Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-19
TIGER'S DIARY


A Tigers diary records a flight
N this period:
II was coming hack from n
patrol when I saw bunch of
oar boys running for heir planes
An a'"rt. j stayed up and
Icirad them.
I'VE fourd II bomhPrS and 80
or 30 fighters nj $4,000 feet
coming from the southwest.
They were approaching that way
80 they. wouldn't have tO turn Ia
get hack To their base. was
afraid Bob didn't see them so l
Waggled my wings and started
for them, climbing fast.
81 ignored the bombers and
took on four fighters, thinking
I had Dick on my wing. In my
fri run down, I caught one
fighter with n fun burst. and
n"arlY collidcd with another l
was sure I'd hit.
Looked hack To see il he was
on fre-but no, he was chasing
me, and no Dick TO help me.
tried To maneuver, hut IL was
useless. The two others got on
my tail. also, 30 l diVed and
came back nj them.
FORGETS ODDS
"NcVer thought about the four
10 one odds. (Afterward l did,
thought I caught one in my
sights and gave him burst. His
plane lurched and fell off in
spiral, smoking.
II pulled up sharp TO avoid
him, and saw two Japs on my
tail. firing AT me. I half-rolled
and Spiraled down nj full throt-
tie, helpless and hoping they
wouldn't geLme-
a hell Of moment, But I
got away. Never could find
Jap when I climbed back. To-
night I felt good about this
show. Had been a little afraid
i was losing my touch. We're
all nervous that way, now and
then. They're bombing the ears
of this burg tonight. So TO bed"
% TOMAHAWKS
As The February fighting began,
the total AVG strength in and
around Rangoon was % battered
Tomahawl<S. only Is Of which
could get into the. air al the same
time because of lack of replace
ment parts.
The British had only four OF
their BrewSter-Buffalo fighters
left, supplemented by 10 Hurri-
cane pursuits, a dozen Blenheim
bombers and the six antiquated
Observation-Disclosures, --
The Japs inaugurated new
tactic for the daylight raids, send
ING forces composed approx
of three fighters to each
bomber, in the hope that so many
fighters could preoccupy the de-
tenders and permit the bombers TO
90 unchallenged 10 their targets.
NO. BOMBEkS
In the first of these viSitations
Bob Sandell and Bob Neale, his
vice squadron commander, took
their Adam and Eyes off in
two squadrons of five planes each,
and met the JapS over the Gulf
Of Martaban. Tho Tigers dove
from $4,000 feet through the thick
screen of fighters onto the back Of
the bomberS cruising below at
5000 feet They knocked seven Of
the bombers into the sea then
and there.
The other three got through.
while the Tigers fought for alti-
tude 10 get above the swarm Of
fighters pursuing them. Sandell
got two of these on his next trip
down Neale and Charley Bond
got their first "certains OF the
war.
Half Of the Jap fighters took
after the bonbers 10 protect them
after the first melee with the
Tigers.
Sandell and his boys got on their
tails, leaving Neale Burgard,
Bond, and Bill Bartllng TO finish
the job over the gulf.
JAP CRASHES
The total bag Of the day was
seven Jap bomberS and nine
fighters. The last Jap fatality
vas dramatic in the extreme. As
Sandcll brought his damaged ship
Aott-rr on tttTnEafgd0n Tho ground
crew bcckoned 10 him wildly,
his attention 10 the sky
---l Sandy f0OkCd and saw a Jap
pursuit, with engine suffering
and propeller Windmill
A Fri WAR WORKERS
b.. .:ss,%:.::Ss