Thur. Jan. 7 On duty in the morning, tired as a dog; but up at 5:30, daylight about 6:30. Off at 6:40 to patrol Buna. Went over through a lot of weather but found Buna area so closed in with rain and low clouds we came back. My radio was out, so my ship was taken off when I got back. They found that loose spark-plug leads had been making the engine noise. Loafed around the shack till 10:40; off on another mission, completed. Flew no. 60, Capt. Johnson’s old ship, radio also out. Afternoon off. The other flights were suddenly given a mission to strafe a convoy in
Lae harbor. On the way over, Capt. Wright’s ship went out, so he landed. The rest of the Group continued under Ernie Harris’ leadership. As they approached Lae above a layer of low strato-cumulus, they sighted Zeros above them, and in the ensuing mix-up, our boys
shot down 13 certainties, 1 probable and 2 damaged. Harris, E. got 3, Johns 1, White 2, Littleton 1, Jordan 1, Blakely 1, Kirsch 1, Day 2, Howard 1. Pretty good! The major was pretty happy about the whole thing, and gave the boys the next morning off. Dickey is missing, having bailed out near
Salamaua. Howard landed at 30 mi. and Lynd at Kalamazoo.
Thur. Jan. 7 On duty in the morning, tired as a dog; but up at 5:30, daylight about 6:30. Off at 6:40 to patrol Buna. Went over through a lot of weather but found Buna area so closed in with rain and low clouds we came back. My radio was out, so my ship was taken off when I got back. They found that loose spark-plug leads had been making the engine noise. Loafed around the shack till 10:40; off on another mission, completed. Flew no. 60, Capt. Johnson’s old ship, radio also out. Afternoon off. The other flights were suddenly given a mission to strafe a convoy in Lae harbor. On the way over, Capt. Wright’s ship went out, so he landed. The rest of the Group continued under Ernie Harris’ leadership. As they approached Lae above a layer of low strato-cumulus, they sighted Zeros above them, and in the ensuing mix-up, our boys
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