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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.
“The Wash”17 pages
N O T E S T O P A G E S 3 7 5 - 7 9 24. JCCSs-9, 1 1 Jan. 1942; JCCSS-10, 2 5 . History, Dir. of Air Transport. 2 6 . Msg. #CRO918, Adams to CG USAF, Darwin, 31 Dec. 1941. 27. History, Fifth Air Force, Pt. 2 , I Jan.-6 Mar. 1942; Minutes of Mtg., Administrative Manning Comm., 5 Jan. 1942, Doc. 658, in History, Fifth Air Force, Pt, I ; Sum. of Activities, 3 and 4 Jan. 1942, which provides a record of conferences at Melbourne between key American and Australian officials. At these conferences Brett expressed his conclusion “that Brisbane (Eagle Farm) was the best location for the primary base and construction and maintenance depots”; he suggested “that reception camp be located in Victoria”; and Townsville “was designated as an ad- vance assembly and secondary mainte- nance depot base and the possibility of dispersal was discussed, particularly Chasters [sic.] Towers.” The discussion of the problem a t Darwin included: additional airdrome facilities, supplies, a forward depot, dispersal facilities, and lines of communication. The discussions at Melbourne continued through the 7th; on the Sth, Brereton flew w<th Sir Charles Burnett to Darwin on the way to Java. (See above, n. 5 . ) 28. USSBS (Pacific) Interrogations 67, Capt. M. Fujita, staff of zd Fleet, 20 Oct. 1945; 74, Capt. Chihaya Takahashi, staff of 11th Air Fleet, 20 Oct. 1945; 90, Capt. Kawakita hhihara, staff of 3d Fleet, n.d.; 94, Comdr. Yutaka Isawa, on H m u , 1 2 Oct. 1945; 331, Capt. Mitsugo Ihara, staff of 3d Fleet, 10 Nov. 194:; 387, Capt. Kameo Sonokawa, Gensan Air Gp., 14 Nov. 1945; 601, Comdr. Ryosuke Nomura, staff of 23d Air Flotilla, 28 Nov. 1945; Office of Naval Intel., The Java Sea Campaign. 29. Interview with Lt. Col. E.E. Northcutt, n.d.; T W X # I , Bandoeng to G 2 , 13 Jan. 1942. On Brereton’s depar- ture from Soerabaja late on 2 8 December 1941, Eubank had remained “to direct bomber activities from there,” and on the general’s arrival at Darwin the next day, Maj. Cecil E. Combs informed him that there were “14 complete combat 1 2 Jan. 1942; JCCSS-12, 14 Jan. 1942. crews available.. . 14 B-17’s, 9 of which can operate at once on N.E.I. mission and three ( 3 ) of the remaining five can probably be placed in commission, others will require depot overhaul.” (Sum. of Activities, 28 and 2 9 Dec. 1941.) 30. History, Fifth Air Force, Pt. 2 , I Jan.-6 Mar. 1942; FEAF Hq. Diary, Doc. 28, in History, Fifth Air Force, Pt. I ; msg., ABDACOM to Army, Mel- bourne, recd. 2 2 Jan. 1942, Doc. 401, ibid. The headquarters of the ABDA Command was established at Lembang, approximately ten miles from Bandoeng, on 18 January. (The Java Sea Campaign, 1 3 . ) The FEAF Summary of Activi- $es records the following notes of a conference between Brett and Brerecon in Batavia on 10 January: “ I . General Brett desires to make immediately avail- able all ammunition and bombs for N.E.I. z. Preparation to be made for air corps troops (consult with Barnes). 3 . Brady, Lamb, Hipps, Hobbs and Hampton also Walsh to be moved to N.E.I. 4. A com- plete survey of airdromes on Java will be made immediately. 5. Transportation: Trucks and Cars. 6. Secret line between Soerabaja and Batavia will be arranged for.” 31. 19th Gp. Opns. Record. This re- port claims a DD sunk and a BB hit. But there were apparently no battleships at Davao at this time and Japanese rec- ords do not mention the DD as having been sunk. They do mention a cruiser as having been severely damaged. (Ens. Toshio Nakamura’s Notebook, Joint Intel. Center, POA, Navy # 1 2 8 ; USSBS Intr. 90, Capt. K. Ishihara.) The Joint Army-Navy Assessment Commirtee does not list any war vessel as having been sunk at this time. (Japanese Naval and Merchant Losses during World War 11, Feb. 1947 [hereinafter cited as JANAC, Jap Losses].) 3 2 . 19th Gp. Opns. Record. 3 3 . The Java Sea Campaign, pp. 14- 1 5 ; Hart, Narrative of Events. In these operations on 1 1 and 1 2 January, two Japanese pursuits were shot down. One American PBY, one Dutch Catalina, and four Australian Hudsons were lost. (Msg., Merle-Smith to MILID, 13 Jan. 1942, Doc. 770, in History, Fifth Air 709
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