B-25D-1 Over Gape Gloucester 26 Dec, 1943

The Japanese Eleventh Air Fleet at Rabaul dispatched a strike force comprised of 63 “Zekes” and 25 “Vals” during the early morning hours of December 26th to attack a large U.S. naval task force they believed was bound for the Arawe area of the south coast of New Britain. A Japanese coast watcher had spotted the fleet, and subsequently it was shadowed by a Ki-46 “Dinah” reconnaissance aircraft, which was destroyed (1320 L on 25 December) by 1Lt Glen Holder of the 35th FS while on patrol above the invasion convoy. The Japanese force arrived at the target, but no U.S. fleet was found. During the night the task force had slipped through the Vitiaz Straits and was now off Borgen Bay delivering an intense preparatory bombardment of the coastline. By the time the Japanese realized the tactical situation, they were low on fuel and had to return to Rabaul.

The Naval bombardment was followed at 0700 L by an attack of five squadrons of B-24s on Target Hill and the surrounding jungle. Col True led the 345th BG in next with three squadrons bombing the landing area while the 500th BS struck Target Hill with hundred-pound phosphorous smoke bombs. The Group then formed into three plane elements and began to strafe the shore defenses. As the B-25s departed, the target area dense smoke drifted seaward into the approaching assault landing force. The smoke caused some confusion with the landing force and misplaced landings resulted, but the 1st Marines were soon ashore in a place where the jungle meets the sea. By mid-afternoon, the beachhead was established and the Marines were preparing for the push on the key target of the airdromes at the cape.

The Japanese strike force refueled at Rabaul and was now inbound toward Cape Gloucester. The radar picket screen picked up the enemy flight 60 miles out. A few of the “Vals” made it past the VFC fighter cover and commenced dive-bombing attacks on the naval vessels supporting the beach landing. Just off shore the Fletcher class destroyer DD518 USS Brownson was struck by two bombs amid ship and exploded in a huge ball of flame, breaking in two and quickly sinking, taking 108 of her crew with her. In the skies above, an epic air combat was in progress. Four squadrons of VFC’s best engaged the 88 Japanese attackers. The USAAF fighters claimed 52 confirmed kills during this historic combat.

The Marines called in an urgent strike request and the 345th BG answered the call. The B-25s were to strike Hill 150 and the Natamo Point area where the Japanese had troop concentrations. The ‘Air Apaches’ approached straight down the coastline with “Vals” spinning around and ack-ack bursting all over the sky. They passed just offshore of the Marine positions and directly over the LSTs. As the 498th and 499th Squadrons came screaming by at low level, an enemy bomb was seen to explode near the Marine positions, and another hit an LST just off the point setting it afire. The B-25s proceeded southward over Natamo Point, strafing and dropping 500-pound bombs on the assigned targets. As the 499th departed the area, a “Val” made a run on ‘Jingle Bells’ but the turret gunner got the best of the engagement. His twin .50s destroying the enemy aircraft and sending it gliding into Borgen Bay trailing smoke and flames.

The 500th Squadron blew by the LSTs along the shoreline at 50 feet. Ahead a “Val” was making a run on the LSTs and pulled up right through the ‘Strafers’ flight path. Several B-25s opened fire with their nose guns spewing tracers around Silimati Point. The “Val” escaped, but intense AA fire from the LSTs and the Marines on shore raked the squadron as they flew past. The B-25 piloted by 1Lt William Kyser was hit and exploded in flames, inverted and crashed into the bay one half mile off the point.

Lt Col True led the 500ths second flight through the AA storm sent skyward by the LSTs. ‘Crabb 2nd’ was riddled by 20mm and 50cal fire from the U.S. naval vessels. Explosive rounds hit the B-25 in the bomb bay and the starboard engine and the plane erupted into flames and began to lose altitude. True continued on course for a few seconds, but as the plane began to lose altitude more rapidly, he broke away from the formation and proceeded along the long arc of the shoreline of Borgen bay. The hydraulics were shot-out, and an O2 tank along with a battery fell from the flame engulfed starboard nacelle as the gear doors opened and the wheel began descending. Lt Col True feathered the burning engine and was attempting to circle the bay with the intention of ditching near the U.S. ships in the convoy. The damage that resulted from the inferno destroyed the lift of the starboard wing and True was soon skimming the B-25 just above the water. An immediate landing was inevitable. The right wheel plowed into the water and the plane impacted the surface of Borgen bay around two or three miles from the U.S. ships and approximately the same distance from the enemy held shore. The crew, injured and shaken, began the egress of the sinking B-25.

