They're o.
K. They'll stand right up to any
field unit, believe"
Used Hand Buckets.
The colonel paid high tribute to
men and officers for their fine spirit
and initiative.
Some of the crews worked all day
loading their planes. then flying
them. One crew had to use hand
buckets to load a couple of thou
sand gallons of gasoline one night.
Many crews loaded bombs by hand.
We operated under conditions and
over distances that we didn't dream
of year ago.
Our equipment, too. stood up
well. We used our bombers all over
the South Pacific for transporting
personnel, for hauling cargo. for
maximum range bombing missions
and even as pursuit planes,
The boys got pretty proud of
their dogfghting tactics and on
one Of the last few days of our oper-
ations they were chasing after Jap
pursuit planes whenever they'd
sight them.
Almost all of my flyers got into
combat at least once I can't single
out any individual for special credit
They're all Al fighting men. the
kind We expected them to be-"
n.lL n