Step No. 2 was Doba Dura (Dobodura). In May of '43 we packed up
and moved across the Owen Stanley's to Doba Dura. This was in the Buna-Gona
area. When the Japs were driven back across the Owen Stanleys (they
got within about 30 miles of Port Moresby) by the 32nd Am. Div. and
either the 7th or 9th Australian Division. This is where there was a decisive
battle for the area. The fray was later joined by the 41st Infantry Division.
The campaign was entirely supplied by C-47 transport
planes, and our 3rd Bomb Group flew air support for the campaign. The C-47's
flew out of 5 Mile Drome in Moresby and at the time was considered one
of the busiest air fields in the world. They flew from dawn to dark,
making as many trips as daylite permitted. It was some of the meanest,
bloodiest jungle fighting in the war, and earned New Guinea the nick
name of the "Green Hell", The term "Friendly Fire" was not a Gulf War
invention. It happened in the Buna-Gona campaign. When flying air support
over the jungle, all you see is the jungle canopy. Our planes would
have a given sector to drop bombs in at a given time. At the last minute
the infantry would have a break thru, that our pilots were unaware of.
The result? -- bombs were dropped on our own troops. It was nobody's
fault, but it left some pilots with heavy hearts.
When we arrived the area was all clear, and once
again we proceeded to build a camp area. No concrete this time,
we were in a jungle area, very humid very damp. So everything
had to be built up off the ground. This was done with the natural
products of the jungle. We used a tree, similar to bamboo,. We
built frame works out of it, and then split it for floors. While
based here our targets were the usual, shipping; air strips, Wewak
being the principal one early on and once again ground support
for ground troops. We supported the landing a Cape Goucester on
New Britain and the landing at Lae. Also laid the smoke screen
for the paratroop landing at Nadzab -- about 30 miles up the Markham
Valley from Lae.
The Photo Section that processed our mission
film was part of the 35th Air Base Gp., which had come over with
us on the Ancon from Savannah. In the summer of '43 they transferred
it into Hq. Sq., 3rd Bomb. Gp. I immediately requested a transfer
back to Hq. Sq. and the Gp. Photo Section. I got it in Aug., 1943
and was finally in a position to do the work I had enlisted to
do -- took exactly 2 years to get where I wanted to be. This was
a whole new ball game for me. The cameras in our planes were all
mounted in the tail of the plane and operated electronically.
When they started the bomb run the gunner would hit the switch.
and the camera would make an exposure about every 3 or 4 seconds
on a 150 foot roll of 9 inch film.
When the planes returned we would pick up the
magazines, process the film, print it and deliver it to 5th Bomber Command.
Usually in the wee small hours of the morning. We also did any ground
photography that was needed, P. R. etc. I was fortunate enough to get
the detail to photograph both Gary Cooper's troupe and Bob Hope's troupe
when they played our area. Also was able to collect some really fantastic
mission shots. At the low level our planes flew at they came up with some
amazing shots. In Oct., '43 they decided to make a concentrated effort
at neutralizing the big Jap Naval Base at Rabaul. The high altitude heavies
(B-17, B-24 and B-26) had been hitting it for two years, there again,
with moderate success. Oct. 12, Columbus Day, 1943 with the aid of bomb-bay
auxiliary tanks the B-25's were able to reach it with half a load of bombs.
It was a tough nut to crack and proved to be a costly target for us. On
one mission we sent 18 B-25's over and got 6 back. Six down over the target
and six down on the way home. In early Nov. on a mission the Group got
its only Congressional Medal of Honor. Maj. Raymond Wilkins, 8th Sq. Commander
received it - posthumously. We were joined in the raids by the 38th Bomb
Gp. also a B-25 outfit, and Rabaul was pretty much neutralized as a big
Naval Base for the Japs.
In Late Dec. '43 we got rid of our B'25's and were
finally equipment with a full compliment of A-20's, 20 per Sq.. In
Jan. of 1944 we would once again pack up and head a little closer to
the Philippines. Next stop would be Nadzab, up the Markham River Valley
from Lae. If you are familiar with aviation history you may remember
it was Lae Airstrip, from whence Amelia Earhart flew
off into oblivion in 1937.
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