Mediterranean Algiers Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1943, Algiers, Algiers                                Pace Iother stars and stripes weekly saturday july 24, 1943 a wild Willie boys Lay them in Low by Paul s. Green Start and stripes staff writer in a tier an advanced medium bomber base a the sicilian Campaign has brought some new flying machines into the Public Eye gliders and paratroop transports and various types of fighter bombers like the a-36. But when the books Are finally closed on All the fighting a Good Deal of credit will have to go to the b-25�?Ti the Quot wild Willie Quot Mitchells. Even before it was Over in Tunisia the b-25�?T8 swung out Over the Mediterranean Day after Day to pulverize the stepping Stone islands and then Sicily. They blasted Sicily steadily paving the Way for the invasion and now they Are smashing at targets in the path of the advancing troops. The b-25�?T8, not As spectacular As their bigger Brothers do a Damn Good Job in their own quiet Way. They often attack objectives in coordination with the b-17 s. Flying at much lower altitudes and thereby attracting More flak. Because they Fly lower too they Are much More valuable for observation purposes. The b-25�?Ts take greatest Pride in their work of cleaning up the Mediterranean of Axis reinforcement and Supply ships at the height of the tunisian Campaign. Tile sea sweeps were so dangerous they were labelled Quot suicide missions a and the planes sustained their greatest losses on these flights. But it had to be done and they did it developing j a new Type of bombing tactic Tor the Job. In action the b-25�?Ts Bandy skimmed the Waves As they flew from to a Little different than when he started out. The whole lower Turret and the left inside Landing Flap was shot out the rear right Stabilizer elevator and rudder shattered and flak holes galore we stopped counting at 200. The gunner and radio operator Bac been forced to bail out and when last seen they were fluttering Down somewhere near Friendly territory. What the boys like particularly about the Mitchell is its ability to come Back minus one of the motors. Many s the flyer who has made it Back to the Field on one engine. This group boasts three officers who flew with maj. Gen. James Doolittle now strategic air Force commander on the exclusively b-25 raid Over Tokyo. They Are capt. William r. Pound jr., of Alhambra calif., it. Col. William m. Bower of Ravenna Ohio., and maj. Rodney r. Wilder of Taylor Texas. Capt. Pound a soft spoken Westerner has the idea that nobody is interested in listening about tile Tokyo affair anymore and ifs hard to get him started. But once he gets going the words just pour out. To too feet above Hie water. This was to prevent enemy radar from picking them up. Once Axis shipping was sighted the formation split in two. Half the planes Sho. Upward to their regular height o about 10,000 feet while the rest of them stayed on the deck. The higher element Laid their eggs and attracted the flak. After they were through the lower element suddenly swooped up right Over the boats dropping their bombs practically on top of them. The idea was for the gunners to be so Busy with Tho higher element that the planes on the deck  have much trouble. It did no to always work out that Way and Many were shot Down. But destroying these convoys was essential m making the Mediterranean an Allied Lake. One group at this b-25 Baa is the oldest combat outfit of medium bombers in North Africa. Sometime during the week they completed their 130th Mission making More than 2,000 sorties since their arrival in Africa. During All this their losses Haven to been More than one percent a darn Good record for any Type of plane give and take still in the outfit commanded by col. Anthony g. Hunter of Kansas City mo., is the Pilot who flew the first medium bomber to reach North Africa after the invasion it. John Beatty of Kittanning a. Done to think these b-25�?Ts can to take it either. I was right there baptism. Over Tokyo Quot that was my first combat Fligler Quot he related Quot and it was a Lulu. We were scared a the Rise from the Currier and As each plane took off we held our breath. But luckily we All got away safely and were soon winging Over Japan. Quot we flew Over several airfields where Row after Row of neat new planes were lined up in per fee formation to be bombed. But to had to save our eggs for Tokyo. Quot Wien we did drop our bombs the jape were so startled they sent up practically no flak at Ald too bad we did no to have More of them. Quot on our Way Bock everyone of us ran into trouble. In plane where i was navigator we made plans to meet somewhere after jumping out. It was a Pihun dark Rainy night and we were heading toward the Side of a Mountain somewhere in China when we All bailed out a right off i met the co Pilot. To and i made our Way to the nearest town Liere we met an old