The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-04-20

SOt SlLdll6f anu SInAuGT as Tic IiOSSS
pointed slowly down. Remembering
my movie camera, tried to take
pictures of the explosions. The
bombs seemed to take years to fan,
and I began to think they were all
buds. The ack-ack burst closer as
the Japs got the range while we
went straight in. I know ] was
never more excited in all my life.
I yelled, "Okay, Hirohito--we have
lots more where those came 'FRONT.'"
! kept looking behind and under us
for the bombs to burst.
And then I saw the first white ex-
plosion-right on the docks of Kow-
loon. After that they came so fast
you couldn't count them. I let my
camera run as the explosions turned
from white to black-there were oil
fires now. I could see the flash Of
the anti-aircraft guns from the North
shore of Hongkong Island, as we con-
tinued across Victoria harbor. !
risked another look at the target; 1t
was covered with smoke from one
end to the other. Then ] got my
eyes back to searching for enemy
interceptors.
Why in hell didn't the bombers
turn for home? They had dropped
the damn bombs, but they were still
going on endless1y towards that point
of Shek Tong Tsui. All of us were
keyed up. But then the long javelin
of B-25's began to turn to the right.
Mission accomplished - now they
had the down-hill run to base, and I
began to get that old feeling of re-
lief. Then, somehow, I felt cheated.
Where were the enemy fighters? I
raised my camera, sighted again,
and took the formation as it swung
over the burning docks.
Then, as I glanced about, I saw
them, silhouette after silhouette,
climbing terribly steeply towards
the bombers. know now that they
had got there from Kai TAX below
in four minutes; they had made the
sixteen thousand feet in that short
time. I felt my camera drop to my
lap, hit my knee, then drop to the
metal floor of the fighter. was fun,
bling now for the mike button on
the throttle; then I was calling:
Bandits ahead - Zerooooos! At
eleven o'clock" Fumbling again for
the throttle quadrant, showing ev-
erything as far forward as could, I
marvelled. at the steepness of the
climb the enemy ships were main
tanning. I called: s''Zeros at twelve
O'Clock" to designate their direction
clock-fashion from us. / heard Tex
Hill reply: "Hell, / see 'em." could
hear the jabber Of the Japs still try
ing to block our frequency.
I was diving now, aiming for
the lead Zero, turning my gunsight
on and off, little nervously check
ing again and again to see that the
gun-switch was at "on." jerked
the belly-tank release and felt the
undressing fifty-gallon bamboo tank
drop off. We rolled to our backs
to gain speed for the attack and
went hell-bent for the Zeros. kept
the first Zero right in the lighted
sight and began to fire from over q
thousand yards, for he was too close
to the bombers. Orange tracers
were coming from the B-25's, too.
Five hundred yards before I got
to the Zero, I saw another P-4O
bearing the number ISL speed in
and take it. That was Tex Hill. He
followed the Zero as it tried to
turn sharply into the bofnbers and
shot it down. Tex spun from his
tight turn as the Jap burst into
flames. ! took the next Zero-they
seemed to be all over the sky now.
/ went so close that I could see the
pilots head through the glass cam
opy and the little tail-wheel that was
not retracted, and I knew it was
Navy Zero--the little wheel was built
for the arresting-gear Of a carrier.
My tracers entered the cockpit and
smoke poured back, hiding the cam
opy, and ! went by.
As ] turned to take another ship
below me, ! saw four airplanes fall
ing in flames towards the waters Of
Victoria harbor. ] half rolled again
and skidded in my dive to shake
any Zero that might be on my tail.
I saw another P-40 shooting at a
Jap, but there was Zero right on
his tail. ! dove for this one. He
grew in my sights, and as my trac-
ers crossed in front of him he turned
into me. I shot him down as his
ship seemed to stand still in the
vertical bank. The ship was three
or four hundred yards from me, and
it fell towards the water for q time
that seemed ages. An explosion
came, and there was only black
smoke; then I could see the ship
again, falling, turning in a slow spin,
down--down-down.
shot at everything saw. Some
times it was just short burst as the
Jap went in for our bombers. Some
times ! fred at one that was turn
ing, and as I'd keep reefng back on
my stick, my ship would spin, and
I'd recover far below. ! shot down
another ship that didn't see me. I
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