R.A.F. to the Rescue

R.A.F. TO THE RESCUE

by Walter J. Hanna, Jr. Lt. Col. Air Corps

In February 1942 the 47th Bombardment Group (Light) was relieved of Coastal Patrol duties at Hammer Field, Fresno, California and transferred to Will Rogers Field at Oklahoma City. We had an assortment of A20-Cs diverted from the British and a few new A20-Bs. Soon after arrival at Will Rogers almost all qualifed 4 engine pilots were transferred from the group to B-17outfits. Each Squadron had a nucleus of officers with experience that qualified them as "Old Hands" (probably a year or slightly more. Shortly thereafter a group of pilots with a little experience or from multi engine school were assigned which brought each squadron strength up to about 12 pilots. The rest of the mechanics, armorers, radio mechanics, etc. began arriving from the various specialty schools and a Tactical Light Bombardment Group began to take shape. Intensive training in formation flying and minimum altitude tactics was the order of the day. The new pilots had received good training and adappted quickly - they were "EAGER". The 47th had expected to be the A20 training group but in early summer went to Greensboro, North Carolina to participate in Army maneuvers. In early September a midnight phone call alerted us for ovrseas assignment. 4 green crews for each squadron arrived and they had to be transitioned and given minimum training. They received a good part of their training on the trip overseas.

TWA, in Kansas City, was given the contract to modify 57 new A20Bs for the group. Col. Terrell sent me with a few of our best mechanics and one additional pilot to assist TWA. The job was done in about ten days. The first of our big disappointments occurred at this time and directly contributed to later events.. The A20B had a plexiglas nose for a Navigator/Bombardier (non-existent in the 47th) and 2 fixed 50 Caliber guns firing forward which was completely inadquate firepower for low altitude operations. Two additional 50 Cal. guns in fuselage pods were supposed to be installed but they never arrived. Each plane was test hopped, accepted and crews came in from Greensboro to take them to Westover Field, Mass, our staging area. The planes had all been fitted with an external ferry tank carrying 270 gallons. It was an aerodynamic disaster. With full wing tanks, internal bomb bay tank and the ferry tank they were carrying 1470 gallons of gas and were substantially over allowable gross weight. Optimum long range cruise altitude of 7000 feet was reached with difficulty. It was also difficult to maintain level flight with the power settings furnished. With some additonal flight tests we decided that the external tanks provided little or no additional range and ruined the aerodynamics of the plane along with aan approximate 20 mph loss in air speed. After some additional flight tests Bob Deshazo (our materiel officer) called Wright Field. Authorization was received and the external tanks were removed, (providing a later anecdote).

The Group was a guinea pig in the American entry into the war in Europe. The ferry trip around the north Atlantic to England was a hair raising experience (Labrador, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland). Almost all Crews arrived in England and a temporary base at Horham in East Anglia. The North Atlantic Ferry trip took from October 3rd to November 15th. Upon arrival at Horham the news was received that the Group was scheduled for North Africa as part of operation "TORCH". The invasion was already underway. Most of our advanced echelon had already left. The planes were put through the Depot at Honington for removal of the bomb bay tanks.. The Squadrons left one at a time to Predannic at Land's End and off to Port Lyautey, Morocco on December 2nd. The Group finally comes together at Mediouna, a French Air Base near Casa Blanca. The weather is awful and the field is muddy but there is a new steel mat runway. The crews left behind across the north Atlantic with various mechanical troubles begin to arrive. A few had to leave their planes in the North Atlantic and come by transport. In late December the group was gradually inserted into the war with the 84th & 86th based at Youks Les Bains and the 85th and 97th at Thelepte in Tunisia. We were rapidly convinced that our lightly armed planes were no match for the German tanks and armored vehicles at minimum altitude. There was no cover of any kind in Tunisia and they could see us coming for many miles. The Group was forced to adopt medium altitude bombing tactics. How was this to be accomplished with no bomb sights and no Navigator/Bombardiers. At this time Col. Terrell negotiated a loan of some very experienced Navigator/Bombardiers from a R.A.F. light bomber group that had lost most of its'planes and was being shipped back to England. The loan also included sufficient British MK-10 bonb sights to equip our lead planes. Without a doubt these R.A.F. officers saved the 47th Group. They trained our pilots in tactics and new American navigators that began arriving. The loan also included a few fire control gunners who taught group defensive fire tactics. They were witty and became close friends. They stayed with the Group to the end of the North Afican Campaign. They had many missions over Europe and jokingly said they were sent to Africa for a rest. After our first practice mission Fit. Lt. George Goode said to me "If you will fly instruments and do exactly as I tell you they will never hit us". He was right and I never saw much of Tunisia from the Air - my head was in the cockpit. The 84th had Goode, Flying Officer Parsons, Flying Officer Johns and Sgt. Tommy Barton, a fire control gunner. They led our missions and made a major contribution to the eventual success of the 47th Bomb Group. They were with us during the Kasserine Pass disaster. In late afternoon on February 22nd the remnants of the Group with George Goode in the lead were over the top of an almost solid overcast. He found a hole we dropped down through and came out right over the German advance troops near Thala. We dropped at low altitude and must have been very effectiuve. The ground forces commander had already called Youks and told us it was real shot in arm to our forces. I read much later in a Book named "Kasserine Pass" (I quote) "The second occurrence that seemed to deter Groich (The German General in Command) was an air strike that appeared to tear his units apart". The rain of the past few days had turned into mire all of the airfields except the base at Youks-les-Bains,where a steel-planked airstrip permitted planes to operate. From that field,114 sorties were flown over the Thala area alone." With the prospect of clearing weather he elected to begin withdrawal that night.

Early May finds the Group all together at Souk El Arba in Tunisia, back up to strength with replacement Crews and planes* The North African Campaign is nearly over. We are still short of almost everything from spare parts to rations when a large convoy pulls in with 57 crated A20 ferry tanks. (An anecdote was promised).

God Bless the R.A.F, and the personnel loaned to the 47th through a field arrangement. The war would have been over if they had tried to do it through channels. The arrangment was never officially acknowledged by The Americans or the British. All recommendations for decorations were "LOST".