The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-07-27

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SYNOPSIS

s1NOPskS
CHAPTER |: The story of the famous
18th and 7Ih Bombardment Groups, OF
Lieut.. Col. Frank kurtz and his Fortress
crew I'm the tremendous air campaign
that saved the day for the United Nations
IN 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 90 finds eight
of his crew lying in an irregular line.
CHAPTER II: Lieut. Kurtz tells how
orders to camouhage Old 80 were coun-
fernandez, instead they were to load
bombs. Then he was ordered to jerk the
bombs. reload with cameras and rush
the camouflage. Preparations made for
taking pictures of Formosa. Someone
shouts Look at that pretty navy forma-
ton. The navy formation happens to
be fight Of Jap planes.
CHAPTER III: Bombs hit the mess
hall. The Japs move. of. They hear
thn,i tahnother mum, n P'7o & s., they think, ~ ,1 out
the direction of Corregidor The boys
duck back into their foxholes.
CHAPTER ": The pilots are given
their targets and towerirr 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
fire on them. Japs begin photographing
the place. No longer safe to sleep in the
barracks, cots are moved into a corn
field. With no fighters left to defend
them begins
tells of last plane. trip out in a patched
up plane. Japs land light tanks al Apart.
Squadron commander Major Gibbs fails
10 return from mission. u. S. forces Zee
from Clark Field to Mindanao.
CHAPTER VI: Navigator Harry
Schreiber tells of fight with Zeros In
which Shorty Wheless takes part. He
lands in rice paddy and is surrounded
by Filipinos. The crew buys an outrigger
canoe and sail to the isle Of Panay. Later
they take off for Australia.
CHAPTER VII: Lieut.. Rurtz takes up
the story again. He describes the hot,
dry Christmas day in Australia. and how
u. S. fliers spent It. report comes In
saying he'd be in after dark with one
body aboard. Schaetzel gets In. his plane
wreck. Gen. Brereton lands on the
field and the boys are summoned to
meeting.
CHAPTER VIZ: u. S. fliers arrive at
the Dutch field, and shortly after start
on flight for Davao, in the Philippines,
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 flat-footed. AT Malang
Field boys are briefed before dawn.
NE. of Borneo. They take off. but hit
frightful fog. Cannot see plane right
ahead. Coming out Of fog they see a
huge black cloud resembling tornado, 1t
was the Dutch burning their Borneo oil.
CHAPTER X: One of Kurtz' motors IL
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. S.-new model Forts.
CHAPTER X1: 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.
CHAPTER XII: Lieut.. Kurtz tells Of
bombing run on cruiser. Two hits scored.
Major Robinson radios to Sktles: Radio
base at Malang to have ambulance
ready" Then Major Robinson's plane
goes into dive and crashes into sea.
CHAPTER XIII: A Jap transport hit
by u. S. bomb. goes up in confetti. Lieut..
KurtZ, now in Batavia. gets word that
P40s are on way from Australia with
belly tanks. The P40s arrive at Gnoro.
ard three waves Of Jap bombers fly over
Java.
CHAPTER XIV: An American sub
sneaks through from Corregidor with Ia
passengers aboard. Sergt Boone. the
gunner tells how Queens die.
CHAPTER XIV: Java sea now full of
Jap carriers, continues Lieut.. Kurtz. Japs
lombard helpless Dutch town. Seaut
Dutch rations described Japs come
over and blow up the kitchen. a bomb
scores direct hit on their supply of beer.
CHAPTER XVI: Japs learn weakness
of r model Fortress, and U. s. fiers put
in a .50-caliber machine gun. Attack a
Jap cruiser Lieut.. Kurtz senses he is
being watched.
CHAPTER XVII: Morale says when
boys learn that an aircraft tender stacked
with P-40's goes down with all on board.
and the story of the Marblehead and the
Houston gets around. Bud Sprague gets
! his commission as Lieut.. Col. in the
morning; riueS 10 MS death In Give
bomber in the afternoon. Japs take Bali
field. Java begins to cave In.
CHAPTER XVIII: The Dutch blow up
their ammunition dumps and the order
comes through to evacuate. Some of
| the boys head for Australia, as Java
/ begins collapsing all around The little
Dutch navy fights a losing fight
CHAPTER XIX: Landing barges sight.
ed off the beach. Dutch general gives
/ u. S. fiiers permission to leave, provided
they first strafe Jap landing barges. This
i is done. Lieut.. Kurtz and the boys say
goodby to the Dutch and leave for Jock.
strap, where Forts are waiting for them.
On arrival find Japs got there first
hangers split wide open, six Forts afre.
CHAPTER Xxx: A Jap recco plane
comes over the field, and little later
some Zeros. BIT and B.24 set afire
Japs sweep up Broome field in 80 min.
utes. Gunner tells how he makes escape
In a truck through salt marshes, to Mel.
bourne. Old gang-what is left-joins up
at Melbourne and take over The
Swoose" as pilot and crew for the com.
manding air force general
CHADTER XYT