The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Yankee Flier in the Far East, by Al Avery (ps) and George Rutherford Montgomery This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: A Yankee Flier in the Far East Author: Al Avery (ps) George Rutherford Montgomery Illustrator: Paul Laune Release Date: April 2, 2018 [EBook #56895] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A YANKEE FLIER IN THE FAR EAST *** A YANKEE FLIER IN THE FAR EAST Cover Frontispiece STAN NOSED DOWN AND STRAFED THE CAR. A Yankee Flier in the Far East Frontispiece (Page 83) A YANKEE FLIER IN THE FAR EAST BY AL AVERY ILLUSTRATED BY Paul Laune GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Copyright, 1942, by GROSSET & DUNLAP, Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I Rest Cure in Singapore 1 II China Wings 15 III China 30 IV Flying Tigers 44 V Rescue Mission 62 VI Attack 86 VII Stan Wilson, Detective 100 VIII Prisoner at Kula 120 IX Siamese Shroud 134 X Temple with a Red Roof 156 XI Rescue 177 XII Jungle Trail 198 XIII Glory Trail 209 A YANKEE FLIER IN THE FAR EAST CHAPTER I REST CURE IN SINGAPORE The air squadron mess of the Royal Air Force, Near East Command, was hot and close. Outside, white sunlight glared down on the steaming pavement and on the rank vegetation growing against a rock wall. Beyond that rock wall rose the marble and stone buildings of the city of Singapore. Lieutenant O’Malley of the Royal Air Force elevated his feet to the top of a chair and lay back against a damp cushion. He craned his long neck and looked out upon the sweltering scene. Little rivers of sweat trickled down his neck and spread out under his shirt. Sadly, O’Malley contemplated the large slab of berry pie he held in his hand. “’Tis a terrible thing to consider,” he muttered. Lieutenant March Allison, who was sitting near him, opened his eyes and blinked. “What,” he asked listlessly, “is so terrible?” “I niver thought Mrs. O’Malley’s boy would iver be so hot he couldn’t eat a slab o’ pie.” O’Malley set the pie on the window ledge and pulled out a huge handkerchief. “This is as close to Hades as I iver plan to get.” Leaning back, he elevated his feet a bit higher. Bill O’Malley was a lank Irishman with a skinny neck and a big Adam’s apple. His uniform hung on his bony frame in a most unmilitary manner. O’Malley’s most striking feature was his flaming red hair seldom disturbed by a comb. He was not a person to inspire fear or confidence. “Oh, now, I say, old chap,” Allison drawled, “this is not such a bad spot. His Majesty’s Army has been downright thoughtful, sending us out here to the glamorous East for a rest cure.” Allison eased himself upward in his chair. He was a slender young man. His uniform fitted him neatly. His blond hair was close-clipped. There was a hint of insolent mockery in his cool, gray eyes. Allison was an ace who had made a name for himself in the wild days of the Battle for Britain. He smiled at O’Malley as he went on talking. “O’Malley, you have not made good use of your time here in Singapore. You have not seen any of the sights.” There was more than a hint of mockery in Allison’s voice. He himself had not set foot outside quarters. O’Malley turned and squinted at Allison. “Sure, an’ I know all about Singapore. Singapore, the Lion City, crossroads o’ the East!” O’Malley’s voice dropped to a drawl. “Ivery time you open a tin can or have a blowout you make business for Singapore, for it boasts the biggest tin smelters in the world and half o’ the rubber in the world comes through its gates.” He grinned widely. “And it stinks and it’s hot and it’s dead as a graveyard. Ivery one of us might as well be buried in County Kerry, Ireland.” “We’ll get some patrol duty after a while. The Japs want Singapore and will make a grab for it,” Allison predicted. His mood matched that of O’Malley but he refused to admit it. They were stuck in the Far East, thousands of miles from the battle lines. To his way of thinking, they might well remain there for the rest of the war, making routine flights over a smelly jungle infested with crocodiles, tigers and leeches. “Mrs. O’Malley’s boy joined up to fight, not to melt,” O’Malley growled. “I’m thinkin’ I’ll hire meself out as a deck hand an’ beat me way back home. I can enlist under another name.” “You won’t do that,” Allison snapped. “Why not? I’m doin’ no good here,” O’Malley retorted. “You won’t