The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-07-20
@wHlTE
SYNOPSIS
W%.eL NHIZS

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
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 III: Lieut. Kurtz tells how
orders TO camoufiage Old go were coun.
bombs. Then he was ordered to jerk the
bombs, reload with cameras and rush
the camouhage. Preparations made for
taking pictures of Formosa. Someone
ton. The navy formation" happens to
be flight of Jap planes.
CHAPTER III: Bombs hit the mess
hall. The Japs move off. They hear
another hum p. P.40's." they think. but
they prove to be Zeros coming in from
the direction of Corregidor The boys
duck back into their foxholes.
CHAPTER w: 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
Lieut.. Russ Church and they bomb a
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
field With no fighters left to defend
them. evacuation begins. Lieut.. Kurtz
tells of last plane trip out In patched
up plane. Japs land light tanks at Apart.
to return from mission. U. s. forces fee
from Clark Field to Mindanao.
CHAPTER VI: Navigator Harry
Schreiber tells Of fight with Zeros in
which Shorty Wheless takes part. He
lands In a 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. hiers spent It. report comes in
saying he'd be in after dark with one
body aboard. Schaetzel gets in, his plane
a wreck Gen. Brereton lands on the
field and the boys are summoned to a
meeting.
CHAPTER VIII: u. S. fiiers arrive at
the Dutch field. and shortly after start
on flight for Davao. in the Philippines.
but run short of gas and come home.
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 fiat.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. II
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
Surabaya Field. Sets her down safely on
short runway. Dutch get reinforcements
from U. S.-new E model Forts.
CHAPTER VI: Bombardier tells OF
hazardous trip to Brazil when running
low on gas, and of sabotage on planes
Gunner picks up the story, tells how z
model Fortresses tangled with the Japs.
CHAPTER XII: Lieut.. Kurtz tells OF
bombing run on cruiser. Two hits scored.
Major Robinson radios TO Skiles Radio
base at Malang TO have ambulance
ready" Then Major Robinson's plane
goes into a 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
P-40's are on way from Australia with
belly tanks. The P-40's arrive at Gnoro.
Japs move into Borneo and the Celebes,
and 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 fun of
Jap carriers. continues Lieut.. Kurtz JaLs
lombard helpless Dutch town. Scant
Dutch rations described. Japs come
over and blow up the kitchen; bomb
scores direct hit on their supply of beer.
CHAPTER XVI: Japs learn weakness
of E model Fortress, and U. s. fliers 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; rides to his death in a dive
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 haroae s;cht
ed off the beach. Dutch general gives
u. S. fiers permission to leave, provided
they first strafe Jap landing barges. This
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 afire.