Zionists assail newly-formed Hebrew group
Bid for recognition called ‘fraud’
…
In Washington –
G.I. Bill differences due to be ironed out by Senate and House
Major points of disagreement are job compensation, education and loans
…
House to approve Navy’s building
By Robert Taylor, Press Washington correspondent
…
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
A B-26 base, somewhere in England – (by wireless)
At 12,000 feet up, it begins to get daylight before it does on the ground, and while we could not see each other plainly in our B-26, things were still darkly indistinct in England, far down there below us.
Now and then a light would flash on the ground – some kind of marker beacon for us. We passed over some airdromes with their runway lights still on. Far in the distance we could see one lone white light – probably a window some early-rising farmer had forgotten to black out.
“Red Dog” Arnold, the bombardier, was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, since we weren’t carrying a co-pilot. The boys got me a tin box to sit on right behind Red Dog so I could get a better view. The sunrise was red and beautiful, and Red Dog kept pointing and remarking about it. “Chief” Collins, the pilot, got out some cigarettes and we all lit up except Red Dog, who doesn’t smoke.
We climbed higher, and at a certain place the whole group of B-26s made a turn and headed for the target. This wasn’t a mission over enemy territory, and there was no danger to it.
As we neared the target, Red Dog crawled forward through a little opening into the nose, where the bombardier usually sits. The entire nose is Plexiglas, and you can see straight down and all around. He motioned for me to come up with him.
I squeezed into the tiny compartment. There was barely room for the two of us. The motors made less noise up there. By now daylight had come and everything below was clear and spectacular.
I stayed in the nose until we were well on the way home, and then crawled back and sat in the co-pilot’s seat beside Chief Collins. The sun came out, and the air was smooth, and it was wonderful flying along there over England so early in the morning.
Down below the country was green, moist and enchanting in the warmth of the early dawn. Early-morning trains left rigidly straight trails of white smoke for a mile behind them. Now and then we would see a military convoy, but mostly the highways were empty and lonesome looking. The average man wasn’t out of bed yet.
Somehow you always feel good being up early in the morning. You feel a little ahead of the rest of the world and a little egotistical about it.
Lose altitude gradually
We lost altitude gradually, and kept clearing our ears by opening our mouths. Gradually it got warmer and warmer. Chief Collins talked now and then on the interphone to the rest of the crew. Other times I would notice his mouth working, and I think he must have been singing to himself. Two or three times, he leaned over and remarked on what an unusually nice formation they were flying this morning.
Once Red Dog turned and yelled back through the little door: “Did you see that supply dump we just passed? Biggest damn thing I ever saw in my life.”
Suddenly I remembered I had seen only four men in our crew, when I knew there were supposed to be five. I asked one of the gunners about it. He said, “Oh, Pruitt, he’s the tail gunner. He’s back there. He’s probably sound asleep.”
We came back over our home airdrome, peeled off one by one, and landed. Red Dog stayed up in the nose during the landing, so I stayed in the co-pilot’s seat. Landing is about the most dangerous part of flying, yet it’s the one sensation I love most, especially when riding up front.
Chief put the big plane down so easily we hardly knew when the wheels touched. I was shocked to learn later that we landed at the frightening speed of more than 100 miles an hour.
Asleep most of trip
We sat in the plane for a couple of minutes while Chief filled out some reports, and then opened the hatch in the floor and dropped out. I was the first one to hit the ground. As I did so a man in flying clothes looked at me startled-like and said:
Good Lord, I didn’t know you were with us. I’m the tail gunner. I recognize you from your picture, but I didn’t know you were along. I’ve been asleep most of the trip.
That was Sgt. Pruitt, and I’ll tell you more about him later.
A jeep carried us back to the locker room where we had left out gear. Then we headed for the mess hall.
“We’ll have another breakfast now,” Chief said.
It was just 7:30 a.m. So, for the second time in five hours we ate breakfast. Had real eggs again, too.
“It’s a tough war,” one of the boys laughed. But nobody is qualified to joke like that who hasn’t been scores of times across the Channel coast, in that other world of fighters and flak. And these boys all had. You felt good to be with them.
Monahan: Boyer and Bergman team in ace film
Gaslight, taut thriller, makes heel of Charles in husband role
By Kaspar Monahan
…
Actor’s ears are aching
Makes 231 calls to ‘boys’ folks
…
Rooting for Army gals –
Stations merge in WAC recruiting pal
Fifty programs serve cause
By Si Steinhauser
…
Black market law attacked as illegal
Quashing of ration charges asked
…
Army will deliver planes to airlines
…
Ford regrets war forecast
…
Völkischer Beobachter (May 20, 1944)
Die bolschewistische Wühlarbeit in Ibero-Amerika –
Nach Mexiko nun Kolumbien
Washington betrachtet argwöhnisch die Festsetzung im Vorfeld des Panamakanals
…
Bolschewisierung des Balkans auch das Ziel der Anglo-Amerikaner
Deutschland allein Vorkämpfer der Integrität Europas
…
Amerikanisches Teilgeständnis –
6.000 Flugzeuge verloren
Genf, 19. Mai –
General Arnold, der Oberbefehlshaber der Armeeluftwaffe der USA, erklärte vor Pressevertretern in den USA unter anderem: Die Luftwaffe der USA hat bisher 5.954 Flugzeuge verloren. In seinen weiteren Erklärungen unterstrich er, daß im Gebiet des Stillen Ozeans die umfassende Luftkriegführung gegen Japan auf sehr große Schwierigkeiten stößt.
Das Teilgeständnis Arnolds mutet direkt lächerlich an. Wenn er den Verlust von knapp 6.000 US-Flugzeugen zugibt, so handelt es sich dabei nur um eine geringe Prozentzahl der tatsächlichen Einbuße, die die US-Luftwaffe erlitten hat. Arnold will nur der Öffentlichkeit in den USA mit solchen Mätzchen Sand in die Augen streuen, da ja sonst niemand auf seine Verkleinerung Schwindel hereinfällt.
U.S. Navy Department (May 20, 1944)
CINCPAC Press Release No. 409
For Immediate Release
May 20, 1944
Paramushiru Island in the Kurils was bombed by Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Four at night on May 18 (West Longitude Date). Large fires were started at airfields. Moderate anti-aircraft fire was encountered. One of our aircraft received minor damage but all returned safely. A Liberator and a Mitchell bomber of the 11th Army Air Force damaged and probably sank an enemy patrol vessel east of Paramushiru during daylight on May 18. On the same day a Ventura search plane of Fleet Air Wing Four attacked an enemy auxiliary vessel present in the same locality.
Mitchell bombers of the 7th Army Air Force, Coronado and Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two, Corsair fighters and Dauntless dive bombers of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Navy Hellcat fighters attacked enemy positions in the Marshalls during daylight on May 18 and during the night of May 18‑19. Runways, magazines, power stations and piers were hit.