desert. I’d turn you in, you redheaded Irisher. As your superior officer I’d break your neck.” Allison’s gray eyes had lost their insolent flicker and were cold and hard. O’Malley grinned broadly and reached for the slab of pie which was dripping berry juice down the wall. “You mean you’d be after tryin’,” he said as he opened his big mouth and shoved half of the piece of pie into it. 1 2 3 4 “How can you eat a whole pie before dinner? Here it is one hundred twenty in the shade and you eat pie.” Allison shuddered. “Just a snack,” O’Malley assured him. “I’m really off me feed on account o’ the heat.” He had just finished the pie when another flier entered. He was tall and well-built, typically Yank. Allison waved a hand lazily. O’Malley just grunted. Stan Wilson crossed the room and seated himself at the open window, being careful to avoid the berry stains. Back in the United States Stan Wilson had been a test pilot, then he had joined the Royal Air Force and spent savage months battling for Britain. O’Malley let his feet slide to the floor with a thud. “I’ve been tellin’ Allison what a rotten hole this is. We’ll be seein’ no action out here.” “I aim to, and right away,” Stan Wilson announced excitedly. “Of course you two bums will want to rest and enjoy the charming atmosphere of Singapore. But I’m on my way to a war.” “See here, old fellow,” Allison began, “just because you’re a Yank and can get a release, you don’t have to sneak off and leave us to dehydrate. You have to stick around until we all get called back to London.” “You’ll get action when the Japs cut loose, plenty of it. I think they’re about ready to grab Singapore while it’s still asleep. But I don’t want to wait that long,” Stan said. “Wherever you’re goin’ I’m comin’ along,” O’Malley said. He had lost all of his laziness. Stan grinned widely. “It might be arranged.” “Now see here, let me in on this plot,” Allison cut in. “It seems the United States is lending fliers to China. A hundred or so pilots, ships and ground men. Their job is to protect the Burma Road and help the Chinese build up an air force of their own.” His grin widened. “Of course there will be a few odds in favor of the Japs, probably twenty to one or something like that.” “They’d never release O’Malley and me,” Allison said sourly. “I did a bit of snooping and wire-pulling. The Wing Commander is a mighty reasonable man. He feels that the Chinese should be encouraged a bit.” Stan got to his feet. O’Malley and Allison were at his side at once. “When do we pull out?” O’Malley asked eagerly. “You boys have to get your releases and then you have to sign up with the Chinese. Me, I’m one of Chiang Kai- shek’s majors.” “You spalpeen! Salute one of Chiang’s generals!” O’Malley pulled himself up as straight as he could. “I’ll most certainly get a generalship.” “The pay is all the same,” Stan said with a smile. “Whom do we have to see?” Allison asked. “You see Wing Commander Beakin for your release. He’ll put you on the right track,” Stan said. “I said, when do we leave?” O’Malley demanded. “Right away. We are to ferry a Hudson bomber up to Rangoon.” Stan laughed at the impatient O’Malley. “I have already listed you two as probable members of the crew. Majors O’Malley and Wilson; Major Allison commanding,” Stan explained. “I say, old fellow,” Allison protested, “you rate the commander’s stripes.” “Nothing doing. This is still Red Flight of the old Channel days. There won’t be any changes in personnel, except that we have to take along another flier, a fellow by the name of Nick Munson.” “Is he Royal Air Force?” Allison asked. Stan shook his head. “No combat training, I guess. He’s an American and is supposed to have flown test jobs over in the States. He’s signed up and we’ll take him along.” “What are we waitin’ for?” O’Malley cut in impatiently. 