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THE CRUSADERS

A  H I S T O R Y


O F  T H E

42nd BOMBARDMENT

G R O U P

(M)

Chapter 1
Chapters 2 through 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27


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The Group's first planes were the sleek B-26 Marauders. A hot ship, it helped make history at the Battle of Midway.

The first B-25s we had were the venerable C model whose package guns were combat modifications. This was allowed by the D.

Old "Pistol Packin' Mama." the H, incorporated the improved 75-mm. aircraft cannon. Tested thoroughly, they were found a little unsuitable for our type of operations.



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The J made its appearance pewence during our New Guinea period. Among the other changes, the h c turret moved forward.

The J27, built as a strafer, put eight guns in the nose, which, with the package guns and the turret, gave the Mitchell 14 forward firing .50s.



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND COMMENDATION

The officers and men of the 42nd Bombardment Group, Medium, whose names appear below, are highly commended for the contributions they made toward publishing this history of "THE CRUSADERS."

Words are not adequate to express the appreciation of all the personnel of the Group for this fine accomplishment. However, each person who aided in this task may be sure he has contributed something of real and lasting value, and that this accomplishment will be remembered, together with his name, in the many years to come. Each time an "Old Crusader" reads the many pages of this history and views the many fine photographs he will remember the long hours, night and day, over and above the ordinary line of duty, which were spent in preparing the stirring pages of "THE CRUSADERS."

   Major R. H. Cohn   Capt. Marvin C. Wachs    Cpl. Charles W. Strong   S/Sgt. George Crout    Lt. Walter M. Pleiss   Lt. Okey Snodgrass    Lt. Robert L. Smith   Lt. Jack Blake    Lt. Raymond Proctor      Lt. Martin Levine

To Major R. H. Cohn goes full credit for grabbing the ball at the beginning of the Crusaders' trek. Major Cohn, filled with enthusiasm, ideas, and energy, wrote the original manuscript and carried the major burden of the history to approximately June 1945. Without his outstanding initiative many of the exploits and facts concerning the history of the Crusaders would never have reached the printed page. Many thanks to Major Cohn for an exceptional job. He is assured that his remarkable efforts are full appreciated, and we all join in a hearty cheer for "Bobby."

Next man to receive credit for the major burden is Captain Marvin C. Wachs, who picked up the ball from "Bobby" Cohn and carried it to the goal line. To Captain Wachs goes credit for completing the manuscript, arranging the manuscript and pictures, and following through on the many details of actual publication. He spent many weeks of his own time, including his terminal leave, to conclude the final details of getting the Crusaders' history into published form. A real pat on the back and heartfelt thanks goes to Captain Wachs.

To Cpl. Charles W. Strong a large share of the credit is also given. Cpl. Strong, as the able assistant of Major R. H. Cohn, wrote many pages of the original manuscript, and in addition spent many hours typing and preparing stories, securing pictures, and arranging other details for the publication. To Cpl. Strong a sincere "well done" and assurance that he may be proud of his exceptional contributions.

To the sturdy forefingers of Lt. Robert L. Smith, Lt. Jack Blake, and S/Sgt. George Crout goes credit for several of the exceptional news releases which appear in the pages of this history. To these "Old Crusaders" a very sincere commendation from the Group.

To a couple of real "Old Crusaders," known to the records as Lt. Walter M. Pleiss and Lt. Okey Snodgrass, the Group is indebted for the early history of the 69th and 70th Bombardment Squadrons, Medium, the real old timers of the South and Southwest Pacific Battles.

To Lt. Raymond Proctor, Group photo officer, and his photo-technicians and photographers, goes full credit for the many fine pictures contained in this history. To their splendid efforts can be attributed the broad coverage of excellent photographs published herein. It is regretted that many of the fine pictures provided by the Group photo laboratory could not be published because of space limitations. To each member of the "photo lab" goes a big cheer and a sincere "well done."

To Lt. Martin Levine the Group extends its thanks and appreciation for the compilation of the subscription list, and for the many other tedious jobs he accomplished in connection with the publication.

The personnel of the 42nd Bombardment Group, Medium, realize that this commendation falls far short of compensating the members mentioned above for their fine contributions to "The Crusader," but it is desired to again assure them that their efforts are appreciated, and will be appreciated more and more as the years unfold ahead of us.

FOR THE COMMANDING OFFICER:

T. H. WHITNEYBELL Lt. Colonel, Air Corps


DEDICATION

To the families of tile men of the Forty-Second Bombardment Group, Medium, who gave their lives that justice and liberty might triumph, this record is humbly and respectfully dedicated.