woman and nearly scared Lier to death saying it am an american a a in very bad chinese the Way we had been taught. Quot then the rest of the townspeople gathered around us and we explained to them in pidgin chinese that we had just bombed Tokyo. They were so Happy they Almast smothered us in friendliness. Eventually we were directed to an English missionary a a it got in touch with the authorities and soon we were together with the other Crews who had filtered in from All parts of the area. Quot then they sent us Back Homo for  capt Pound sighed after the _ recital. A boy id give anything was Well planned and vigorously probably the youngest participant in the invasion of Vily was 16-year-old Jimmy k. Conaway of Dii Lind ample Ohio. Neems Jimmy joined the Navy eight months ago giving his age a 17 and Wasny to found out until in mid Atlantic his skipper received a wire from the Navy department ordering Jim a Active duty stopped and for Hon to be discharged on returning to the states. But it was too late then the troop ship was invasion bound so Jimmy became an interested bystander and sweated out the Luftwaffe bombing and tire from Shore Batten is like everyone else. Jimmy says he a Cut enough of War. >1 guess ill go Back Home and maybe get a Job in the vial mine where dad  British doctor 73, was in on Biff show editor s note Frank Quot Doc Harden my a native of errand but formerly an american citizen is 73 years old probably the oldest Active Particio Kent in the invasion of Sicily two weeks ago too of for Active service he got himself a face lift told authorities he a 55 and was assigned As ships doctor aboard an invasion Craft Harden saw action As Long ago As the Boxer rebellion in 1900, served in world i 1?� rec i it try on the general staff of China Schnaus Kai Shek. In Between he sandwiched in several years is a foreign comes indent in the far East Imas a Only clean musketry wounds were on a very Fine Young padre. Clean perforations through biceps right and left. His orderly had to hold the Book whilst he recited the office of the dying for two Yorkshire arrived quite Unsung by Frank Harden mid. Special to the stars and stripes i have nothing to do with the army but when i noted the Young men fresh from medical schools among the invasion troops i determined that my recent gun shot experience in China would be of service. Briefly i landed with units i lads who of the 8th army. Guin ated. It is probable that in the Long when the bodies were taken to history of Milt,.ary affairs there one of the outhouses where the Hue never been a More brilliantly. Women were i noticed that they planned or More audaciously exe did a genuine copious weeping Over cd operation than that which i their dead enemies and gave them opened on the sicilian beaches at a a a 3 15 a. M. Of july loth. Of course i can Only write of my own particular tiny sector on the Beach of Avola some Twenty Miles South of Syracuse. When the Moon set we were about fifteen Miles off Shore a Ood fix was got by bearings of i3tna and a submerged buoy giving out sub sea signals guided us to our exact location. A hot meal was served to All ranks at i am. Assault barges left the ship at 2 45. I went with them. At 3 15 we hit p-38 Pilot gets three me-109 s in one minute stars and stripes staff writer they re the boys who Fly them High wide and handsome who Day after Day grab death by Tho Tail and give it a merry whirl who pull no punches As they come plummeting out of the Blue nowhere into a horde of enemy fighters and bombers. They re the boys who Call a p-38 Home and this is the Story of one of them it. Daniel Kennedy of Medford mass. An Ace in one of the crack fighter groups of the Northwest african air Force it. Kennedy has been up and Back 50 times. Right now he s on his Way Home. This hell raising dealer of death la typical of the Breed. Cool resourceful efficient deadly he a survived some of the most concentrated flak and most devastating fighter opposition in the world. With becoming modesty it. Kennedy gives All the credit to a pretty potent prayer. It was on june to Over Pantel Leria that it. Kennedy performed one of the fighter feats of the Campaign. The destruction of three me-109b in the space of one minute. Quot we were on a bombing Mission a said the lieutenant Quot and we had just about moved in on our target. I was leading the last flight of planes and we were waiting for the formations in front of us to Peel off into their dives. Most of them held started Down when i noticed two 109�?Ts moving in on the flight in front of mine. I succeed in cutting in Between them and forcing the Jerry to veer to one Side and climb. I went up with him and had him in my sights All the Way. Just As he burst into flames my plane stalled and dropped away. Imagine my Surprise when after i levelled off i found myself flying fifth in a formation of los. Before they knew what dropped in on them i