Southern Oregon Miner, Thursday, February 22. 1945 GOD IS MY SEW INC CIRCLE PATTERNS CO-PILOT C o l. R o bert* L .S c o tt W N U. R tL tA S E bomber formation again. I felt proud of the crews of those perfectly spaced ships. This really was like a football game: the bombers were carrying the ball while we in the pea-shooters ran the Interference. I imagined General Haynes, down there in the lead bomber, grinning as he thought of dropping a few hundred more of his leaflet souve­ nirs to the Japs. “Compliments of the old broken-down transport pi­ lot” —along with at least sixty 500- pound bombs. Big ”Butch’’ Mor­ gan, the best bombardier in the Air Force, had probably wormed his huge bulk through the tunnel into the nose of Haynes’ bomber and CHAPTER X X III was even now intensely interested in his pet bomb-sight. It had been only recently, when he Now I could even smell the fresh­ had been taken from hig thirteen four-engine bombers on the way to ness of the Pacific. The sky had blast Tokyo, that he had been as­ never been so blue The beauty of signed to transports. The Japs must the day and the beauty of those have known just how to get under weapons flying so smoothly under his skin, but in the end I think the us made me forget the scratching of the oxygen mask on my sun­ knowledge worked against them. Now he was getting back at them burned neck. It was a joy to look by having thousands of little leaflets back and see the six shark-mouths printed in several languages, espe­ on the other P-40’s grinning at me. Some day, 1 thought, Jap mothers cially in Japanese. They read: were going to frighten their children COMPLIMENTS OF THE OLD by referring to them and reminding the brats of Nippon that their fa­ BROKEN-DOWN TRANS­ thers had more than likely had that PORT PILOT view of an American P-40 for a last He used to drop some of these memory. on every bombing mission he led. As we got closer to the target, He’d go out and tie some to each we split our formation of fighters bomb: put them in the bomb bay automatically. Tex Hill. Hampshire, so that they fell out when the doors and Sher stayed with me; Marks were opened: even throw them out took the other three on the opposite over the Japanese-occupied cities flank of the bombers. The country that he blasted. I knew now that he below had become lower in eleva­ was getting a new supply ready for tion but was green and still hilly. Hongkong. Over the radio, is we reached a Towards the end of October came the word we had so long been wait­ ing for. Victoria harbor was filled with Japanese shipping. In deepest secret we got ready to go. Our ships would leave from Kun­ ming, but we would of course use the intermediate bases in the Kwei- lin-Hengyang section, 500 miles to the E ast Hongkong, you will re­ call. is about 325 miles Southeast of Kweilin. It is protected by sur­ rounding enemy fighter fields at Can­ ton and Kowloon. Our objectives would be the shipping in the harbor, the shipping at the docks in Kow­ loon. and the ships at the drydocks in Hongkong. Early on the morning of October 25 our twelve bombers took off from Yunnan for Kweilin, and shortly aft­ erwards Hill, Alison, Holloway and I led the fighters off. We were all to infiltrate into Kweilin, a few ships at a time, so as not to alert the coast of eastern China. For two weeks 1 had worried about this attack. I thought it would The men were all showing combat come any day, and because of the fatigue and needed a rest. They tension I couldn’t sleep. were tired ont by almost constant When I learned that word hadn’t alert without relief for twenty-one come. I ’d spend another sleepless days. Many of their flying mates night I got the doctor to give me had been killed in action, and this something to make me sleep and I helped to lower their morale. had a headache the next day. I knew "my wind was up,” as the point North of Macao, came the jab­ British say—but why in hell didn't bering of Japanese voices on our we go on and get the attack over frequency, and we knew from its with! ominous sound that they were warn­ But now I was on the way. I ing of our attack. could see the shark-mouths of the I tensed a little and looked about P-40’s all around, and the whole for enemy planes. F ar to my left thing was easy—just what I had I could see the three rivers meet­ wanted all the time. We sat down ing at Canton, could see two fields at Kweilin at one-minute Intervals from which I knew Zeros were tak­ at eight o’clock. The bombers were ing off to intercept us. We had by­ soon in, and the Chinese were busy passed Canton purposely by thirty servicing the field full of ships. They miles. I saw the bombers chang­ were the happiest people I had ever ing course: we were around Canton seen. They’d point towards Japan now, and were going to steer straight and point down with their thumbs for the North of Kowloon peninsula. and say, ”Bu-hao.” The blue Pacific looked friendly, All of us were proud to be going. reminding me of the southern Cali­ But as I looked at those seven P-40’a fornia coast. The old. famHiar fog escorting ten bombers, I could not banks that should have been cover­ help feeling apologetic for that great­ ing San Clemente and Catalina were est country In the world that we shrouding