RE: 11BG(H)/431st - Jack Drenan, Satan's Kite
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11/27/2007 04:53:11 PM
Hi Jake,
What is your grandfather's name? I would be interested to read any additional info. They switched from noon-time to night bombing missions after the losses on this particular day.
The book '11th Bomb Group (H), the Grey Geese' has several mentions of the mission. I hope it is OK to post excerpts here. If not I'll remove them.
Page 24>
Operations for 1944 opened tragically as two planes of the 431st Squadron were lost over Taroa, Maloelap in the face of the strongest enemy opposition encountered to this time. About forty Zekes, Hamps, and Tonys intercepted the 431st's Liberators carrying out a well-coordinated attack. Lt. Davis' bomber, the entire right wing aflame, was seen to crash into the sea and explode. Although severely damaged in the left waist, Lt. MacArthur's bomber managed to get away from the target and seemed to be in good condition until it was hit in the controls and fell 3000 feet into the sea. The crew of another B-24 reported seeing a fire in the rear of MacArthur's ship and crewmen frantically fighting flames and tossing burning clothing from the plane.
page 54-55>
Adventures on "Lil' Hiawatha" by Al Miller. Our orders for the next mission read, "The 431st Squadron, 11th Bomb Group, shall launch a maximum effort strike against Maloelap in the Marshall Islands." To us maximum effort meant getting nine B-24s into the air and flying up the slot for about 4-1/2 hours, getting our bombs on target, and fighting our way out. Of course there would be no fighter escort on this mission, or on any other. We again staged through Tarawa, to refuel and top off our bomb load.
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It had been rumored that the Japs had moved a new fighter group from Raboul to Maloelap, and we were to discover that this was not just a rumor. We met the Black Dragon fighter group!
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As we flew between Jaluit and Milli we saw in the distance what were undoubtedly Jap reconnaissance planes monitoring our flight north and most definitely alerting all the bases in the Marshall Islands. So much fo the element of surprise! We climbed to 20,000 feet, though we normally bombed from 10,000 feet. As we neared our target, the bombardier, Red Weinstein remarked, "It's cold up here!" I was looking to the west over the target and saw what appeared to be a swarm of gnats. I told Red, "It may be cold now, but I'm sure it's going to heat up soon!"
We were engaged over the target by an estimated 40 to 50 Jap fighters, (Zekes, Hamps, and Tony's). They followed us out of the target. While some moved ahead dropping phosphorous bombs (air bursts), others lined up off to our left and right, moving over us and split S-ing out of the sun right through our formation.
The squadron had tightened up in three Vs and "Lil' Hiawatha" was flying left slot on MacArthur, one of the "old timers."
Most of the planes had sustained damage from flak, but particularly by machine gun and cannon fire. MacArthur had taken a bad hit, probably flak, as he was losing gas from a ruptured fuel tank causing a white mist off the trailing edge of his left wing.
I could see the other two Vs were catching it pretty heavy as I saw two planes with feathered props and one plane with its right wing on fire, fall out of formation and begin its three mile fatal plunge into the sea! I learned later it was Lt. Davis' plane.
About then I saw my first combat casualty. ... I flew formation by gauging the angle on the waist window on the lead plane, and while I watched, a hole opened up about a foot ahead of the waist window [of MacArthur's plane]. A 20mm explosive cannon shell hit the waist gunner in the throat. It had apparently knocked out everyone in the rear of the plane and as we moved up and looked through both waist windows we saw no movement!
I called up MacArthur and told him about the casualties in the rear of his plane. Soon we saw someone throwing out burning pieces of flight suit and a parachute. During this time we were still under constant attack by enemy planes coming from overhead through the formation, and some so close I could see the expressions on the Jap pilots' faces from as close as 50 feet!
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About that time MacArthur called up and told us (Lt. Rudin was flying right slot) that with his gas tank ruptured, we had better back off, because if they went, we'd all go! We backed off about 100 yards when there was a tremendous explosion. The blast almost flipped us over and MacArthur's plane (30+ tons and 11 men) ceased to exist! Our men looked for chutes, but they reported seeing nothing. No chutes, no debris. They had simply vanished, just a smudge in the blue sky.
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"Lil' Hiawatha"... was cannibalized... over 400 bullet entry holes...
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It was a bad day for the 431st! Three planes lost, twenty-one men dead [Davis, MacArthur crews], three men wounded and every plane except one needed extensive repair to patch them up again.
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... Japs lost five planes... two with