Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-24
The Flying Tigers: IL Jap Planes Are Wi

tiers buildings and among the
parked airplanes. and bombs tore
huge holes in the field, a British
Hurricane came racing down for a
landing
The wheels hit. ran along for a
few yards. struck a shallow hole,
and the plane careened and nosed
over.
PILOT SLUMPED OVER
The pilot could be seen slumped
over in the cockpit. Pilot Frank
n. Swartz of Dunmore, Pa, one OF
the "Hells Angels" clambered out
of the trench to rescue the stricken
Raj boy. followed by John Fauth
of Red Lion, Pa, a crew CHIEF, and
Bill Seiple, a mechanic.
Just then a bomb exploded
near by, and the three Americans
fell flat on their faces. wounded by
shrapnel and smashed by the con-
cuSSion.
DIR. Lewis Richards climbed out
of his trench. picked up Swartz and
carried him 10 jeep parked close
by, then assisted others in drag
cling Fauth and Seiple back TO the
trench. just as Jap fighters in q
wide row came down 10 strafe the
field.
In the face of this whitening on
slaught Doc Rich" piloted Swart7
in the jeep across the ruined air
field TO the hospital. The young
Tiger had been badly hit,
When they had departed, the
men of the AVG and the Raj
crawled out of their holes sno
fought the fires in the planes anc
buildings.
AS the men struggled to save the
few remaining planes. several de-
Ilayed action bombs exploded, start
ing new fires.
A SCENE OF RUIN
Magwe was a scene of ruin wher
the smoke and dust finally cleared
Amid heaps of ashes lay twisted
motors and the charred wings anc
Ifuselages Of half the aeria
strength of the United Nations ir
Burma.
Frank Swartz and Bill Seiplt
were flown TO Calcutta in an am
bulance plane. John Fauth dice
of his wounds the next morning
Frank died two months later.
On the following day. four o
the Tigers took their planes TO
safety,s sake TO Lowing, leaving
lDupouy, Jernstedt, Rossi, anC
Prescott at MagWe.
While the British and AVG
ground crews were at work on the
damaged ships, great cloud o.
Jap bombers appeared without
warning and again rained theil
hellfire on the field.
This time they had no opposi'
ton whatsoever. Not a Tiger
could reach his plane.
The airdrome and its buildings
were put right out of the war.
After the Japs departed, the
AVG piled its five remaining P-40:
onto trucks-none of them haC
escaped damage-and evacuated Il
Lowing.
The Raj retreated into India
with the few planes IL could sal
wage.
LEFT WITHOUT DEFENSE
Thereafter, the Japs blasted the
cities Of northern Burma almost
without challenge. The Chinese
and British forces were left with
out hope of aerial protection
against strafing and bombing.
The report that the British c. o
In charge at Magwe would be
court martialed for failure to pro-
vide either a warning net or radio
detector reached the AVG in Loi.
wing.
No dissent was voiced there
The officer concerned was known
throughout Burma as The Killer
for the murderous risks TO which
he had subjected the Raj pilots
under his command.
At Running the Tigers plotted
to make payment in kind for the
blow the Japs had dealt the United
Nations at Magwe.
At Chiengmai in central Thai
land the enemy had its strongest
air base on the continent of Asia
That was the target selected.
On the afternoon OF March %
Neale took five of the First Squad
ron down TO an auxiliary field al
Nam Sang. where they slept under
the wings of their TomahawkS
after fueling UP for predawn de.
parture.
SEES STRAFER'S DREAM
It was arranged that they would
make q rendezvous with Newkirk
and three others from the Second
Squadron near Chiengmai shortly
after daybreak on March %
But for once the famous team
work of the AVG slipped a cog
When the adams and Ewes