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
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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
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This simple m ixture takes right hold
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1 'inex Is a special coni|x»und of proven
Ingredients, In concentrated form, w ell-
known for Its prompt action In cough*
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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
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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
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i
For lb* bolt in mutlc, liilon to tbo "Void of
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Sw orlbonl ond tbo Pirotlono Symphony
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bat
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Coprrlfht. 1145, Th* Fire,tun, Tira A Bubtar Oa
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WMISTUM«
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