True and his co-pilot 1Lt Ellen climbed out on the wing. The life raft had not been ejected, so Ellen, who had severe back pain from compressed vertebrae, jumped back in to retrieve it. He also checked on the rest of the crew to confirm their exit from the sinking craft. True had a deep gash on his head, and Mooney suffered a deep cut to his ankle. After several attempts, S/Sgt Lewis, the turret gunner, and S/Sgt Snyder, the engineer, swam underwater through the aft escape hatch in the belly of the fuselage. They then swam around the tail to get to the others. Ellen emerged form the plane and gave the life raft/survival package a powerful shove to get it away from the sinking B-25. Lt Col True climbed aboard the raft with Capt Mooney, the navigator. Snyder, who had a compound fracture to his femur, started to go into deep shock. With True pulling and Lewis pushing, they finally got him into the raft. Lewis and T/Sgt Stevens, the radio operator, stayed in the water grasping the lifelines of the raft. Lewis had severe shrapnel wound on his calf, a deep gash across his lower back, and he suffered a sharp blow to his head during the crash. When Lewis began blacking out True pulled him into the raft. Ellen and True then slipped back into the sea. While Lewis, who was now revived, administered morphine, bandaged Mooney’s injured foot and put wet cloths over the protruding bone on Snyder’s leg. Lewis, although in severe pain, began to row the raft while those in the water pulled and pushed to prevent them from being swept out to sea. Lewis fired several flares to get the attention of the U.S. ships, but they were preoccupied with combat, and ignored them. The invasion fleet withdrew at night, leaving the raft alone in the middle of Borgen bay.

After dark, True climbed aboard the raft and would periodically spell Lewis at the oars, navigating by the silhouette of a hill behind the Marine positions and the erie glow from Mount Langla, an active volcano. The wounded were in sever pain, but all that could be done was to give them more morphine and sprinkle more sulfa powder in their wounds. Around midnight, a Japanese plane flew over the bay, dropping two or three magnesium flares. True and his men were so close to shore they could hear the Marine air raid claxon sounding. Not long afterwards, Snyder’s condition seemed to worsen. True personally preferred to stand off shore until daylight, but he let the more seriously injured decide. ”Okay fellows, I’m not too badly hurt…It’s up to you. If you want to get medical attention sooner, we’ll take a chance and go in.” There was considerable risk involved in landing at night on a Marine beachhead where they could be taken for the enemy and shot. Mooney and Snyder were in bad shape so the group decided to head for shore. Lewis, by now exhausted and with his eyes swollen shut, continued to alternate with True on the rowing.

A little before two in the morning, with the raft about 300 yards off the beach, Stevens tried flashing an S.O.S. toward the Marine positions, but he was shaking so badly that he nearly dropped the light in the bay, and Lewis took over. True was at the oars as the raft approached the surf line. As they reached shallow water, True jumped out and dragged the raft through the pounding surf and onto the beach. The injured were being laid out on the sand when a Marine sentry confronted them , and True replied, “God damn, we’re glad to see you!” “Put up your hands!” came the command, as other Marines materialized out of the darkness asking the flyers for the password, which was “dill pickle”. After some intense debate about the I.D. of the strangers on the beach, the sentry replied, “Pass Americans.” Stretchers were brought for Snyder, Mooney and Lewis, and the six airmen were escorted to a field aid station, a few cots with a tarp rigged as a roof. There, a doctor, working by feel in the dark, examined and treated the most serious injuries. A tropical downpour fell for the rest of the night. In the morning, the Navy returned and the flyers were evacuated to an LST, which took them to Buna.