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rrwrAuthor-Cameraman Harrison Forman’s Exclusive Picto-Drama Tells How:AMERICAN CIVILIAN PILOTS PLAYHEROIC ROLES IN HONC KONC FIGHTHong Kong fell under the terrific Jajmnese onslaught. But before it did, a brilliant page in civilian aviation history was written. American and Chinese passenger plane pilots, scorning a chance to save themselves, shuttled in and out of the battle-blasted city, braving the Japs’ fire time and again, to evacuate 275 people from the doomed island. Their epic saga is told below, in the exclusive picto-drama by author-photographer Harrison Forman.BY HARRISON FORMANChungking, China—Right smack in the face of the Japanese army, navy and air force, based almost within cannon shot of the Hong Kong airdrome, a company of daredevil American and Chinese pilots made 10 round-trip flights to evacuate over 275 people from beleaguered Hong Kong in the first two days after the Jap attack on the city December S.The story is among the most thrilling chapters in the annals of commercial aviation. When the Pacific war broke out, Hong Kong was a leg on the China National Aviation corporation's last remaining route in what was once an elaborate network of airlines serving China’s vast hinterlands. Connecting the Crown Colony to Rangoon in Burma; via Chungking, CXAC was Chungking's only link with the outside world except for the long hazardous trek up the Burma road.JAPS’ ATTACK STARTS EARLY IN THE MORNINGThe Japs began their December 8 offensive against Hong Kong with an air blitz on Kai Tak airdrome, base of the * Sino-American CNAC, which is owned 55 per cent by the Chinese government, 45 per cent by Pan American Airways.A formation of 27 high flying planes came out over the city about a quarter to eight in the morning. Lined up on the field—like so many sitting ducks—were seven of CXAC’s twelve big passenger ships.Directly overhead the Jap warplanes circled, and then dove for the field in follow-the-leader fashion, and began machine-gunning the parked planes. It took them more than 45 minutes to set them aU afire, including the Pan American Clipper, at anchor just over the sea wall nearby. And then they flew off towards Canton.For some unaccountable reason, the hangar wasn’t touched. Inside were five more planes. Hardly had the Japs flown off when all hands rushed forward and hurriedly rolled the ships out across the field where they were cleverly camouflaged. Twice that afternoon—at two o’clock and again at three— the Japs came hack and bombed the field. They dropped big 250-racv. But it is no time for faint hearts. It is a time for action— and preparation for more action. Though the first shots were adverse, it is the last shots that count and those will come from the democracies, he declares.Autocracies are thrown into wars by their rulers.Democracies go into war by the consent of their people.Therefore, in the long run it is the democracies that have the staying power and the endurance necessary to win long wars.UTd ShelfergencyFOOD SUPPLYmended for a ^ar-lime emergency [ur for four days, according to Paul e health and welfare service branch16 cans4 jars (5 oz.)*2 lb. dried or 4 cans baked 1 lb. jar8 cans (Xo. 214) •1 cans (Xo. 2\2) or 6 cans juice 4 cans (Xo. 2Vi) 4 cans (Xo. 2)1 lb. prunes or apricots;Vs lb. raisins4 or 5 lbs.2 packages1 lb.2 packages 2 packages16 8 07..1 lb. package 1 lb. jarlit lb. can% )b. package.ABOVE: W. H. May, is one of the American Chilian pilots with firsthand experience of Jap bombs. He was the meteorologist of the Pan American Airways’ Hong Kong Clipper, which was bombed and sunk at Hong Kong. He’s pictured at Chungking. China, after hisrescue.BELOWs To this tiny, toy, ten-cent compass, mechanic Lee C. Taylor and pilot Hugh E. Chen, owe their lives. It got them through to safe-ety from Hong Kong during Japattack.month* had been sitting on the Hong Kong airdrome like an ugly duckling: ihc scorn of the proud, high-nosed Douglas airliners.Taxloi’s face was a mass of ugly rod Mi- ter*. Ho got them from the pn-no ami in the Japanese bombs whith sprayed over ships and spare part'* in the big hangar, though the humli itself was a dud. But ships had to be made ready and quickly loaded with supplies and personnel, and had to be flown out of thou; before the Japs came back ai!lt;I glt;«t thorn all. So Taylor stuck to Ins job, bombs or no bombs.No one in Hong Kong would fly out in the “ugly duckling”—rickety old plane that hadn’t been flown in months. No one—except mechanic Lee U. Taylor, left, of Burbank, Calif., and veteran CNAC pilot Hugh E. Chen, graduate of Southwest college, Greenfield, Kansas. They’re pictured in front of the “ugly duckling” which they managed, with the aid of a tcn-ceut compass, to get into Chungking from Hong Kong when the Jap attack came.pounders which, however, did little more than make holes in the field. One did go through the hangar roof, but it was a dud, and did no damage.Coolies rushed to work immediately filling up bomb craters. And that night CXAC’s pilots started flying out equipment and personnel with the still undamaged planes.Not