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HEADQUARTERS TENTH AIR FORCE
U. S. ARMY
APO 465
21 February 1944
SUBJECT: Historical data, narrative, description.
TO : Major Pound,
First Mission to Bangkok
November 26th 1942. The raid on Bangkok was officially over this morning at 8.10 a.m. Originally the show was to have taken off from Alipore and it was up to me as A-2 to brief them before the start. I worked for several days on the necessary objective folders and several conferences were held over the maps. General Haynes, Col. Combs and Major Bailey (operations O). Then Col. Neorasson came over for a fine pow-wow. He lead the flight. The talk lasted 21/4 hours. Then he returned to Chekulia to be ready the next morning for the take off. That evening we received a radio from him saying he was taking off the following evening at 16.00 I.S.T with twelve B-24s. (This was later cut to 9). My job would now be to interrogate the crew the following morning on their return. The Col. would brief them at Chekulia and they would land at Alior coming back. I sat up until late working on a plan of interrogation that would cover all points and yet be concise. Course followed on way our and back; weather over target; altitude flown; method of approach; evidence of enemy’s advance warning system; A.A. fire, quality, range, deflection, co-ordination with night fighters; same for searchlights. Evidence of S/L indicating line of flight by laying beams horizontally, silhouetting against cloud; individually or battery operated; expenditure of bombs; ammunition; pyrotechnics; method of attack; information for pattern or area bombing, individually on specified sections of target, etc; hits observed, fires or explosions started; enemy opposition by air, tactics etc. Malfunction of equipment.
Went to bed at 2.00 a.m. Woke at 5.00 a.m. Got up and took tea, hot and strong. Woke Page (liaison O) and at 5.30 Major Bailey drove up. We went direct to Alipore as it began to grow light. The full moon still high in the sky. The field is beside the Hoogly River and also collects all the smoke from the extensive factory area. It reminded me of Newark airport. We climbed the control tower and went out on the roof. At about 6.50 a call from the British Fight Control advised that 3 planes had just been picked up 250 miles out. That gave us one hour and 15 minutes to wait. Frequent reports came in. A fourth plane was located off course flying NW. We got on to our radio man at our HQ and told hime to puck up the plane and correct position, Then it appeared they could not get together on frequencies. Meanwhile other planes were reported every few minutes, their exact location plotted by the British Air Radio Warning System which is more efficient. The smoke over the field increased. Seemed to be blown over by a breeze at about 150 feet and then dropped of its weight into the depression of the airfield. To this was now added a ground mist which cost slowly in white thin layers. The sun rose and as it did the field became partially obliterated under the blanket of “smog”. The first plane was sighted heading straight for the field but became confused as disappeared. It reappeared with another tailing it. They both circled and disappeared. It was a nervy business. 7 men in each ship and nine ships to come. I wondered if they would all get back. 2370 miles - a maximum range with bomb load. Each ship carrying 6,500 lbs demolition bombs and incendiaries by cluster. Had there been a strongly protected target; were there wounded aboard etc. Finally the phone rang to say four B-24s. had landed at Dum Dum. We drove over immediately and found Nich Neorasson and some of the men. “Doc” Schnur, the flight surgeon for the 7th Bombardment Group (H) had gone over as tail gunner in the Colonels plane, carried a small hospital with him and was beaming with delight. His first show.
The sun was out now and I interrogated the men together with Major Bailey A-3. While this was going on Lt. Bolts arrived with 8 gallons of hot coffee, fried chicken, eggs and sandwiches. Everyone felt fine. The other planes had landed at other fields. All was well. Everything functioned. The visibility was unlimited over target and all bombs fell directly in the target area.
“Crews of 9 American heavy bombers observed the advent of Thanksgiving Day by a large-scale attack on the Japanese controlled oil refinery in Bangkok, Siam, says a special communique issued by the GHQ, US Forces in China Burma and India. The target is the only petroleum refinery in the country. In addition to distillation unit for making kerosene, fuel, diesel and motor oils, it produces aviation gasoline for Japanese planes. Large storage units are a part of the installation.
First reports state that the target was hit repeatedly by large-calibre bombs. It is believed that the plant was seriously damaged.
The raid was the first attack by USAF units against Japanese-occupied Siam. The location of the refinery is such that none of the civilian population of the Siamese capital could be injured.
