Evening star., 1942-06-15

return and get "the entire bag" q
one squadron leader put 1t.
Returned to Attack.
BY II an. the entire formation
Of 81 planes was back into the
air, tanning out to hunt down the
fleeing vessels and to finish the work
In the harbor.
'Mazie to carrier" came in o call
from . dive bomber squadron leader
20 minutes after the second take.
on. you should see this harbor.
Ships damaged in first raid now
sunk or run ashore and burning.
The tender and destroyer have dis
appeared-sunk. One cruiser and q
transport are Just leaving the har-
Dor. Well take them"
The planes caught the two in
the harbor mouth. Direct hits seen
by more than q dozen pilots and
several heavy bombs that hit In the
water close beside it, sank the trans.
port IN q matter Of seconds. The
cruiser was hit asterr. came to q
stop, and appeared to settle.
Anti-aircraft flre from shore in
stallations and from two cruisers
that had gotten to sea and were
steaming parallel to each other
about 8 miles apart was heavy.
Down the squadrons went into
combined torpedo-dive bomber at
tack.
Both vessels went into what the
pilots called their snake dances"
zigzagging and twisting. A torpedo
plane attack by six machines was
avoided when one Of the cruisers
managed to turn its stern after the
missiles had been dropped and all
six churned on parallel to the Jap
boats without hitting 1t. But the
dive bombers went down on the
same vessel as 1t held its straight
course to avoid the torpedoes. Seven
heavy bombs dropped on and be-
side 1t where they had the effect of
q mine on the hull, took effect. It
lost way and began to heel over.
Part Of the reason for the failure
OF the torpedo plane attack was the
bold interference Of q single Japa-
nese seaplane fighter. Its pilot
dived in among the torpedo
bombers. turning and firing in all
directions to divert them. Several
scouts pounced on the Jap plane,
but found 1t 50 maneuverable that
although they were three to one
the unequal fight went on for min
utes before a burst of fire finally
dropped 1t. Our pilots said the Jap
plane was crash-landed near an
island. The pilot tried to climb out
Of his cockpit, but slumped dead
or unconscious. The rear gunner had
jumped overheard and was last
seen swimming ashore.
Catch Second Cruiser.
Returning for the second time to
the carrier, the pilots reported the
Job not yet completed. The dive
bomber pilots complained Of the
seaplane fighter interference and
said some Jap ships still in the har-
Dor were not sunk. At $3.50 pm.
ID dive bombers, escorted for the
first time by two teams Of fighters,
got away to finish the work.
Six Of these bombers caught the
second cruiser at sea and sank her.
The other II dive bombed two or
three obviously damaged ships, but
now there were more bombs than
targets so they searched the shores,
went down to fly around the har-
Dor 10 feet OF the water, and ranged
the water around the islands.
The fighter pilots found three
japanese seaplanes in the air and
quickly shot them down. Then, still
with the majority Of their ammu-
milton unused, they cruised out to
sea where lone destroyer, sole sur
viving vessel Of the entire concen-
tration, was making OF under
forced draft.
The leading pair dived on the
anti-aircraft gun crews. The heavy
steel bullets from the airplane ma
chine guns cut down these men as
they tried to run for cover. The Sec
ond pair shot up the bridge. After
the second attack not a Jap crew.
man or of1cer was seen. All were
hiding below decks.
The pilots then amused themselves
by diving close to fire into the hull.
To their delight their bullets ap-
peared to cut the thin hull and deck
plates like butter. Then they began
a systematic effort to saw into the
boilers and machinery with their
high-velocity armor- piercing ammu-
milton.
There were immediate results. The