only did they succeed in flying out all of CXAC’s American and Chinese staff, but the boys calmly turned right around and went back into Hong Kong to fly out plane-load after piane-load of refugees. Among the 275 peoplethey evacuated in 16 flights during the next two days were those two famous sisters of Mmc Chiang Kai-Shek—Mrs. H. 11. Kung (wife of the vice-premier of China) and Mme. Sun Yal-sen (widow of the founder of the Chinese Republic, the “George Washington of China”).it is estimated that about a thousand American nationals still remained in Hong Kong. The boys started in again on the night of December 10, planning to bring outanother 250 people, but at the last moment vvoid i ame through 1‘iom the Hong Kong government that they were not to attempt it.Each of the boys had some hair-raising talcs to tell—one was fired at by Japane.se anti-airi rail, another by British A. A. gunners who mistook him lor a Jap. Still another had an engine backfire and act as if it wore going to quit altogether just when iie was overthe Japanese lines.ABOVE: Capt. H. L. Woods, of Winfield. Kans.. chief pilot for the China National Aviation corporation. Flying from Hong Kong, his plane was shot down near Canton. Thirteen int.scnuci * were killed, only W ooris and bis radio man escaping.BELOW: Capt. S. E. Scolt. ofWaco, Tc\., pictured in Chungkingafter his last flight to Hong Kong, was one of the first pilots to escape from the besieged city, aiul fly back in again to rescue refugees.\o ONE WANTED JHi: *T GLY DECKLING”No one, however, would fly the ugly boat. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t been flown in months. Not sime last October when Chuck Sharp, chief of operations for CNAC, took me up in her for a test hop. She was pretty rickety then. Hugh E. Chen, however, volunteered t«» take her through. Taylor said h«M fly with him. She had ahcady been stripped of most of her instruments. What few she had left went haywire almost as sixm as they took off. just before dawn. Theie was no turning back, though, for they had no landing lights. Luckily, Hugh E. remembered n tiny compass in his watch pocket, it was no more than a 1oy. About an inch in diameter. Chinese-made, and cost the equivalent of about a dime. But it got them through.“F knew we’d make it.” said Taylor. “This guy Hugh E/s a flyin’ fool!” Hugh E. just grins. “Somecompass,” he says. “Eh?”Luckiest boys of the bunch were mechanic Leo C. Taylor, :i lanky hix-f outer who hails from But bank, Calif., and Hugh K. Chen, \eteran CXAC pilot, a graduate of Southwest college in Greenfield, Kansas, who learned to fly at Rno.se volt Field way back in 11128. They rami1 in on an old 11*81 VulLcc, vhnh torstandbys in the house in order that canteens and soup kitchens won’L be overtaxed.Second: Please doirt lie too litcral about following the list, item for item, as that's what leads to shortages. The defense health and welfare nutritionists who worked up the list emphasize “it’s for those with no imagination of their own” and “it’s for the very minimum budget.WAR BOSS NELSON GETS THINGS DONEFur instance, if you like canned soups and can alfurd them, by all means indulge. If you think a can of brown bread would help eke out the eternal crackers, stock up on that. Ketchup, rice, a can of shortening, flour in a watertight jar— all these basic American commodities can be included. While for the fatter purse, grocery stores offer the tongue-tieklihgest assortment of canned and bottled fare, that any gourmet could desire. Besides, hardly any household gets caught without at least half a loaf of bread, a few eggs, and seasoning on hand.QUICK PREPARATION IS FOOD ESSENTIALThe main idea is: Have somethings in the hou«o that can he eaten easily, even if you’re squatting under a table by caivdle or flashlight.Have some things that can be made into balanced cold meals, in case gas mains or electricity are turned off or disrupted.Finally, stock nourishing and casy-to-prcpare foods that can be quickly heated and served in case members of the family are called on for emergency defense jobs, such as clearing debris, first-aid, transport, fjrc-fJghting.corneis and making every penny work over time for defense.Tough On ProfiteersThey* tell how he taught a would-be piofiteor who bought up the entire .supply of one type of cotton and was waiting to gouge the army. Nlt; Non lu.d the army lt;hange lU lt;i filt; at nm^ and the piofiUcr was left holding the cotton.Confers (With Vice President Wallace)Hr* uses in army and naw purchasing the -dagger system he developed al ,s;eni'», Rot buck’s C hicago off ne. There he placed Ins textile ordeis during the slack seasons; he got a mu* h better pro e and Hit' iiidust i kept busy the yiar roundHr* dor -» tin* same with governor nt pirn haw*—except that now we. the lc!MM\(‘ls me gelling theadvantage of his bargain basement ‘-hupping skill.