Evening star., 1942-06-12

completes three turns before stop
ping dead and going under.
There is no feeling OF eXultation.
There is no emotional reaction eX-
cept relief. l think that this one,
at least, is no longer a danger. Its
planes can not attack our own car
rier. I don't think of Pearl Harbor
or the japanese or anything except
that this impersonal enemy has been
killed and can not kill US. 4
Our job is done now. so We rem
devious and head for home. count
the planes. All there. Everything
OK. Then I count again and find
one extra. But it is an American
plane. so We continue on our course.
Landing, We find that five planes
from another squadron have Joined
me while four of mine came home
with the other squadron.
Back on our carrier the pilots
write individual reports and We find
that each has seen a dozen things
the others never noticed. Our i'm
pressions are disjointed. but gradu-
ally they fit into one picture. We
ask one fighter pilot from another
squadron to describe the markings
on the tail of the japanese bomb
ers. To his astonishment he hadn't
even noticed whether they were
twin-tail or single. But he can
describe minutely the vital area in
the Jap engine into which his bull
lets were pouring.
Neck Horribly Stiff.
NV neck is horribly stiff and I
realize that have been turning my
head constantly from the takeoft TO
the landing 1 make mental note
neck strengthening exercises in
preparation for battle.
In the wardroom the pilots are
chattering eXcitedly over sand
wiches and coffee, comparing ex-
periences and impressions. Later
they tart playing poker, but each
hand is interrupted as somebody
recalls new details of the battle.
We have won the first round. but
the enemy is still near. We learn
how near at dusk, when six Japan
eSe fighters mistake our carrier for
one of theirs and come in to land.
We open on them and chase them
away.
We know then that we've been
spotted and that therell be more
action tomorrow. 1t will be-even
more than today-definitely and
finally a fight for our lives.
Next morning our scouts report
three enemy carriers and a large
force of other warships a consider
able distance away. the enemy haV-
ing changed course during the
night. Our commanders decide to
attack despite the distance and
again we take of.
am pleased to find myself much
calmer than yesterday and as we
fiv to our target 1 plan ways for
putting to use the lessons we've
learned.
The weather is much dirtier than
Yesterday and when we find the
enemy he is lying under a thick
black cloud apparently attempting
to hide. His tactics are partially
successful because our bombers and
our torpedo planes become separated
and some Of my own squadron is
split. Japanese ships are in now
familiar formation with the carrier
behind and between two cruisers and
several other smaller ships to which
we pay no attention.
Carrier Opens Fire.
Going in we fly over one cruiser
but he fails to fire at us. apparently
believing We are members of his own
force. We duck into a cloud and
come out just astern the carrier. 1t
spots us, and swings into a sharp
right turning, opening with all its
guns. The ack ack bounces US
around a bit but doesn't stop us.
Neither do two fighters which get
on our tails.
Over aways I see two fighters, one
a Messerschmitt and the other a
Zero, attacking a single plane of our
squadron, chasing it right down to
the surface. But our pilot keeps
going until he maneuvers into posi-