The midland journal., 1945-02-02
CHAPTER XII

anti-aircraft guns in two passes. On
the second run across the field felt
and heard bullets hitting my ship.
but, didn't see their origin until near
ly too late. Down close to the West
end Of the field, almost under the
trees, were Japanese ground sol
diers. They were grouped into two
squares like the old Macedonian pha-
lanx, and were firing rifles at me. l
turned my guns on them and could
see the fifty-calibre fire taking good
toll from the Jap ranks. But even
after I had made three runs on
them, I noted that they continued to
hold their positions, an excellent
demonstration of perfect battle dis
cipline. Later on one of the AVG
aces, Tex Hill, told me that he had
seen the same thing down in Thai
land, and that after he'd strafed one
of the squares Of about a hundred
men and there were only two or
three on their feet, those few still
were shooting at him when he left
the field.
Leaving Lashio, went to Katha
looking for a Jap train on the rail-
way, but succeeded only in gather
ing little more ground fire. From
there I went back North to Bhamo,
and seeing no barges, continued on
to Myitkyina, keeping very close to
the surface of the Irrawaddy, and
strafed the gun positions of the enc
my on the field with the last of my
ammunition. When I landed had
made almost eight hundred miles,
which is just about the limit for a
fighter ship, especially since I had
strafed at full throttle for several
minutes. There were few holes
in my ship, but mostly in the fabric
of the rudder and the flippers. The
Japs couldn't learn to lead me
enough; guess they'd never hunted
game birds.
In less than an hour I took off
again and made a shorter trip to
Mogaung and Katha, searching
without success for a train. After
getting more fuel went back and
strafed Myitkyina, turned South, and
caught barge of enemy equipment
at Bhamo. Though I didn't sink this
river boat, put at least eight hum
dred rounds Of ammunition in it,
and left it settling in the water and
drifting slowly with the current. The
crew either were killed or jumped
into the river.
And now, to close the big day, I
got in the air again and set my
course for the bridge on the Sal
ween about twenty miles West of
Paoshan. I had received a radio
report that the AVG under Tom
Jones, Bishop, and Tex Hill were
dive-bombing the Japs who were
constructing pontoon bridge there.
Reaching the rendezvous point, I
couldn't see a thing except some
burning trucks that the AVG had
strafed on the Jap side of the Sal
ween; evidently I had got to the bat
tie too late.
had turned South towards Lashio
and was flying through moderate
rain when, down below on the Bur-
ma Road, I saw a troop column
marching South, probably towards
Chefang. At this point the Burma
Road is about eight thousand feet
above sea level, rising nearby to its
ceiling, just over nine thousand feet.
The troops below me were Japa-
nese soldiers, evidently retreating
from the mauling they had taken
back there on the river, when the
AVG had bombed them with five
underground bombs. I turned to
the side, to watch them-they were
in heavy rain, and from the stand
point OF their own safety they were
in the worst possible place on the
road. The Burma Road was cut out
of red Yunnan clay, and there were
steep banks on both sides of the
column-besides don't think they
had heard me over the roar of the
rain, and / know they hadn't seen
my ship.
I turned my gun switches on and
dove for the kill, sighting carefully
through my lighted sight. My trac-
ers struck the target dead center,
for ! had held my fire until the
last moment. There was no need of
doing this job at high speed, for
If / merely cruised I'd have longer
to shoot at them and could also look
out for the hills hidden in the rain
and the clouds. This time there was
no dust, but the red, muddy water
went up like a geyser. The six
Fifties seemed to cut the column to
bits. AS I passed over, could see
those who hadn't been hit trying
desperately to crawl up the muddy
bank to the safety of the trees and
slipping back.
Turning very close to the hills,
came back over. Every now and
then I'd lose them, for the rain was
heavy and 1t was dark in the clouds,