had picked off the first one. I immediately went to work on the second and got him with a Lucky shot that finished him before to could bring his guns around. I damaged the third and my  Man bagged the fourth. It was a pretty profitable Days work a he said with a Grin. Jerry attacks of the 50 missions he a been on the flak Over Palermo was heaviest Quot it was so thick Quot said the lieutenant Quot that you could t see your own bombers As they passed through the Wail of fire they threw up at you from the  from whore we sat it looked As of those forts could let Down their wheels and Roll on it Quot we be found from experience a said it. Kennedy Quot that we get thought decent enemy weakened undoubtedly the italians believed at first that Here was a Mere commando raid. When Daylight came and that mighty Armada was sighted enemy activity perceptibly weakened. About 9 30 a. In. The town notables sent in a Flag. Just a couple of salves into the town of Avola determined the the Beach under Light from our1 be. Commissioned officers sur Parachute flares. Paratroops had f rendered to Buck privates one Fine previously landed. Enemy resistance Corporal came along with a Good Long prayer indeed i think they counted ten Preyer on their a a act h Bead which i thought mighty safety by Fern in a Quot Tuin a m a. On the Field when of Walter i Tokyo. Cook of Graham Texas brought that a the kind of men who Fly his ship from Sicily Back looking i the b-25�?Ts. For another crack at the japs Over directed. Guns were Well placed hinges accurately determined the gunner knocks them Down but knocks on Wood first beaches were wired for Miles in both directions. We encountered no land mines but enemy mortar fire was destructive. Picked up orderlies 22 dejected May Aroni and requested advice As to their dispassion even in a dog Light. We re allays on the defensive whereas the Jerries usually do the attacking. They fight a vertical War. German pilots dive Down on you take their shot and get out of town. We usually wait for them to come at  �T�j1? made it Clear that he was just going Home for a rest and that his fighting Days were definitely not Over. Quot id like to get a crack at the japs before this show is  from toe tone of his voice it was a a  the a a cd lieutenant Quot take pm to the Beach and Letje a head head for med the Navy Deal with them Quot said i Frd mass by Way of go and Aith is ancient Veteran. Of course i missed connections with my ship. The Admiral flashed a signal for me to join her at Mal. ,.to aboard another transport. I terrain behind the beaches was went to bed while the ships Laun toc Steep for Good work. It was dry scrubbed the blood and grime amazing to note the celerity with which beaches were cleared. The Beach masters were really masters off my one tropical suit. Failing to make Contact off Malta i was t married to Oran where an advanced air based to sgt. John t. Tittsworth a fortress Waist gunner from Shelbyville term., we on to come right out and admit he a superstitious but lie never goes of a bombing Mission and he a been in nearly 50 to Date without draping himself with a collection of Quot Good Luck charms. Hot or cold he wears a red and White Scarf around his neck an America Silver Dollar on a Che in under the Scarf five 30 Cal Cartridge slugs in a Belt attached to ills helmet one Carmi e for each Axis piano he knocked Down a Micari Are Monkey and two Small i Elk its dangling or in each Raci a in Jhone and a it my lag fir a 1 pm on hts Hornet for Cadi a hts missions Over enemy tis i Orv. Knocking on Wood be says he Sot Fadh j of their Art. At one place the land several thousand of Rommel sating was under control of an k n. Rik canal. Armor protects bomber Crews aching ton a body Armor protecting bomber Crews from Nii surf off a a v j. V i Korps were waiting to be Ems is of relatively Low a Elorita a air r. Officer. If that Man had been barked. I gave a Brief lecture on As flak is now be a Beachie tending at Tho bed Cross Aud a of the stat receiver of wreck and master for a ii or time lie could not thorium in Oran and then endured Lave handled his Job Dot in perfect the misery j that deplorable train y. He was it. I service to a piratical City of Al i picked up two Young medical driers. Corps orderlies seized a Small rot i Here i am dirty disreputable destitute but supremely Happy to age Way up front Hupac out my Flag and a Good Hurricane lamp think that i have been privileged Aret moving or Lour weeping dam u be with the Gallant Galaxy of apparently anxious j trl Onous gladiators Wiki under the a v u Vry Ess Canvas Silica to when be ravishing would supreme command of a mat t wets holding the Stoa land the War department has announced. Re he protective covering. Sex my from tile neck to the i was devised by col. Malcolm grow a surgeon with the 6th Faroe. The term or a it in to pour. 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