(By the Associated Press)Several million American farmers and their families are already pretty well acquainted with Donald -M. Nelson—at least with his works—but the new boss of the nation’* war production may need a bit of introduction to city dueller-*.A standard piece of literature, inA Pipe SmokerLighten houi a day he puffs at his lt;ollelt;ljon fii pipes, bucks his si\-jrot 200- pound bulk through the ird tape and inertia and gets things dom You don’t, hoar much of him m I Ins niy of inter-office feuds I (c.uiH* he doesn't lose his temper.mad, it doesn’t pay to try pushing him around. He usually wins.He’s won steadily since he worked his way through high school and the University of Missouri and tooh a job in Scars, Roebuck chemistry testing luboiatory so he could g( back tor his doctorate. He plannee to be a chemistry professor but instead he was pushed rapidly' upstairs through the mail-order houst organization.From there to the NR A and i short hitch in the commerce depart mcnt was just a step. Then hi was called hack in June, 1940, tc inordinate defense purchasing When OPM started the parade o: wartime initials through the capital, he headed its purchasing division.You might even group your cans and bottles in tasty hot and cold combinations and work out a few good menus so that instead of finding yourself jittery and addlcpated in a crisis, you can help maintain your family's calmness and composure by going about meal-getting in an assured and confident manner.CITIZENS ABROADFour thousand American citizens are residents of Great Britain, and 12.000 others, mostly tourist and travelers, returned home.at the outbreak of the war.farms and small towns is the Scars, Roebuck A: company catalogue. Nelson was executive vice-president of the mail-order house until the government called him in. Many a rural parlor, sitting room and barn is equipped with the wares he sold.Just Another DubNelson's one hobby is golf. He dubs around in about 100 and of course he uses Sears, Roebuck golf balls. The shortage, of fibber and golf balls won’t bother h.m much for he hasn't lime now' for golfing. Although he does get out occasionally for a bit of night “dubbing.If you get up bright an I early,you might spot him some morningbefore 7 toodling to work in a big Cadillac sedan. Bargain note: Hebought the Cadillac second hand from Bill Knudsen, head of OPM who probably bought the car brand new from General Motors when he was chairman of the hoard there.Nelson's a natural horn bargain hunter and any way you look at it, he’s a first class bargain forUnited States serving as the arsenal for the battb* aganet the axis, upon XeKon’s duflt;lion of war production tluuughmit thiscountry vmII df nr nd Iho success of Europe, Asia and onthethewarseas.inSmall TownAlthough front pagesBuyXr Ison’s rKo to the followed the typically American ^mnll-town hoy-makes-good pattern, ho set many precedents on his wav to Washington from Hannibal, Mo., where he was born 5| years ago.Ho is a New Deal Democrat and before the emergency, drew ?75,000 a year as executive vnc-president of Sears, Roebuck. Still a New Deal Democrat, he taiked turkey to the National Association of Manufacturers and marie them listen when he warned last month that present production was not enough. “If we are to beat Hitler,” he said, “wo will have to double the present output.”Bargain hunting was his busi-and he carried overi**The man who loses his temper always lov* the argument,” the bespectacled redhead smiles. But don’t make the mistake of thinking lie is soft. He isn’t, his friends say, and when he finally dops getHead Man and BossSPAB—another set of Initial! meaning Supply, Priorities and Allocation Board—was set up witt him as its head. Last year President Roosevelt increased his powers following reports the army anc navy opposed centralization of purchasing in his hands.And now he‘ lx»s of productior and procurement. Do you have * battleship you want to sell th* navy 7 Or a Civil war rifle, or dc you manufacture neckties for sol-diors? See Nelson.You’ll find him in his office any morning after 7 o'clock. Or yotlater and catch hirt conference down ir He'll take care oJcan cume bark at a breakfast the caicleria. you.NELSONISMS(From recent speeches)“Our hesf and quickest way out of the trouble wc are in is to plunge straight ahead and double everything we have done.”it, he s a first class bargain for ness and he carried over to govern-the United Nations. For with the|ment purchasing the art of clipping‘This defense program isn’t any MPA program, a joyride for industry. We are not playing for marbles. It's a life and death struggle. We are going to need the labor of,every available worker and every machine that can be used in the land. Hitler is going to win unless we deny ourselves everything that we can possibly deny ourselves.”‘The future status of the commercial banking system will in a large part he influenced by the manner in. which oar local banks rise to meet this challenge of providing total finance for total defense.*»“If wc are to beat Hitler,jwe_jwiU have to doable the present output.”\L____
Newspaper Details
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Jan 24, 1942
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 28 May 2019
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Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
