Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-02
BY WENDELL WEBB,


HONOLULU, April 2. - The
sinking of a japanese subma-
rine by a United States Army
bomber, skippered by a youth
who battled through the Deem
Der holocaust in his bedroom
slippers, came to light today as
the result of a commentator by
Secretary Of the Navy Knox.
The skipper was First 1t. James
v. Edmundson, 26. of Santa Monica,
Calf, former football star at Santa
Monica Junior College, an eager,
rugged youth who would do almost
anything to get to Australia or any
WHERE else to fight"
He was decorated with the Order
of the Purple Heart today, but not
for his feat In the air. 1t was be-
cause he was knocked down by a
bomb fragment December 7 and got
up again to do what he could to stem
the japanese attack. He still carries
the scar on his forehead.
1t. Edmondson has flown more
than 10000 miles on Hawaiian dawn
patrol, but the highlight of his Ca
reer came when he sighted subma-
rine periScope just breaking the
water of the island of Oahu a few
weeks ago.
Yes, I saw it, but it was my crew
that got It," he declared. Those boys
really went to town.
He interrupted his conversation
frequently to watch fighter planes
dive at plane-towed targets high
over Wheeler field. The interview
was ION the line" in front of a
hangar. We sat in a couple Of steel
chairs, with the planes overhead
drowning the conversation time and
again.
I'VE were flying along In pretty
heavy weather" 1t. Edmundson re-
lated. All of a sudden I happened
to see the periscope just breaking the
water. And within As seconds my
crew had flashed the word to our
base, the bomb doors were opened.
the bomb sights adjusted and we
had dropped two bombs right at the
stern Of the submarine"
He failed to mention that it
must have taken pretty fast
maneuvering on his part to get
into position)
Every member of the crew was
at his station" the lieutenant con-
tinued. The bombardier and the
navigator must have had everything
plotted--Speed. altitude, wind and
drift. There wasn't a seconds de-
lay. If there had been We would
never have got him. because he
would have sighted us first.
Metal Pieces Flew Up.
THE decks we're barely awash
when the first two bombs were
dropped. The navigator and the
gunner told me some big metal
pieces few up astern when they
hit. That's probably why he did
not submerge right away. He
couldn't.
Anyway, we made another turn
and the bombardier dropped three
more bombs that practically
blanketed him, and on the third
time around a bomb hit him right
on top. He just blew up and dis
integrated. apparently. and all we
could see was great circle of white
foam of sulphuric acid from his bat
teries. The conclusion even shook
our plane a thousand feet above. A
| few minutes later all there was To
see was a big oil slick. and after
circling awhile We went home"
And that's the story of the dawn
patrol fight which brought results
and which was the reason Secre-
tary Knox said yesterday in Wash
ington that 1t. Edmundson should
be cited for keen observation. fly
ing skill and successful attack with
bombs"
Born in Hollywood.
Bombs weren't anything new to
1t. Edmundson. He was on the
receiving end of them December Z
Fragments went right through the
house where he lived with his wife
the former Lee Turner, who now
is with her parents, Mr.. and Mrs
Lomax Turner of Long Beach,
Calf.
He was stationed at Hickam
Field then, and saw his buddies
struck down right and left.
1t. Edmundson was born In
Hollywood June Is, 1915. He for
merly worked as a salesman, win
dow trimmer and stock clerk, at
tended the University of Califor-
MIA at Los Angeles. then became