C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

February 23-24 - Lieutenant (jg) Lamar S. MACKAY strafed and bombed a freighter (Sugar Dog) and two luggers which he located 55 miles due east of Hongkong. A very close miss with a 500 pounder resulted in the sinking of the Sugar Dog while the two luggers were damaged by string and by a near miss with a 100 lb. bomb. One of these was set on fire.

February 24-25 - Lieutenant Arcia O. TURNER, USN, bombed barracks in the Pescadores Islands demolishing one building with a direct hit.

February 26-27 - Lieutenant Allen J. HUTTENBERG attacked and sank a 2,500 ton freighter (Sugar Baker) near Hongkong. Following a direct hit with a 500 pounder and a straddle by two 250's all in the same string, the ship was seen to go down by the bow. Only the stern was above the water when last seen and that was burning furiously. The crew had taken to the life rafts. A short time later Lieutenant HUTTENBERG made visual sighting of a 4,000 ton ship of the Fox Tare Class at 22-12 North, 114-15 East. He strafed it with 1,700 rounds of machine gun fire of which 50% were estimated to be hits and made a near miss with a 250 lb. bomb. Twice small fires were started on the ship which appeared to be extinguished.

February 27-28 - Lieutenant Richard J. HARKINS, USNR, sighted a Tare Baker, 2 Fox Bakers, 1 large unidentified ship and 3 destroyers at anchor in the harbor at Swatow, China. In a bow to stern run on the Tare Baker, two 500 lb. bombs failed to release but a direct hit was made with two AN-M6 incendiary clusters which started six separate fires. Farther south along the China Coast at 22-42 North, 115-45 East three small freighters (Sugar Charlies) were sighted at anchor one of which was sunk with a 500 pounder. The other two ships, which had gotten underway, were strafed with 350 rounds and one of them was seen to be down by the stern. The attack was broken off when a twin-engine enemy plane, thought to have been a Nick, made a run on the PBY firing a 20 mm. cannon. The Jap plane pulled up into the clouds after a single pass and was not seen again. Although radar and visual contacts with enemy interceptors have been frequent, this is the first instance in which a plane of Patrol Bombing Squadron SEVENTY-ONE has been fired on by aircraft on a Black Cat mission. Lieutenant Albin T. MADAY after finding the outer harbor at Amoy, China empty, strafed three motor launches which he found just south of that port. Fifteen minutes later a Fox Tare Able, 2 Fox Tare Bakers, and 2 destroyers were found anchored at 24-00 North, 117-50 East. Dropping a string of bombs on the Fox Tare Able, Lieutenant MADAY scored a direct hit amidships with a 250 and a near miss with a 500 pounder and

 

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