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Batchelor Field Bombing History

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7. CHRISTMAS DAY AIR BATTLE

The zenith of B-17C (40 2072)’s wartime service came during its last combat flight. On December 24, 1941 the plane departed from Batchelor Field on what became a dramatic mission. The pilot, Lt. Mueller, was later quoted saying:

Christmas of 1941 was sort of sad for our side. Our guys in the Philippines were taking an awful beating from the enemy and were due to receive even worse at Bataan and Corregidore.24

At 10:15 on that morning, December 24, 1941, 40-2072, the lone surviving bomber of the Japanese attack on Clark Field, and the last one of the 30th Bomb Squadron's original nine Flying Fortresses left Australia with two other B-17s for the long trip north to the enemy endangered field at Del Monte. …show more content…
No sooner had they switched off engines than the crews were ordered to cancel their plans to evacuate personnel. Instead, they were to takeoff on a combat mission to bomb Japanese invasion forces coming ashore at Davao. Then they were to continue flying the 1500-mile return trip to Batchelor Field (Australia), as they had done on previous shuttle bombing runs. The three pilots were told to plan their own bombing attack. Ground crews began the laborious task of pumping 2,100 gallons of high octane gasoline into the fuel tanks from the only surviving refueling truck. Since the truck held only 800 gallons, three trips were needed to complete the job. The bomb bays of the three B-17s were then loaded with seven 300 lb. bombs, arranged in one half of the bomb bay. A droppable auxiliary fuel tank occupied the other half, to give the airplane the extra range required for the long overwater trip.26 Taxiing out for takeoff, one of the airplanes suffered a flat tire, had to delay departure until it could be fixed. The two remaining aircraft took off, as planned, in the early morning darkness at 4:30 am on Christmas Day, and climbed to a cruising altitude of 20,000 feet. With crews on oxygen, they

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