All planes and crews returned to their bases uninjured.” API
26-27 December 1942. A long day was spent preparing target charts and objective approach maps and writing out ‘Poop Sheets’ or written directions for the various crews. Working out bearings and studying wether, ETD and ETA in order to ensure a daylight take off and a daylight landing the next morning. Major Rogers the Group Operations Officer, the Colonel and Major Fountain, C.O. of 9th Bomb Squadron, came in and discusses bomb loads and fuze settings, deciding on 6 five hundred pound bombs per ship with a 1/10 sec. delayed action fuze. The mission was then split into four elements of three planes each. Targets assigned, bombing altitudes determined and time of take off settled. A great deal still remained to be done. Recognition and verification signals must be checked so that in passing over and returning from Calcutta the air raid warning net would be fully informed.
Briefing took place at 3/30 the next afternoon. (All morning the big planes of the 9th and 436th Squadrons were loaded with bombs, gas and oil, ammunition issued and guns checked.)
At 3.30 the crews filled into the intelligence office. One hundred and twelve men including Colonel Moore (Public Relations Officer, Tenth Air Force). Two newspaper men, Carrol Barrigan of United Press and A.P. Wyant of A.P and myself. It lasted full hour the men being addressed first by Rogers and then by Stern the S-2, Finally the Colonel had a few words. Then small packet containing ‘escape kits’ (furnished by my office at HQ) were issued for use in event of a bail out over enemy territory. Trucks arrived to take us to Mess at 5 p.m. and at 5.15 p.m. to the field. The sun was beginning to set. There would be just 40 minutes of daylight left in which to launch the mission.
I was assigned to fly with the Colonel who would be last over the target. Pick the Bombardiers bay in the nose for my post as they were dispensing with a navigator to make room for me.
My log made en route follows:
Dec. 26. 17-45 hrs. Take off - last plane off ground
18-30 hrs. Flying out to sea across the delta south of Calcutta on course 160º. Sun had gone down leaving a blood red rim of haze on the horizon. Venus is rising early and shines clearly in a lemon yellow sky.
18.45 hrs. Light almost gone. Altitude 7700. Am sharing Bombardiers bay with Captain Kirkaldy. Air Speed 160 indicated.
19.00 hrs. Off to the East, the Pliades and Old Orion ling his side. 112 men in the air 36,000 pounds of bombs. The night is black now. Will get some sleep before the moon rises.
21.30 hrs. We are far out over the ocean now. A waning moon is rising and lighting the water far below. Venus has set but to the NE. Jupiter is brilliant.
21.45 hrs. ‘Test all Guns’ over the inter phone to all parts of the ship. She carries 10 fifty calibers. The ear phones kill the roar of the four 2000 h.p. Pratt and Whitneys.
22.45 hrs. A low scud has appeared at about 3000’ but hit is well broken. Navigator Kirk announces we will be over Tavoy Island at approx. 23.30 hrs.
23.30 hrs. Skipper announces we are climbing to 12,400 and all members of crew will adjust oxygen masks at 10,000’. Cirro-stratus clouds ahead 16-18000’.
01.00 hrs. Approaching the sleeping town of Bangkok from the south. It is completely blacked-out. The moon is fitful and gives little light. We follow the estuary of the SAMEDH - PRAKARN. All is quiet.
01.05 hrs. Passing the city a bit to the west. Almost over the Naval Dockyards now. See no fires although some of our planes have dropped their loads here. A few weak searchlights go up.
01.10 hrs. Over target area now. 40 miles north of city. The ground is hard to see. A very deceptive light. We pass twice over the area without locating the arsenal. Have decided to hit alternate target the Don Muang airports. This time we can see the field and the long white runway. Over to one side are the big repair hangars. We are heading up for the approach. The Bombardier is standing up and over his bomb site. Six little green lights flash on the panel. Then off. The bombs are gone.
01.40 hrs. Can’t observe hits. Leaving target area. Have seen only a little A.A. ineffective.
02.15 hrs. Oxygen off. We are down to 8000’
03.00 hrs Passing 10 miles south of Rangoon. The C.O. tells gunners to open fire up on a few shore lights. We fire Verey Light, red and white. This is to cause the city to have an alert and perhaps demoralize the native labor. No opposition encountered but we see a string of fires begin to flicker from point to point. This is the Japs primitive but fairly effective air raid warning system.
