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1944 |
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4-2/6-15 |
Lalmai Airstrip, India. The squadron
is existing under the most primitive of conditions. Quartered in bamboo-thatched
huts called "bashies," and again subsisting mainly on British
Emergency War Rations, as in England, supplemented at times with fried
tomatoes and duck eggs. Lt. Bond was summoned to the presence of B/G Old, and
advised not to get dressed. Clad only in his skivvies, a rather nervous Lt.
Bond reported as directed, and since there were no current aeronautical
charts of the area, the general gave him a supply of rather primitive road
maps for the squadron! Regarding the two incidents involving the Zero's, both
were 17th C-47s. One of our ships, dubbed "My Assam Dragon" was
flying a cargo mission in the Imphal Valley, Burma, in June. Captain Hal
Scrugham (P) and Lt. Elmer Jost (CP), who had joined us at Comiso, were at
about 5000 feet when they were jumped by a pair of Japanese Zeros, who were eager
to add a fat, clumsy transport to their tallies. With the fighters blazing
away, Scrugham put the ship into a steep dive, firewalled the throttles, and
pulled out at tree top level. Zigzagging as best he could through the trees
and valleys, he finally jerked off the power as the first Zero closed in.
Unable to react to his own faster speed, the Zero crashed into the C-47's
tail section, shearing off all but about a foot of the rudder and tail fin.
The crew watched the enemy fighter crash into a mountainside and explode. For
reasons known only to himself, the second Zero pilot fled the scene. The crew
kept the C-47 flying, and returned to base with no further incidents, where
it was repaired and put back into operation. This is the only C-47 that was
credited with a kill during the war, and the crew was immensely proud of the
Japanese flag that was displayed on the nose of the bird. The second clash with Zeros was in the same area and at
about the same time. I don't recall the co-pilot, but the pilot was 1/Lt
Brandt Mclntyre, former S/Sgt Pilot. He was cruising at 10,000 feet, carrying
16 Chinese soldiers into battle, when a Zero jumped him. Mac applied full
power and put the nose straight down. It has been said that the C-47 will
shed its wings at speeds over 300 mph, but Mac disproved that theory. He was
indicating 350 mph when he pulled out of his dive, striking a tree with his
right wing and clipping off the wingtip. In the meantime, his ship is taking
dozens of hits from the fighter, but it remains flyable. Cpl. John
Muellerschoen, a new RO that had joined us at Comiso, was hit in the leg, but
calmly kept tapping out his S0S, while sprinkling sulfanilamide powder into
the wound. Continuing his evasive tactics, Mac turned into a blind canyon,
pulling up at the last possible moment. The Zero remained on his course and
crashed into the cliff. Mac was given credit for a "probable kill"
only because there were no other witnesses. He managed to limp back to base
and make a successful landing. Upon landing, he discovered that all 16 of the
Chinese troops were killed, and by actual count, the aircraft had in excess
of 400 bullet holes! The ship had to be scrapped, but it had brought its crew
home safely. Of the 6,000 sorties flown by the group, it is strange
that these two incidents involved 17th aircraft! The squadron was
instrumental in supplying Merrill's Marauders and General Stillwell's
American-Chinese Armies, and in coming to the rescue of the 170,000 British troops
who were besieged in Burma. According to official reports, the war in Burma
was shortened by two years through the intervention of the troop carriers.
After 67 days of combat, the troop carriers returned to their home bases. |
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