instead the Ladrones Is­ were representing. Oh, God. if the lands, with only their hilltops visi­ day could soon come when we could ble, sticking out from the fog on the go against this enemy with a thou­ China Sea. sand bombers, even a hundred We were turning over Macao, bombers! where the Clippers used to land. To Maybe the small fighter force that the South I could see another Jap we had made us lucky ones who field, Sanchau Island. Now to the were privileged to go resolve all right was Hongkong Island, shaped the more that we would make up in like a kidney and mountainous, just quality what we lacked in quantity. about nine miles long and three or Personally I felt like a veteran foot­ four miles across. I could make out ball player who has been on the the indentations of the romantic­ bench and has now been called into sounding bays whose names I knew the big game. Nearly a year be­ —Sandy, Telegraph, Kellet, and Re­ fore, when Hongkong had fallen to pulse. There were points of land the Japanese attacks from the Asi­ jutting towards the mainland—Quar­ atic mainland of Kowloon, I had ry Point, with its Naval Drydock, sworn that I would see the first and Shek Tong Tsui, the point over bombs hit the Crown Colony. I had which we would fight our aerial bat­ no idea then that I would lead the tle. Reaching towards the island fighters, that I would shoot down like a finger was Kowloon penin­ Japanese fighters in the raid, that sula, separated from it by the blue we would be intercepted by a su­ waters of Victoria harbor Near the perior force of the enemy, but that end of the spit of land closest to in less than three minutes after the Hongkong, I saw the large modern interception there would be only the Peninsular Hotel. All of us knew ships of the U. S. Army Air Force that Japanese Generals and staff over Victoria harbor. officers slept there with their worn- Now I had the fam iliar ’ wind up” er. feeling that precedes combat. The I crossed around and over Gen­ palms of my hands perspired freely. eral Haynes and his formation, As I wiped them on the legs of my watching vigilantly. Far below I trousers I saw that the sweat was saw dust on Kai Tak airdrome, and like mud; it had mixed with the red knew that enemy ships were taking dust of Kweilin Field through which off to attack us. My throat felt dry we had taken off. and I had trouble swallowing; I Our altitude kept increasing to 20,- turned my gun switch off and on 000 feet, while down below at seven­ nervously. Now I saw the bomb-bay doors teen thousand were the medium bombers in javelin formation: two opening, and I couldn’t keep the Vee’s of three, and the last element tears of excitement from burning a diamond of four. We passed one my eyes. Anti-aircraft was begin­ of the river Junction check-points ning to dot the sky with black and that enabled me to compute our white puffs. As I dove almost to the ground speed. In fifty minutes I level of the bombers, I could feel could see the glint of the sun on the ack-ack rock my fighter ship I the Pacific Ocean. As I saw the kept S-lng to watch for the enemy The »lory thus far: Alter ira d u a tln i from West Point. Reber* Scott w lni bit » l n ( t at Kelly Field and takes up combat ■ y ln i. He has been an Instructor for four years «hen the war breaks out. and Is told be I* now too old for combat ly in g . He appeals to several Generals and Is Anally given an opportunity to get luto the Aght. He Ales a bomber Into India, but on a rriv a l Is made a ferry pilot and this does not suit him. After paying a visit to Gen. Cbennault be gets a Kitty- hawk and soon becomes a “ one man air force” In the skies over Burma. Later be Is made C.O. of the Ilr d Fighter Group but still keeps knocking down Jap planes. His “ Old Exterm inator” Is badly mauled and he gets a new P-4SB. W ell-Fitting Afternoon Frock Add Bolero to Sun-Back Dress fighters that must be coming. I saw the yellow bombs begin to fall in long strings, imposed on the dark green of the world below. They got smaller and smaller as the noses pointed slowly down. Remembering my movie camera. I tried to take pictures of the explosions. The bombs seemed to take years to fall, and I began to think they were all duds. The ack-ack burst closer as the Japs got the range while we went straight in. I know I was never more excited in all my life. I yelled. "Okay, Hirohito—we have lots more where those came from !” I 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- Ares 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. I risked another look at the target; it was covered with smoke from one end to the other. Then I 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 endlessly towards that point of Shek Tong Tsui. All of us were keyed up. But then the long javelin of B-2o'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. I know now that they had got there from Kai Tak below in four minutes; they had made the sixteen thousand feet in that short time. 1 felt my camera drop to my lap. hit my knee, then drop to the metal floor of the fighter. I was fum­ 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, shoving ev­ erything as far forward as I could, 1 marvelled at the steepness of the climb the enemy ships were main­ taining. I called: "Zeros at twelve o'clock,” to designate their direction clock-fashion from us. I heard Tex Hill reply: "Hell, I see ’em.” I 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, a little nervously check­ ing again and again to see that the gun-switch was at "on.” I jerked i the belly-tank release and felt the underslung fifty-gallon bamboo tank drop off. We rolled to our backs to gain speed for the attack and went hell-bent for the Zeros. I kept i the first Zero right in the lighted I sight and began to fire from over a 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-40 bearing the number 151 speed in and take it. That was Tex Hill. He followed the Zero as it tried to turn sharply into the bombers and shot it down. Tex spun from his tight turn as the Jap burst Into flames. 