08.45 hrs. Return to Base. 9th Squadron Pandaveswar-Target- Pandavesway 2670 miles 436th Squadron Pandaveswar-Target - Gaya 2730 miles.
“At about midnight on the night of Dee. 26-27 a considerable force of the 10th U.S. Army Air Force heavy bombers we over Bangkok, Thailand”, says a communique issued by Rear Echelon HQ, U.S. Army Forces, China, Burma and India.
“Various targets in the area were effectively bombed. A large arsenal and powder factory N. of Bangkok was hit; the Bangkok airfield, one of the most important enemy fields in the occupied countries, was successfully attacked. At the same time the naval dock area of the city was hit with heavy bombs, which cause damaging fires. None of our aircraft is missing,” API
February 22nd, 1943. The next two days were completely occupied in preparations for a secret mission which would involve all our heavies and call for support from the R.A.F Liberators.
Preparations for the mission were now completed. Twelve B-24s. came in to Alipore to top off and stage the afternoon of the 22nd. Six more were taking off from Bishnapur. A special R.A.F. detail had been busy loading the 1,000 lb parachute mines - four to each ship. This ultra secret cargo was brought up by steamer from Ceylon with a trained crew to arm and install them.
The plan of action was conceived and carried out to leave the Japs in ignorance of the fact that mines were laid. To accomplish this two diversion raids were staged over Rangoon the same night. Between midnight and one o’clock six Liberators attacked Mingaladon Airdrome NE of the city. At 1.20 six B-24s attacked the city itself and from that time on the 12 others some 50 miles down river laid the mines at the narrowest part of the shipping channel.
The show appealed to me, and with Nich Necreassons approval I got in No 3 ship as observer. Unfortunately there had been no time for supper but with the sandwiches on board I survived well. The briefing was quite impressive. About 150 men including the General gathered at the side of No 1 ship. Herb Stern and Buck Rogers pasted charts and diagrams previously prepared against the side. Guards were posted at 200 yard radius and wit a small flood light we got instructions. This lasted 45 minutes. Then we dispersed to take off at 5 min. intervals. 12 B-24s taking off at night is an impressive sight.
It was an uneventful trip out. The moon rose an hour after leaving, and cast a baleful light over the desolate sunderbunds. The to sea at 6000 feet. After Pagoda Point, which passed well to the south a low scud appeared. Then broken cumulus at our height. We came down gradually to 1000’ and then in the Gulf of Martaban changed our bearing to True North and began a gradual descent to bring us over the estuary at 500’.
The clouds cast shadows on the water and the Bombardier called through the intercom that they all looked like islands. It was true. When we picked up the shore it was hard to distinguish from the shadow patches. The estuary is not unlike that south of Calcutta, a delta area, and at 500 feet we were too low to see enough of the coast line to orient ourselves. Elephant Point was located or so we thought and then the course was lost again. Our load had to be loosed at an exact and plotted point. There could be no guess work here. One mine dropped short on land and the whole mission would be disclosed. We were short of gas too as in order to hang the load properly our bomb bay tanks had been removed to allow just sufficient gas for the job and no more. For this reason all the British fields were alerted all night so that we could get into anyone nearest in event of running short on the return trip.
Lt. Winzer, our captain, decided to make one more effort and we headed due E for ten minutes climbing again to 1200! Then a 180 change of bearing and we were following a dark line of coast, at the mouth of the river it was clear we had hit the high spot. Slowed to 165 m.p.h. indicated and at 580’ we turned North, flew for the predetermined 14 seconds. Bomb bay doors opened and I looked down at the water between my legs. One after another they went, falling sideways at first until near the water the tiny parachutes opened according to plan and with a splash the mines disappeared in train. They were timed to arm automatically at periods varying from 2 hours to 7 days. Then we turned and left.
Over Rangoon the diversion raids were carried out to an accompaniment of searchlight and night fighters. One British Lib was lost. Sqdn. Leader Skinner piloting. We knew him and he is a loss to the R.A.F. A damn good man.
All planes returned safely to base, Panaveswar.
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