THRILLING DRAMA OF FLYING FORTRESSES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 54, 5 March 1943, Page 3

THRILLING DRAMA OF FLYING FORTRESSES

SHIP AFTER SHIP HIT

Allied Airmen Drive Home Blows On Jap. Convoy N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. "A drama as tense as any in a movie air war thriller was enacted throughout Tuesday in the radio room of a Flying Fortress base," writes an Australian war correspondent from New Guinea. "Every few minutes came short, staccato messages telling of a Japanese ship hit, of another exploding, of one in flames, and of one turning over and sinking." Flying Fortressses bore the weight of the first attacks on the Japanese convoy, made in difficult weather, which later moderated. Hour after hour they took off for the fight, which came after a few days of inactivity bemoaned by the crews. Misty Rain Shelters Convoy It was a Liberator, piloted by Lieutenant Walter Higgins, of Forest City, Arkansas, which first sighted the convoy at noon on Monday. Flying Fortress crews were quickly briefed and the big planes took off into an overcast sky. Misty rain of the late' monsoon, however, sheltered the 14 enemy ships. But they were sighted again on Tuesday morning and shadowed until the first attacking Fortress arrived at the scene at 10 o'clock. , Major Edward Scott, of Starkville, Massachusetts, was credited with his fifth enemy ship when he scored five direct hits on an enemy transport of between 8000 and 10,000 tons. It was the first blood drawn. Lieutenant James Murphy, of Roundup, Montana, went one betterwhen he was credited with his sixth sinking—a 6000-ton ship. Back at Operational Headquarters intelligence officers, examining reports and photographs, established that the Flying Fortresses in the first day's operations had hit at least nine enemy ships. Bomber Crew Fights Flames One Fortress caught fire in a bomb bay when anti-aircraft shrapnel broke an inflammable oil line. While eight Zeros set upon and damaged the bomber, the crew fought a 20minute fight with the flames and brought their plane safely home. Improved weather throughout Wednesday assisted the Allied air attacks, which were principally maintained by Havoc fighter-bombers and Mitchell medium bombers,_ with Fortresses continuing to participate. The convoy, now reinforced by eight additional ships, making a full complement of 22, included cruisers, destroyers and merchantmen, ranging from a transport of 10,000 tons, cargo ships of from 5,000 to 8000 tons, with some small ships of 500 to 800 tons.

VESSELS ON FIRE

Beaufighters Play Big Part In Air Battle

ZERO PILOTS FIGHT HARD

N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 12.30 p.m. SYDNEY, this day.

Beaufighters, with an air cover of Lockheed Lightnings, are now revealed to have played a considerable part in the victory over the Japanese convoy. While their main purpose was to strafe ships and hamper antiaircraft gun crews, they succeeded in setting at least four vessels alight. Their pilots described the bombing attacks by Plying Fortresses Mitchells and Havocs as "the most beautiful we have seen." Torpedo-carrying Beauforts also made a raid on the convoy before dawn on Wednesday, but it was impossible to observe the results as the Beauforts had to be clear of the area before the Zeros could attack these relatively slow aircraft. Our airmen say that the Zeros, of which 33 were destroyed and 22 probably destroyed, and many others damaged, made a grim defence of the Japanese ships. One American Fortress pilot remarked: "Those Zero boys were picked men. I have never seen Zeros so rugged. They must have had pep talk last night. Some came so close you could have thrown a rock at them."

When a pilot who had taken part in the Lae convoy battle of January was asked how the latest action compared with the earlier one he said: "There isn't any comparison. That time some of the convoy reached Lae. This time we got the lot."