1 took the next Zero—they seemed to be all over the sky now. I went so close that I could see the pilot's head through the glass can­ opy and the little tail-wheel that was not retracted, and I knew it was a 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 can­ opy, and I went by. As I turned to take another ship below me, I saw four airplanes fall­ ing in flames towards the waters of Victoria harbor. I 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 a Zero right on his tail. I 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 a 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. I shot at everything I saw. Some­ times it was just a short burst as the Jap went in for our bombers. Some­ times I fired at one that was turn­ ing, and as I'd keep reefing back on my stick, my ship would spin, and I ’d recover far below. I shot down another ship that didn’t see me. I got it with one short burst from di­ rectly astern, a no-deflection shot. In this attack I could see the Japa­ nese ship vibrate as my burst of six fifty-calibre guns hit it. First it just shook, then one wing went up. I saw the canopy shot completely off; then I went across it. Turning back in a dive to keep my speed, I watched the enemy ship, as it dove straight down, stream flames for a distance the length of the airplane behind. ITO BE CONTINUED) To Relieve Bad Cough, M ix This Recipe, a t Home B ig Saving. No Cooking. So Easy. You'll be eurprmed liow quickly iuut euxily you enn relievo couglia due to colds, when you try this splendid re­ cipe. I t Riven you about four tlmoe ae much cough modldne for your money, and you'll find It tru ly wonderful. Muk« a syrup by stirrin g 1 cups of granulated sugar and one cup o f w ater a few moments, u ntil dissolved. N o cooking needed— It's no troublo a t nil. (O r you con use corn eyrup o r liquid honey. Instead of sugar syrup.) Then put 2% ounces of Plnex (o b ta in , ed from uny druggist) Into a pint bot­ tle. Add your syrup and you have a fu ll pint of medicine th at w ill utnase you by Ita quick action. I t never apolla. and tastes fine. This simple m ixture takes right hold of a cough. For real results, you've iirv.-r seen anything better. I t loosen* the phlegm, eoothea the Irritated mem­ branes, unit eases the soreness. 1 'inex Is a special coni|x»und of proven Ingredients, In concentrated form, w ell- known for Its prompt action In cough* and bronchial Irritations. Money re . funded If It doesn't please you In every way. th *s* 10 h *rb i in your d aily cup o i HOT WATER • , . and loostn fhs CLINGING wotfei which adds up to an ideal m id­ su m m er outfit. M ake it in polka dots or bright checked cottons. • 1292 36-52 Afternoon F rock. T 'H E sort of d ress ev ery w om an * likes—w ith its soft, graceful skirt, nice shoulder d eta il and flat­ tering sw eeth eart neck edged in ruffling. E sp ecia lly d esign ed to give you a poised, w ell-groom ed feeling. • • Pattern No. 1983 comes In sizes 10. 12. 14, 18. 18 and 20. Size 12. with ruffles, requires 3!fc yards of 33 or 39-lnch fabric; 7 yards rick rack to trim ruffles and skirt; plain dress. 3’ , yards; bolero l ! i yards. Due to an unusually large demand and current war conditions, slightly more time Is required In filling orders for a few of the most popular pattern numbers. Send your order to: SEW ING C IR C L E P A T T E R N D E P T . 149 New Montgomery SL San Francisco, Calif. Enclose 23 cents In coins for each pattern desired. Pattern No.........................Size............. Pattern No. 1292 comes In sizes 38. 38. 40. 42. 44. 4«. 48. SO and 52. Size 38. three- quarter sleeves, requires 3»i yards of 39- Inch material; 1 yard edging tor neck trim. Nam e .......... ...................................... Address ................................... .................. Sunback D ress. ■"THIS sm a rt sunback frock has * gay over-shoulder ruffles to give it a jaunty air. A ‘‘cover-up” bolero is included in the pattern Free! Sample Trial Paekagtl Writ, fw Itntrwn uaalr. (nook (w 4 ci>,(. I,: CwtoM Tw Ca. l l J U i t IL . grwairs U H. V.. OceLO R GARFIELD TEA IH MNTU UUlf III« MUIIAl 1LKIUIKU —Buy W ar Savings Bondi— U se K ondon ’ s .. C ount T en .. Head Cold Misery «tart* Eat I ng, I R o n d o « ’ * M oool J o lly ia a m a s ln g lr foot f * Hr v la g co l4 rlo g g e d n o * * and hood «»aid m to rry . W b y f B o ta u m i t io ao ooothia« to In ­ fla m ed . tw o !Io n p R M Rp o o l a n 'i liq u id , lio o o u 'i r u n M illtu tto