Every Day a Nightmare: American Pursuit Pilots in the Defense of Java, 1941-1942

CHAPTER FIVE: “A Collection of the Worst LandingsI Have Ever Seen”

105 CHAPTER FIVE “A Collection of the Worst Landings I Have Ever Seen” at 0600 on thursday, january 29, a drowsy Jim Morehead climbed into his P-40E at Amberley Field. There had been a big party the night before, and Morehead and the others of the 20th Pursuit (Provisional) had gone to bed late. Soon afterward, Morehead and his squadron mates took off, destination Charleville, and lined up behind a B-24A mother ship. Soon they ran into a heavy overcast with no openings, followed by heavy rain. That was enough for Lt. Lane; once again the 20th Pursuit’s CO decided to abort the flight and bring it back to Amberley.1 In the early afternoon Lane decided to try again. The B-24A and a B-17 that had taken off to check the weather ahead were now back, circling over the field to signal that the weather was okay. At 1330 Lane led off his flight of thirteen and formed up behind the B-24A that would navigate for them, then Lieutenant Muckley followed, leading off his flight of twelve to link up behind the B-17 that would guide his group.2 Morehead, leading a group of four, droned on due west over miles of desolate , monotonous country in the direction of Charleville. The sun beating down on his cockpit made him even drowsier than in the morning. He fell asleep. Immediately, his ship “peeled off into a screaming dive,” and the three others followed him down. Going straight down, Morehead suddenly woke up, grabbed the stick, and pulled out, as did the others behind him, wondering what was going on. Frequent thunderstorms kept Morehead alert the rest of the way.3 It was 1630 when the two flights approached Charleville for landing. They could see the field was nothing but a narrow dirt strip. Morehead landed early 106 Chapter Five on and watched as the squadron’s novice pilots were having difficulty getting their high-wing-loaded P-40Es down through the very hot, thin air over the field, many of them “slamming down hard.” Also watching, Butch Hague felt it was “a collection of the worst landings I have ever seen.”4 As B. J. Oliver was about to touch down, a crosswind blowing over the field caught his ship and tipped it to the side. Although his wing scraped the ground, he did not ground-loop. Another accident was avoided when Elwin Jackson managed to lower his landing gear manually. His generator had given out after takeoff from Amberley, forcing him to go over to manual controls in the absence of an electrical system.5 After the pursuiters parked their ships, they climbed out and headed for the gas dump. They would have to roll the fifty-five-gallon gas drums over to their ships themselves and fill their tanks by hand. It was a slow operation . Dave Coleman and others, feeling like “barnstormers,” also took off their cowlings with a screwdriver to check for leaking oil, the only maintenance operation they knew how to do themselves. Les Johnsen, for one, wondered why there were no servicing arrangements and why there was indeed a general lack of organization for operations, despite the field’s being under the control of the Army Air Forces.6 Butch Hague walked over to the old B-17C that was guiding them to talk to the crew. Its sides and belly were pitted with antiaircraft, machine gun, and cannon shell holes, over one hundred in all, Hague was told. The Philippines B-24A serial no. 40-2370 at Amberley Field, January 29, 1942, just before leading P-40Es of the 20th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) to Charleville on the first leg of their transfer to Java. Courtesy Tom Wood via David Vincent. Worst Landings I Have Ever Seen 107 veteran—serial number 40–2072—had been shot up on a mission over Davao on December 25 and was now being used exclusively as a transport.7 It was not until about 2300 before the refueling of their twenty-four ships was completed and they headed into town to the small hotel where they would get something to eat and spend the night. Hague and Parker were surprised to find that they had been given the bridal suite, including a double bed with a mosquito net over it. They opted instead for beds on the veranda circling...