The Wilmington morning star., 1942-04-17
PHILIPPINES NOT
YET LOST BY U. S.
A America a Has Fighter
: Guarded Base Deep
Az .osaIi0S
By CLARK LEE

O4NAA LII . 1AILO AfLVM HEAD
QUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA,
April 16.- Up Proving that the
Philippines are not yet lost, it was
disclosed today that the American
bombers which spread destruction
and dismay among the Japanese
early this week used a secret, fight
er-guarded base deep in those is
lands and provisioned it in expecta-
ton OF returning again and again.
Ten B-25's and three B-16's made
the raid. One BIT was destroyed
on the ground by the Japanese, but
its crew of 10 was brought back
In the other planes along with "a
soldiers and civilians who had made
their way out Of such places as
Corregidor and Battan.
The unfolding story of the 1000
mile American exploit showed clear
ly that it was only an opening,
though highly-effective, step in
Gen. MacArthur's promised cam
paign to drive the japanese out of
the Philippines.
Australian Prime Minister John
Curtin hailed the exploit of Brig
Gen. Ralph Royce and his men as
indication that the war tide was
turning against the Japanese, say
ing it was only the first drive into
the heart of japanese positions and
would in time be followed by vast
fleets of planes.
General Royce. who volunteered
to lead the expedition. gave these
details of the bold, significant ex-
plot:
1T was a field day for two days
something in the nature of a
picnic.
"We~ left our Australian squad
ron base at 1 a. m. Saturday, re-
fueled farther on, and took off un-
der cover of American fighters at
1870 and flew straight into the
Philippines.
Il went up in a BIT and came
back in B-25, and did some pilot
ing both ways. On the way back
one of our engines was out for
three hours.
1--WE got into our base in the
Philippines at dark Saturday and
prepared for our missions. Every
one slept right under the planes.
Sunday morning we sent two
hnroo hnrc n
transport near Batangas and
came home. The other flew over
Corregidor and then bombed Nichols
field.
''The third B-1O had to have an
engine changed and was spotted
on the ground by a Japan recon-
naissance plane that the soldiers
call Photo joe
"Soon dive bombers appeared,
single-float navy jobs which buzzed
around at $500 feet and started to
pick at the bomber. 1t was most
insulting.
"The other heavy bombers had
returned and were refueling when
the Japs hit the grounded bomber,
blew her up and damaged the other
two.
eve worked all night to repair
those two, got into the air at 5
a. NJ, and got them home all right.
Meanwhile the other bombers
also were seeing action.
"SJ1n1oJ ,,,0rpiY,r y1-o eo~+
against Cebu from two directions.
They knocked out a transport and
set docks afire, and when they
returned they went to dispersed
positions which the Japanese never
found. That evening they took off
again, half for Davao and half for
Cebu.
"On Monday morning our infan-
try at Davao made an attack and
sent the bombers to smash Jap
anese troop concentrations, airports
and installations at Davao harbor.
'They destroyed at least one
bomber on the ground, and I think
a lot more, and shot down one
float plane.
'They again raided Davao and
Cebu Monday evening and found
tho morning fires still burning. At
Davao Zero fighters Japanese
navy planes) appeared but the
bombers found cloud cover.
'They returned to our main air.
port, refueled, and at a. M, Tues
day took off for home. I was in
the second plane to start back.
Upon reaching Australia, I found
six of our planes already had re-
turned"