The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-07-21
CHAPTER XXI


to build from the ground up. Be
fore General Macarthur arrived
from the Philippines we had located
and were building our advance and
supply bases all over North Austria
liza from Darwin to Townsville.
American engineers were pouring
in, and General Brett put them to
work. We were also improving
Moresby, our problem child, and the
Air Force staff had laid down its
strategical plan for clearing Austria
las northeast shoulder Of the threat
Of Jap air power so that when we
had the necessary men and equip
ment, we could head back into the
Philippines.
1.-THE old 10th Bombardment
Group was back in business now in
North Australia, and beginning In
April Of that year we were pound
ing the Jap base at Rabaul in New
Britain several times a week.
Meanwhile the Philippines were
tottering. Bataan had fallen; Cor
regidor seemed about to go; and we
were working feverishly to rescue
desperately needed Air Force per-
sonnet from Del Monte Field on Min
danao. AL Mueller, who was now
flying a transport, told me of his last
trip in. He said the place looked so
Ihaky he was scared even to be
looking that way now. It was sew
enteen hundred mile fight, and
there was chance that there might
not be enough gas left at Del Monte
to get him back to Australia. But
the pilots, navigators, and ground
crews still on Mindanao were worth
their weight in gold to us, SO Al start
ed out.
''He got right over Del Monte
Field. Things looked quiet on the
ground, and he was circling, wait
ing for the signal to come on in,
which for some reason seemed de-
layed. Circling, AL couldn't under
stand this until from Australia, sew
enteen hundred miles away, crack
les radio message telling him I'M
der no circumstances to land. Cor
regidor and Mindanao had surren-
dered to the Japanese while he had
been en- route.
''There he was, eight hours from
home base and with only a few
hours gas left. But luckily he'd pro-
vided against this before he left.
He'd told the Navy that if the Philip
pines caved while he was in the air
and he couldn't refuel at Mindanao,
he'd beach his plane on little jun
gle island, and he showed it to them
on the map, so they could pick him
up if they could get through.
CHOW he headed for this island,
looked its beach over, and set her
down in the surf. The rocks in
few seconds made junk Of his big
four-motored Liberator.
''Then, according to AL, the days
seemed like years, although only
five of them passed before a SUBJ
marine periscope popped up in the
cove and carefully scanned the hori-
zon for Jap planes before the craft
surfaced to take him and his crew
aboard.
During March the hot spot was
Darwin, which the Aussies called
the Coventry Of Australia because
the Japanese had come over on Feb
ruary nineteenth and not only fiat
tened its little town of four thousand
but on the airfield wiped out an
American fighter group en- route to
the Java war.
Sat that time It was only little
Australian field with almost no anti
aircraft. The RAAF boys were good
lads, trying hard but getting no
where, lacking both training and
equipment.
''The American fighter group
perched on that field, which Slug
ger Pell was leading toward Java,
had no warning until they heard the
sound Of the Jap motors. Slugger
wanted to save his planes if he
could, so instead Of diving for the
foxholes (the Japs were already
strafing) he tried desperately to get
his boys off.
"Slugger was shot down at so feet
while his landing gear was still re-
tracing, and before he'd had time
to drop his belly tank. He tried to
bail out, but of course he was tcs
low. A previous squadron had ac-
tually managed to get into the air,
but Slugger's were all either shot
down on the take-off or killed in their
cockpits before they cleared the rum
way, or else strafed and set afire
while they were taxing into posi-
ton. 1t had been field day for the
Zeros.
"Word now came through that q
force of ten Jap bombers and three
fighters was on its way to Darwin.
It was what Squeeze had been wait
ing for. He hit them far out at
sea. Squeeze has q clever tactical.
idea which I shouldn't describe in