Evening star., 1943-05-13
Air Battle Veterans
Learn New Tricks
AT tactical School
Pilots Shot Down
In Realistic Encounters
At Orlando Base
BY WALTER McCALLUM
Star Staff Correspondent.

ORLANDO, Fla, May 13.-"I was
shot down on the first pass. I didn't
think they could get behind me
down there almost on the ground.
The young fighter pilot grimmed.
"Yet, they got me quick
The squadron commander, his
tanned face radiating determina-
ton, said, Yes, but that's all right
here. You'll know better next time
And the next time it could be more
serious"
Maj. Charles Bond, ranking ace
Of the AVG, with 10 Jap planes to
his credit, now heads a crack fighter
squadron at this West Point of the
air, where picked men from the
Army Air Force are learning more
about combat than even the best of
them saw over the jumgles of Burma
and Guadalcanal.
II think I was shot down, too, "
said this decisive Jap-killer. But
I want you men to learn to stick to-
gether. When you go off alone with
out protection, you get into trouble" "
Enemy Scores Heavily.
The intelligence officer said the
attack by simulated enemy Henkels
and Messerschmitts was a distinct
success-for the enemy. AS he
counted five men of his fighter de-
Tending squadron shot down in the
briefing room critique, he seemed
not too happy about It, Nor did
Maj. Bond, although Bond said the
boys did all right.
The mission was one of the many
air problems running every day here
at this tremendous Army Air Force
School Of Applied Tactics, centering
around Orlando and extending over
more than 5000 square miles in
North Central Florida. The men fly
ing the airplanes pull no punches.
When they go on a straflng mission
they do everything as they would do
1t in combat except shoot guns.
The party of correspondents, here
on a weeks tour through this school,
saw plenty of guns, on and off air
planes. If Heinies or the Japs, by
some now inconceivable manner.
could get bombers over this part of
the United States, they wouldn't last
long. These boys are good. They
take their training seriously. 1t
isn't fun, for to many Of them the
fighting fronts may be only few
days away. They're ready to dish
out lead in huge doses to any enemy
who gets in their sights.
Foiled by Enemy.
Intelligence had told the group
fighter command that an enemy
strafing and bombing show was due
over Orlando air base. Maj. Bonds
squadron got the mission of inter-
ception and protection. The briefng
didn't take long. I'll go up to 5000
for top cover" he said You, Pur-
due, stick around at 5000, and use
your eyes"
They took off, motors roaring,
keen eyes glued to instruments, and
hung up in the skies over the air
field, patrolling an invisible beat
high in the sky. But the enemy
foiled them The simulated Heinkels
and Messies, in reality P-51s and
P-40s from other fighter squadrons,
roared in from the southeast while
the protective are canopy fighters
were off In the northwest.
Flying only few yards off the
ground at several hundred miles an
hour, the enemy ships theoretically
shot up the airfield, dropped a neat
theoretical bomb pattern on all run
ways, and zoomed up for another
pass. This time they ran into trou-
BILE, as Ross fighters dropped down
from upstairs and engaged them.
The sky became a whirling merry
eo-round of planes chasing each
other as a pup chases his tail
We had to drop to the ground as
fighters roared overhead few feet
off the ground. Soon the air was
clear of that whirling mass of air
planes. The friendly protection had
driven off the enemy and he high
tailed 1t over the pines for his home
base.
Mighty Power Revealed.
The whole show, put on for the
newspapermen, was one Of many
going on here all the time. We were
shown the devices which locate ap-
preaching enemy aircraft. We went