Last Mission

Air Classics, Jun 2005 by Brown, Richard F

FOR THE PILOTS OF THE LIGHTNING LANCERS, THE WAR WAS FOUGHT TO THE VERY BITTER END. IN FACT, THEKE IS SOME SPECULATION THAT THIS MISSION WAS UNDERTAKEN A FEW HOURS AFTER THE WAR HAD ENDED

A Lightning photo reconnaissance aircraft was sent to Singapore Harhor in July 1945 to take photographs. However, the aircraft never returned. A second aircraft was sent out in early August but returned with combat damage and crashed on our runway at Lalawan, killing the pilot. Some of the film was saved from the fire and it revealed 125 Japanese fighters on the four concrete runways at Singapore.

We were, at that time, attacking all Japanese shipping and facilities within our 850-900 mile range. Singapore had been too far to reach and had remained almost untouched through the war. The Australians, however, had landed at Labuan, North Borneo, in June and repaired the runway at that location. Using Labuan's runway as a staging base, several fighter sweeps were flown to Singapore from Palawan by flights of P-38s from the 347th Fighter Group, of which our 68th Fighter Squadron was part. The 68th had not been involved in these previous strikes.

On 12 August 1945, six days after the first atomic bomb had been dropped on Japan and when there were rumors everywhere that the war's end was near, a fragmentary order from 13th Air Force Fighter Command came down to the Lightning Lancers of the 68th: "Strike Singapore Harbor!"

Two cruisers and a number of other ships along with 125 Japanese fighters were defending the most heavily fortified harbor in the world. The 68th was to send eight P-38s and pick up 16 Royal Australian Air Force de Havilland Mosquitos at Labuan en route to the target. Our pilots questioned that only eight Ligthnings were scheduled into a target with so many enemy fighters ... and some of the squadron members had already celebrated the end of the war!

As Operations Officer, I was responsible for scheduling combat missions. For the first time, I decided to ask for volunteers. I placed my name as squadron leader on the bulletin board with seven blank lines below. Those seven blank spaces were quickly filled.

We arose several hours before daylight on 13 August to brief. Our target was the ships. The intelligence officer believed we would be intercepted by the 125 Japanese fighters. The two cruisers and other Naval vessels would be covering the shipping in the harbor.

We took off and I circled so all planes could get into formation. Then we were on course in the dark. We had no navigational aids in our P-38s so we just flew a compass heading and figured the time and distance based upon our cruising speed. This worked fine in clear weather but was dangerous when rain and clouds prevented us from seeing anything. When we were out on a maximum range mission, there was no fuel reserve and no alternative runway.

In daylight, we reached Labuan. The runway looked smooth hut had water puddles here and there. It was soft and several of our P-38s got stuck in the mud. It took a lot of power for them to get unstuck hut finally we were parked for refueling. We were carrying two 165-gal wing tanks on each P-38.

During refueling, I hriefed our pilots as well as the Australians. Our call sign was Scamper. I was Scamper Red Leader. Steve Stevenson was my wingman was Red 2. Joe Salonimer was Red 3 and Johnny Massart was Red 4.

The second P-38 flight was Scamper White with "Chink" Taylor, Jack Childers, Charley Smith, and "Tib" Tihbets. Taylor was flight lead and was the alternate group leader if something happened to me. Four flights of four RAAF Mosquitos would follow as the second squadron. This made a total of 24 aircraft for the mission.

We would start engines at 0625 and take off at 0630. It was 850 miles to Singapore Harbor. To conserve fuel, we would use maximum range cruise control as taught to us by Charles Lindbergh. Without his expert advice, we couldn't have reached this long-range target. We would climb and cruise throttle way back. Our climb power would be 1900-rpm and 32-in of manifold pressure. For long-range causing, we would use 1600-rpm and 30-in of manifold pressure.

We were assigned Channel A on the radie), but we were to fly on radio silence to assure a surprise attack. A patrol plane with the call sign Dynamo would be listening on radio Channel B. An Australian Catalina, call sign Eagle 4, and a submarine call sign Copper Wild Beast, would be listening on Channel D. These were for assistance or rescue. They, too, would be on radio silence. The code word for Singapore was Mailcall.

Pilots returned to their aircraft at about 0620. A quick look at our planes and we were ready to go. It was start engine time and the crew chief folded the ladder up into the nacelle. At 0625, I hand signaled engine start up and all propellers began turning.

At 0630, I released the brakes and started to roll - using 3000-rpm and 60in MP for takeoff. As soon as I was off the ground, I retracted the gear and held my left hand on the throttles as the P-38 quickly reached 125-mph - its singleengine control speed. At 125-mph, I knew 1 had enough ruddet conttol to continue takeoff on one engine should the other quit.