Evening star., 1944-03-06
Flyer Slips Out Alone to Raid
RobouI at Night in Storm
Returns SofeIy After
Hit Knocks Out
All His Instruments
BY FRED HAMPSON,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
AN ADVANCED SOUTH PACIFIC
AIR BASE, Mar. 6.-An almost in
credible one-man air raid by a
young Army flyer against the Japa-
nese base at Rabaul on New Britain
has been disclosed here amid con-
hicting expressions of official pride
over the young mans daring and
disapproval of his judgment.
The flyer was Second 1t. James
E. Cook, "a, University of Iowa
graduate and son of Mr.. and Mrs.
s. c. Cook of Williamsburg, Iowa.
He took BIS bomber, without
authorization, on night attack
against the big base at Rabaul six
weeks ago, when it was much better
defended than now. His take-off
was made during japanese plane
attack on his own airstrip, and he
dew to Rabaul through a tropical
storm that caused five other bomb
Ns to turn back.
Tried Glide Bombing Run.
Arriving over Rabaul alone, he
dnally located break in the clouds
aver Keravat Airdrome. He tried
theory of his own, making glide
bombing run on the airdrome, re-
leased all his bombs, and headed
Anmeward over the water.
His plane took a japanese anti
aircraft shell hit which riddled the
vacant co-pilot's seat. The hit
knocked out all his flying instru-
ments. Then he had to hedgehog
over New Ireland and the Bougain-
vile coast line to find his way home
through the heavy weather.
Intelligence officers at first re-
fused to believe his report. Then
they saw the shell hole in his plane
His group commander, Col. Harry
Wilson, temporarily grounded 1t.
Cook and sent him to the fight sur
geon, Capt. Carl Wagner of Gin
cinnati, for examination.
1t Cook told about visiting the
flight surgeon.
The doc psychoanalyzed me and
said wasn't crazy" 1t. Cook said.
with smile.
Called Source of Inspiration.
Maj. Gen. Hubert R. Harmon.
commander of the 18th Army Air
Force in the Solomons said that lin
one brief mission this young ottlcer
has set for us both a very bad ex-
ample and most brilliant one"
The general added
He violated the fundamentals of
air discipline-needlessly risked his
own life and a valuable airplane-
nevertheless I cannot but attach
significance to his fighting spirit"
The general said that although
1t. Cooks daring courage and de-
termination to personally come to
grips with the enemy are source
of inspiration to all of us" he never
theless wanted nothing like it to
happen again.
The plane 1t Cook flew was
named The Beautiful Girl"
1t. Cook, veteran of % missions
and holder of the Legion of Merit
award, said he had determined to
hit the enemy on that particular
January night.
and another, Maj. George r. Hundt,
Stratford, N j., had been injured,
so the squadron scheduled for the
night strike against Rabaul had
been officially reduced by one plane
because of the pilot shortage.
Was Regular Copilot.
The young Iowan was the regular
copilot of The Beautiful Girl,
which happened to be the one that
was officially grounded just before
the attack got under way.
After the other planes had started
for Rabaul, 1t. Cook, unobserved by
any one, warmed up motors of The
Beautiful Girl" and TAXED her to
the take-off apron, trailing the last
plane in the squadron. 1t. Cook
asked a truck driver to go along as
q machine gunner, but the driver re-
fused
The plane had been serviced with
gasoline and bombs. Before his un-
authorized take-off, 1t. Cook pulled
pins in the bombs and moved onto
the strip just as Japanese night
bomber made run on the airport
and antiaircraft guns began firing
at the opposite end of the field.
Despite frantic signals from the
control tower, 1t. Cook took off
under a canopy of ground fire,
reached the rendezvous point, and
fell in behind the rear element of
the squadron led by Capt. Raymond
F. Johnson, Atlantic, Iowa. The
group battled through increasingly
bad weather toward Rabaul, and
finally separated in a thick weather
front.