MAJOR JOHN R. YOUNG
Maj. Young's excellence as operations officer is a result of 254 combat missions, 603 combat hours, and 28 months in the SWPA. As leader of the 40th Sq. on two missions to Balikpapan, he scored three victories, and has the D.F.C. with 1 Cluster, A.M. with 4. |
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My experience has been varied in the twenty-eight months I have been in this theatre; in fact so varied that my knowledge is only general with regards to the usual types of combat tactics.
Since my only successful kills were on long range fighter sweeps coordinated with Liberator strikes, I will mention only the tactics as used on this particular type of work. In some cases sound policy was slightly side-tracked, but only for the purpose of increasing range which goes hand in hand with an added safety factor in getting home safely.
The missions I use as an example were P-47 fighter sweeps designed to clear the target area of Nip fighters at the moment Liberators were coming in to do their job. This particular target was 835 statute miles from our nearest base. In order to reach the target and lend any assistance to the bombers, it was necessary to equip the P-47's with three external tanks. The wing tanks were dropped as emptied while the 75 gallon belly tanks were kept during the entire combat with the Nips. It was obvious that even with the added gasoline supply, it was necessary for each pilot to use every trick we had developed in conserving fuel to reach the target with the required fuel to return to base.
We used much thought and ran many tests developing our procedure for reaching the target and it will no doubt be criticized by many, The primary aim was to produce the maximum striking power over the target area and remain there as long as possible. Since the mission required eight and one half hours of flying time, it was necessary to operate the airplane at its most economical power setting; for fuel meant striking power. But at the same time we could not disregard the fact that a fresh alert pilot was also needed to produce this striking power. It was proven by test that our best range could be obtained by taking-off and proceeding to the target very close to the deck. This required more flying time than it would have at altitude to complete the mission, and also had the disadvantage of tiring the pilot because of the intense heat experienced in the cockpit of a P-47 while flying low in this theatre. In the end, we compromised and flow out at 7,000 feet. This altitude had the added advantage of being below the oxygen level.
The formation, going out, was flown very wide; thus allowing each pilot to fly his plane in comfort. This also allowed him to get the most economical power settings for his particular plane, and it took only an occasional change in prop setting to keep in place. We began climbing at a point that enabled us to reach 20,000 feet in 15 minutes from the target area. This was considered ample, for the Nip doesn't like to meet us at altitude, and in this case even provided enough height to jump them with plenty of speed.
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After leveling out at 20,000 feet, we immediately went into combat formation stressing two ship elements with wingmen flying just far enough out to give cover to his leader and still enable him to look around. At this point the success of the mission depended on one thing; spotting the enemy first. This was a must and we did. Then we jumped him fast and hit him hard, each pilot closing for a sure kill, thus avoiding waste of fire and time by scaring him off while out of range. Elements immediately pulled up, regaining some of the altitude lost in the jump, reformed and pressed a second attack just as ferocious as the first. This fast, hard hitting policy was essential as we had fuel for only ten minutes of combat, even less if forced to scrap our way out. From the pilot standpoint also, it was much more comfortable to be the aggressor while carrying a belly tank in combat.
After our second vicious attack, the enemy's plan of attack was broken. Only a few individual passes were made on single enemy aircraft in the area as we proceeded on our long trip home. Because of our hard hitting policy, we were able to keep the Nip entirely on the defensive with the result that our pilots bagged a number of Nips and the bombers completed their own mission with less resistance.
In concluding, I would like to bring out the fact that the superiority of the P-47 over the enemy in speed and fire-power, plus the superiority of our pilots in seeing and pressing the attack, enabled us to run this length of mission with such a limited amount of fuel allowed for actual combat. We must all use this to its fullest advantage. See the Nip first; hit him fast and hard. By doing this, we can press the attack closer and closer to the heart of the enemy in his home land.
Aggressiveness is the fighter
pilot's key to success, so be aggressive.
