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This is Volume One of The Army Air Forces in World War II, titled Plans and Early Operations, January 1939 to August 1942, edited by Wesley Frank Craven and James Lea Cate. The University of Chicago Press first published it in 1948, and the Office of Air Force History reprinted it in 1983. The front matter explains how the AAF historical program was set up during the war. The index covers Pacific, Atlantic and European operations, and nothing in the text concerns unidentified aerial phenomena.
“King”32 pages
P E A R L H A R B O R A N D C L A R K F I E L D night of 9/ I o December, Lt. Grant Mahoney, flying a P-40 on recon- naissance, brought definite warning of approaching convoys.6o Units of the Japanese Third Fleet sortied from Formosa early on the morning of 10 December. Their missions were to effect a landing at Aparri in the extreme north of Luzon and another at Vigan on the northwest coast in operations preliminary to the main landing on Lin- gayen Gulf. For the accomplishment of these objectives, the convoy had been divided into three task forces: one for each landing and a third, which included cruisers, to provide general support as required. Alerted by the approach of these forces, the Far East Air Force deter- mined to oppose the enemy landings as best it could with heavy bombers supported by a strong pursuit escort. Accordingly, five B-17’s and the P-4oE’s of the I 7 t h Pursuit Squadron and the P-35’~of the 34th were prepared for an early mission. At 0600 the B - I ~ ’ s ,led by Major Combs, took off from Clark Field and, before reaching the target area in the neighborhood of Vigan, were joined by planes of the 17th Squadron. T h e B-17’s, each loaded with 2 0 x roo-lb. demolition bombs, chose a number of transports already engaged in unloading troops and supplies. T w o bomb runs were carried out by four bomb- ers from an altitude of 1 2 , 0 0 0 and 1 2 , 5 0 0 feet, respectively. T h e fifth B-17, piloted by Lt. Elliott Vandevanter, Jr., swept in first at 10,000 and then at 7,000 feet. Though antiaircraft fire remained fierce at the completion of the bombing, the P-40’s came down for a strafing attack on the ships and on the Japanese who had already reached shore. Meanwhile, the slower P-35’s of the 34th Squadron had arrived on the scene of action. These almost obsolete planes had neither armor protection nor leak-proof tanks, but they too “strafed and restrafed the invaders.” As Lt. Samuel H. Marrett, squadron commander, led his flight in “one final and successful strafing dive,” one of the trans- ports exploded, destroying both Marrett and his plane. Another P-3 5 was lost, but the pilot escaped.‘l Though the B-17’s had succeeded in scoring a number of hits, this one vessel apparently represented the only major loss by the enemy.62 Another mission scheduled for Maj. Emmett O’Donnell’s 14th Squadron had been delayed by the necessity of flying from San Mar- celino to Clark for refueling and bomb-loading, and then had been further delayed by a warning of approaching Japanese planes. Finally, five B-17’~’having been made ready, took off individually. Three of them, piloted by Major O’Donnell, Capt. E.L. Parsel, and Lt. G.R. * ‘ 5
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