The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-04-13
W.N.U.f FEATURES
WT.sE. WkEZS

60 around it, so, turning, we fly
parallel to it. But it seems end
less, and after flying for forty-five
minutes, we see that in this at
tempted detour we've wasted pre-
cious gasoline-our margin of safe
ty to get to the target and get home
Is down to almost zero.
(Which means we can't go on,
although it's heartbreaking to turn
back with bomb bays and guns still
loaded and quite bit of gas in the
tanks. Better come back now though
for a fresh start than hit the target
and then drop into the sea on the
way home.
1--WE returned to Samarinda, land
ed, gassed up, and then without any
rest or sleep started to take off
again for Davao at midnight. This
time we were sure we wouldn't
miss.
"Again we run into thick fog,"
| went on Frank, when we 60 up
next night. My co-pilot Collvin and
fly alternately-our eyes smartng
and streaming from the strain and
staring through the windshield at
those formation lights of the planes
ahead, not daring to lose sight of
them for fear we will then be lost
and alone in the night AS dawn
breaks / see Broadhurst's Fortress
by the number on its tail. 1t is too
late to 60 on into Davao, just two
of us, so we turn and start mourn
fully back to Samarinda.
SAT one o'clock in the morning we
again took off on the long fight to
the target-between four and five
hours. For the first few hours we
were lucky. The clouds were well
stratif!ed and we few between two
layers of them, so we didn't have
to fly both weather and instruments.
"This time we arrive at the pre-
viously agreed point where we are
to make that 120-degree turn and
come directly in on Davao, and as
We swing up and over for that sharp
bank, l get my only glimpse of the
target, which ordinarily the pilot
never sees in detail. From where
he sits he can only see the sky and
the distant horizon ahead. It's the
bombardier who can look straight
down and little ahead, who pulls
the plane in over that tiny pinpoint
to be attacked. But now I'm about
to see it for myself-just one look
when my wing is cooked high in the
air. Oh, please, God, leave the tar
get openl Let there be no ground
fog over the city or the bay-burn
that mist away with the dawn sun,
so we won't have to salvo in the
sea and go home.
And then I get my only glimpse
-Uut of.the tilted side. window, the
city still asleep. the upper Bay of
Davao silver in the first dawn light,
and then-oh, lovely, lovely sightl-
big boat sitting well offshore sur
rounded by a protecting circle Of
destroyers, all of them motionless,
not wisp of smoke coming from a
funnel. We've caught them asleep
with no steam up, the Japs are snor-
ing-like so many Pearl Harbor
brass-hats-this is what we've been
waiting for!
''But now comes a change. Over
my interphones hear Stone, bom-
bardier of the lead plane, calling to
Combs, who is leading US.
"'Do you mind if we change over,
sir? he asks. I see our real target
now
We've now roared in almost to
our bomb-release line, but Combs
agrees. We bank up and change
over, now heading apparently for
lower Davao Harbor.
"Peering out of the window on the
bank, get one glimpse of it and
now understand the reason for the
change-the most tremendous con-
centration of ships ever saw in my
life. Everything, big boys. cruisers