The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-05-18
SYNOPSIS

@wH,rx

CHAPTER I: The story of the famous
18th and 7th Bombardment Groups. OF
Lieut.. Col. Frank Kurtz and his Fortress
crew In the tremendous air campaign
that saved the day for the United Nations
n the Southwest Pacific: Lieut.. Kurtz.
who was pilot of the old Fortress. known
as The Swoose," which escaped from
Clark Field. in the Philippines. tells Of
that fatal day when the Japs struck. He
pedals to the wreck of Old SO. finds eight
OF his crew lying in an irregular line.
CHAPTER II: Lieut. Kurtz tells how
orders to camoufage Old 90 were coun.
termanded; instead they were to load
bombs, reload with cameras and rush
the camouiage. Preparations made for
taking pictures OF Formosa. Someone
shouts. Look at that pretty navy forma.
be flight of Jap planes.
CHAPTER III: Bombs hit the mess
hall. The Japs move off. They hear
they prove to be Zeros coming in from
the direction of Corregidor. The boys
duck back into their foxholes.
CHAPTER ": The pilots are given
their targets and towering above. the
group is Colin Kelly, about to head out
on his first mission. Buzz Wagner is
chased by Japs in his P-40. He meets
Lieut.. Russ Church. and they bomb
Jap field. Church fails to return. The
death of Colin Kelly.
CHAPTER v: Fortresses are kept in
the air to save them from the Japs.
Through some mistake someone opens
the place. No longer safe to sleep In the
barracks, cots are moved into a corn
field. With no fighters left to defend
them, evacuation begins. Lieut.. Kurtz
tells of last nlanG trim mt in a Matched.
up plane. Japs land light tanks at Apart.
Squadron commander Major Gibbs fails
to return from mission. u. S. forces flee
from Clark Field to Mindanao.
CHAPTER VI: Navigator Harry
Schneider tells of fight with Zeros In
which Shorty Wheless takes part. He
lands in rice paddy and is surrounded
canoe and sail to the isle of Panay. Later
they take off for Australia.
CHAPTER VII: Lieut.. Kurtz takes up
the story again. He describes the hot.
ers spent aay IL IN Seport comes s0m IN
over CIV radio. 1t was from Schaetzel
saying he'd be in after dark with one
body aboard. Schaetzel gets in, his plane
field and the boys are summoned to
meeting.
CHAPTER VIII: u. S. f1iers arrive at
the Dutch field, and shortly after start
on flight for Davao. in the Philippines,
but run short of gas and come home.
Gas up and take off at midnight for
Davao, but fail to make target On third
trip over, Kurtz sees tremendous concen-
tration Of ships, makes bomb run. Jap
fighters come up. Bombs awayi"
CHAPTER TX: Bombardier says they
had caught Japs fat-footed. AT Malang
Field boys are briefed before dawn,
told about big concentration of Jap ships
NE. of Borneo. They take off, but hit
a frightful fog. Cannot see plane right
ahead. Coming out of fog they see
huge black cloud resembling tornado. 1t
was the Dutch burning their Borneo oil.
CHAPTER X: One OF Kurtz motors is
hit as they approach target. He makes
direct hit on cruiser. Losing altitude
fast Tries to make Malang Field on
Java. but changes mind and heads for
Surabaya Field. Sets her down safely on
short runway. Dutch get reinforcements
from u. eS.-new Z model Forts.
CHAPTER N: Bombardier tells OF
hazardous trip to Brazil when running
low on gas. and of sabotage on planes.
Gunner picks up the story, tells how E
model Fortresses tangled with the Japs.