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Chapter 9: “What a Fog!”
- Texas A&M University Press
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PartIV 264 C H A P T E R 9 “WhataFog!” S hortlyaftermidnightonDecember7–8,1941,Pvt.HenryBrodginski wasintheIbaoperationstruckmanipulatingtheoscilloscope oftheSCR-270Bradarset.GenerallyconsideredtheAirWarning Company’s best scope operator, he had reported for duty on the midnightto8a.m.shift.Heimmediatelybeganfollowingblipson thescreen,movingsouth,thathadfirstbeenpickedupatabout11:30by theearliershift.Fromthedialonthescope,Brodginskireadtheirlocation tobeabout115milesnorthofIba.1 While the radar detachment’s radio operator continued to communicate Brodginski’sreportsofthebogies’southwardprogresstotheAir Warning Service at Nielson Field, the detachment commander, 2d Lt. CharltonWimer,lefttheoperationsvanandrushedovertothe3dPursuit areatowakeup1stLt.HankThorne.Rousedoutofbed,the3dPursuit’s COtoldthebuglertowakeupthesquadron’spersonnel,includingthe fivepilotsofThorne’salertflight,whoweresleepingneartheradarunit, readytotakeoffonamoment’snotice.Meanwhile,FEAFheadquarters hadgroundedtheotherpursuitsquadronsthateveningsoastoavoidconfusion ifanordertointerceptbogieswereissued. Afterenteringtheoperationsvan,WimerandThornestoodbehind Brodginskiandfollowedthebogies’movementontheoscilloscope.The blipshadalreadypassedIbaandweremovingsoutheasttowardCorregidor .Leavingthevan,Thorneheadedovertothelandingstripandordered thefivepilotsinthealertflighttojoinhiminanattempttointerceptthe bogies.Theirordersweretoshootdownanyintruders.Minuteslater,their engineswarmedupearlierbythecrewchiefs,sixP-40Estoredownthe stripandclimbedintothenightsky.2 Crowdedintotheoperationsvan,thetwelvepilotsofThorne’sother twocombatflightsfollowedthebogies’courseonthescope.Nearby,in the3dPursuit’soperationsarea,1stLt.JimDoneganradioedthebogies’ ch9 4/2/03,1:06PM 264 Chapter9 265 course and compass headings toThorne’s third element leader, 1st Lt. GerryKeenan,astheywerefedoverthephonetoDoneganbytheradar unit. Donegan was transmitting in Morse code on a long-range highfrequency channel because voice transmissions had proved inadequate threenightsearlier.KeenanknewMorsecodebetterthantheother3d Pursuitpilots,soThornehadselectedhimtoreceiveanyMorsecallsradioed tothealertflight. Flyingconditionswerenotidealthatevening.Therewererainsqualls around the Iba area, and visibility was poor, butThorne’s flight broke outintobrightmoonlightatfourthousandfeetasthepilotscontinued toclimb,thenheadedsouthonacoursethatDonegantoldthemshould bringtheP-40sintocontactwiththebogies.Atninethousandfeet,however ,KeenanbeganhavingdifficultyreceivingtheMorsecodemessages and soon afterward could no longer pick them up at all. Reduced to searchingblindfortheJapanese,Thorneorderedtheotherpilotstoflyin pairsatstaggeredaltitudesinthehopeofmakinganinterceptionatwhatever altitudetheintruderswereoperating.3 Inthe3dPursuit’sradioshack,Doneganwasnolongerreceivingany acknowledgmentsfromKeenanregardingtheMorsecodemessageshe hadradioedtohim.Intheradaroperationsvan,the3dPursuit’spilots wereexcitedlywatchingthetwosetsofblipsconverging:thebogiesflying southeastandtheP-40sheadingduesouth.Then,atapointaboutfour mileswestofCorregidor,thetracksmergedandoneofthepilotsyelled, “Contactenemy!”Thepilots’elationturnedtodisappointment,however, whenaboutaminutelaterthebogiesemergedfromtheconfusedmassof blipsandreversedcourse,headingbackouttotheSouthChinaSea.4 Withnoradiocallstoguidethem,Thornegaveuponhisflight’sfruitless searchfortheintrudersandgaveorderstoturnnorthandheadback toIba.Asthepilotsapproachedthefield,theywerehappytoseeitoutlined inthedarknessbytheheadlightsofallthesquadron’scarsandtrucks, whichhadbeenlinedupalongtheedgesofthelandingstrip.ThesixP40Es landedeasilywiththeaidofsuchexcellentillumination...