PREFACE

In the most far-flung of the wars that have scourged the earth, fought as it was on and over a dozen seas and a hundred lands by millions of men and women of all colors and creeds organized into thousands of units for every conceivable purpose, it is beyond the human mind to select any one combat organization to be honored above others. In war as in life itself, the lot of some is to do the spectacular, to plant the pennants of victory upon the very ramparts of the enemy's fortress, while to others fall the drab, the everyday, the humdrum, the routine toils and trials that make the glorious and blood-stirring achievements possible. Between the two extremes lie the accomplishments and the experiences of the majority of men and of military organizations. Moments of glory are the fruit of months of plodding. It is perhaps very nearly at the center of the scale that the record of the Crusaders--the Forty Second Bombardment Group, Medium--belongs. Ours was not the superb hour in which the Luftwaffe was sent reeling from the sky over London nor the first bomb directed at Tokyo. Rather, ours was the persistent, the day in and day out raid, search, or sweep. Sometimes at the current front, sometimes at a southward or westward focus of resistance, we sought the enemy where we could find him, and steadily, sometimes slowly but always thoroughly, we pounded him and returned many fold the destruction and disaster he had loosed upon the world. Often we protected a flank, often we cleared the sky over the shipping lanes and the coral beaches, often we flew over the ground troops as they moved in to recover from the invaders what had once belonged to us. Infrequently spectacular, seldom headlined, yet we were always there, always contributing our lot or our little toward the great end of Victory. In the pages that follow is set forth the narrative of our Group and the part it was privileged to carry out as its contribution to the common cause.


GENERAL ORDERS   HEADQUARTERS

   FAR EAST AIR FORCES

   NUMBER 2217   APO 925

29 NOVEMBER 1945

UNIT CITATIONS

By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order No. 9396 (Section I, Bulletin 22, WD, 1943) superseding Executive Order No. 9075 (Section 111, Bulletin 2, WD, 1942) and of Section IV, Circular No. 333, WD, 1943, the following units are cited by the Commanding General, Far East Air Forces:

42ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (M)

The 42nd Bombardment Group (M) is cited for outstanding performance of duty in action from 23 June 1945 to 30 June 1945. During that week, the 42nd Bombardment Group (M), operating in support of the Australian Invasion of the Japanese oil refinery center at Balikpapen, Borneo, Netherland East Indies, carried out bombing and strafing strikes against enemy shore defenses and other installations Because each of these round trips, among the longest-range combat missions ever flown by mass formations of medium bombers, involved a flight of more than 1700 miles over open sea, it was necessary to use radio compartment fuel tanks and to make pre-mission experiments to determine the feasibility of loading the aircraft to such an extent. Taking off from a damaged runway, and encountering tropical weather fronts on four of the flights, the B-25 aircraft of the Group braved intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire to reach heavily defended Balikpapen. Without the loss of a single crew member or airplane, making minimum altitude attacks, the Group dropped over 460,000 pounds of napalm and demolition bombs, 91 per cent which fell within the target area, and expended 415,000 rounds of ammunition in strafing. Crews of the 42nd Bombardment Group (M) destroyed gun positions, warehouses, road blocks, fuel and ammunition dumps, a radar station, numerous vehicles, and 73 military buildings, as well as huge stores of gasoline and oil which the enemy had strategically placed so as to be released into shallow pits oil the beach and ignited when the Australian ground troops should make their assaults. Flying down the invasion beach under intense enemy fire, the B-25 aircraft of the Group achieved such perfect timing and coordination in giving support to underwater naval demolition teams that not one man of the teams was lost. So effectively did the Group smash Japanese defenses at Balikpapen that the enemy was totally unable to contest any of the landings, and the Australian Seventh Division came ashore oil an undefended beach. Credit for the success of the achievements of the Group in this week of intense and dangerous operations is due not only to the bomber crews but also to operations, intelligence, and maintenance personnel who spent long hours planning the missions and preparing and servicing the aircraft, despite inadequate facilities with which to work. In making such a significant contribution to the success of the Allied invasion and seisure of Borneo, one of the most strategically important islands in the enemy-held Netherlands East Indies the 42nd Bombardment Group (M) brought new honor to the United States Army Air Forces.

By COMMAND OF GENERAL KENNEY:

D. R. HUTCHINSON, Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Chief of Air Staff


Chapter 1
Chapters 2 through 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27