Evening star., 1943-12-17

Dean Schedler. observe the op
erations, hurried to see red tracer!
streaming back and forth between
the japanese shore positions a
AraWe and our naval screening
force.
Our plane swung in huge circles
behind the destroyers, watching the
barrage as the flashes from our de.
stroyers momentarily lighted the
sky to the west. while vicious thun-
derheads flashed lightning to the
east.
Our navigator took another sight.
ing and pointed to positions where
the landing was to be made al
AraWe Plantation and at the foot
of narrow Coconut Peninsula.
DestrOyerS Intensity Fire.
At $40 am the haze let through
sufficient light to permit us to fly
over the small group of islands sur
rounding Arawe. The destroyers in
tensified their shelling.
About 1000 feet below us, scores
of small landing craft circled and
maneuvered, awaiting their turn
to move toward the shore while a
destroyer hovered close by. The big
ship looked like a mother duck
nesting her brood under her wing.
A few minutes before 7 am. the
naval fire lifted and small landing
craft started churning the water
toward the beach.
Our command plane, piloted by
Capt. Jack Kelly of Tucson, Ariz.,
stayed over the landing area for two
hours while we watched the action
that had taken months to prepare
on paper
The soldiers waved wildly as our
1iberators skinned the water above
their heads, while a few miles back
Mitchell medium bombers circled,
awaiting a call for any test of op-
portunity on shore.
Above the clouds although unseen
by the invasion troops, Lightnlngs
and ThunuderboltS hovered ready
to intercept enemy planes. During
our watch over the area, four Light
ming pilots were so anxious to see
the landing that they sWooped over
head for one look. causing our gum
ners to start storm of chatter at
seeing small diving planes heading
toward the Liberator.
The plantation area was poCk-
marked from the effect of the pre-
vious days bombing, with huge
2ratcfs only a few feet apart The
few trees still standing were stripped
of foliage. resembling telegraph
poles stuck haphazardly in the
ground.
At 7:l0 am. the Mitchells came in
low over the water, straf1ng the
plantation and bombing. Their trac-
ers ripped into the ground and rico
Cheted high into the air while
their tail gunners sent parting shots,
adding to the terrific blasting the
japanese had received from the de-
stroyerS.
1t. Col. Earl Field of Coffeyvllle.
Kans.. liaison officer from the 5th
Air Force who spent months with
the staffs planning the invasion,
turned to grab my arm and point to
a small jetty where the first alliga-
tor was slowly crawling to shore.
It was exactly 7:24 and American
troops we're on the japanese soil of
New Britain,
As We came down low over the
lefty, the Americans waved and
twirled their helmets over their
heads.
Rubber Boats Used in Landing.
Just off the jetty another alliga-
tor had one side of its track fouled
and was churning madly in circles
while soldiers dived over the side to
make repairs.
At the foot of the peninsula we
saw several rubber boats which were
used by the first wave of assault
troops Although we were speed
ing fast, 1 could see one man
slumped in a raft and others con-
tanning bundles of equipment.
Their landing was in advance of
the original assault and was swept
by fire from the enemy shore guns
Cut deep into the jungle were
paths from which the japanese
gunners had a clear range of fire
against our craft. This was the
only opposed landing observed from
the air.
Just off the jetty was a small
frame building which was the only
structure not leveled. On one of our
sweeps We saw man running to-
ward the interior, dressed in either
white underwear or the uniform of
japanese marines. We were close
enough to tell he wasn't a native.
Landing elements continued to
move toward the beach in regular
patterns with small vessel leading
the way and blasting the shore with
medium caliber fire. The second
element landed at 1886 am. and
deployed behind the first party.
Landing groups continued to move
onto the beach at about 10-minute
intervals. Some soldiers could be
seen unloading their craft and un-
packing crates. Our tail gunner
called that he saw a soldier with a
good sized foXhole already COM
p-eted.
Meanwhile, the protective screen
OF destroyers slowly maneuvered off,
shore. awaiting a call for additional
shelling, and watchful against air
attacks.
Our observers, 1t. Col. Field and
1t. Col Paul Weyrauch of Maria,
Tex ground liaison officer, climbed
onto the flight deck after two hours
of circling and gave the pilot in
stTuctions to proceed to an island
base north of New Guinea where
Gen. Douglas Macarthur and 1t.
Gen. Walter Kreuger, commander OF
the American 9Th Army, were wait
Ing reports.
We made one last, wide sweep over
the area from minimum altitude.
Landing craft were still moving to-
ward the beach and the landing
operations were continuing on sched-
ule.
turning seward, Capt. Kelly and
Co-pilct 1t. William FoneS, Mem
phis, Tenn, adjusted their belts and
started battling what they said was
zone of the heaviest tror,ical fronts