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was generally inaccurate but one direct 200 mm. hit was made on the plane in the Mech's Compartment which resulted in only minor damage and, miraculously, in no personnel injuries. Lieutenant (jg) Curtis L. LAYTON, USNR found twelve medium merchant vessels in the harbor at Takao, Formosa as well as three large and seven small ships in the Kiirun, Formosa Harbor. At each place he made two attempted approaches and each time was illuminated by numerous searchlights which seemed to have him bracketed the instant they came on. He attacked a Sugar Dog near Toko, Formosa with unobserved results and on his return to base dropped two incendiary clusters and started fires at Garambi, Formosa. Lieutenant Commander W. L. KAUBER, USN, hit what appeared to be a large barracks area at Karenko, Formosa with three 250’s and one incendiary starting fires. He also dropped two bombs on installations on Kasho Island, Latitude 22-40 N 121-30 E.

January 26-27- Lieutenant (jg) Lamar S. MACKAY, USNR sighted seven unidentified ships and three destroyers at 24-09 N 119-40 E and on a southerly course toward the Pescadores Islands and made an attack on one of the destroyers delivering a string of four 250's from 150 feet altitude across the ship from starboard bow to port quarter. The results could not be observed. Lieutenant Michael J. LOEHR, USNR found no enemy shipping in the Sakashima group of islands. Over south Ishiagaki Jima, however, he was picked up by a searchlight and received light AA and machine gun fire from 3 or 4 positions. One explosive shell, probably 20 mm., hit the trailing edge of his starboard wing just inboard of the aileron without causing serious damage or casualties. Six 100 lb. bombs and two incendiaries were dropped on buildings near the area where the AA had originated and after the incendiaries had started burning several small explosions which appeared to be ammunition were noted. Returning to base, Lieutenant LOEHR was trailed for ten minutes by a bogey near Koto-Sho and while passing Vigan, on Luzon received two bursts of light AA.

January 27-28 - Lieutenant Allen J. HUTTENBERG, USNR covering the Formosa sector had a busy evening. His first sighting was 1 Sugar Baker and 2 Sugar Charlies off Toko. He made two runs on which his electrical bomb release failed to function and on the third run was over with a single 250. Coming in for the fourth tine on the Sugar Baker Lieutenant HUTTENBERG salvoed three 250's and one incendiary by emergency release all bombs hitting the target just forward of amidships. Observers in the plane report the ship appeared to be lifted out of the water by the force of the explosion and

 

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