5 6 7 8 “One other thing I ought to tell you,” Stan said. “The Japs will consider us outlaws and spies. If they catch us, they’ll shoot us. This won’t be the Royal Air Force, this is wildcat work and mighty tough.” “The Chinese Air Force needs a helping hand,” Allison drawled in his most ironical manner. Stan grinned. He had known all along that his pals would go with him. “We may as well step across into the gardens and meet Nick Munson,” he said. The three fliers stepped out of the mess and walked across a broad plaza. Outside the iron fence crowds hurried along a narrow street. There was a babel of races and colors and castes which the wealth of rubber and tin had drawn to Singapore from every part of the teeming East. People hurried past, some of them half-naked, jinrikisha coolies trotted along, their bodies gleaming with moisture, pulling carts in which perspiring passengers sat fanning themselves. “’Tis no white man’s country,” O’Malley muttered as they crossed the street and shoved their way through the throng. They entered a palm garden and Stan led the way across a lush lawn to where a heavy-set man stood talking to a laughing group of native girls. The girls seemed to be enjoying the white man’s jokes and well able to understand him. Allison scowled but O’Malley grinned. “Nick, meet your future buddies,” Stan greeted the stranger. Nick Munson turned around and looked at O’Malley and Allison. He was a dark-faced man with close-set eyes and a tightly cropped mustache. His eyes darted over the slacks and white shirts of the fliers. Stan made the introduction brief. “This is Bill O’Malley and March Allison; Nick Munson.” “Out here for the rest cure?” Nick’s lips curled just a trifle. “Jerries got a bit too hot, eh?” O’Malley’s grin faded and his chin stuck out. “’Tis not so good I am at hearin’,” he said. “Would you be after repeatin’ that remark?” “No offense meant,” Nick Munson answered quickly. “I hear you are both aces.” “We have been lucky at times,” Allison said, his voice very soft. “They are two of the best,” Stan cut in. “You can learn a lot from them.” “I might and I might be able to teach them something. I’m signed up as an instructor to show the boys some of the new wrinkles we have developed over in the States.” Nick Munson smiled a little patronizingly. Stan looked at him thoughtfully. “I have had a bit of experience in the United States,” he said. Nick Munson did not meet Stan’s steady gaze. “That must have been a while back,” he said. “Not so long ago,” Stan answered, then added, “but we must be toddling along. I just wanted you to meet the men you’ll be working with. See you later.” They turned away, leaving Nick to amuse the native girls. When they had crossed the street, O’Malley growled: “That spalpeen better not try teachin’ me any new tricks.” “He’ll bear watching,” Allison remarked. “If he makes any more wisecracks I’ll sock him,” O’Malley threatened. “He made me mad first, so I get first whack.” Allison laughed. “Don’t be a nut, Irish. He’ll make a good man once he’s been up the glory trail and has had some hot lead smacked through his ship. He may even learn a few new wrinkles the Americans have not worked out.” He gave Stan a knowing leer. “Yanks are all a bit cocky at first.” “Nick isn’t a fair sample,” Stan said quickly. “Before you get out of China, you’ll meet a lot of fellows who are right good men.” They walked across the grounds to headquarters and turned in. Wing Commander Beakin was seated at his desk. In spite of the heat, he was dressed in full uniform. He frowned heavily as he looked at them. “Deserters?” he asked in clipped tones. 9 10 11 12 “No, sir, just recruits,” Allison answered. “China, eh?” The commander did not wait for an answer. “Well, boys, you can serve up there better than down here right now. We all know trouble is on the way. Japan is about ready to strike. The stronger China is, the safer we are down here. We have to keep supplies moving in over the Burma Road just as long as it can be kept open.” “Yes, sor,” O’Malley broke in. “That’s just the way we had it figured out. Once we get up there that road will be safe.” Commander Beakin’s leathery face cracked into a smile. “Aren’t you the pilot who brought in a new model German gun and laid it on the desk of my friend, Wing Commander Farrell?” O’Malley squirmed uncomfortably. Allison spoke up. “The same man, sir. He herded a Jerry right down on our landing field.” Stan laughed. “We shall try to uphold the traditions of the service, sir,” he said. Commander Beakin cleared his throat. He pulled a sheaf of papers toward him and glanced at them. Then he shoved them across the desk. “Lieutenant Wilson can take you to the Chinese general who will give you your credentials. These papers will release you and they will entitle you to return to this service without prejudice. I understand you are to report at once.” His face had returned to its flinty hardness, but his eyes showed the pride he had in his men. The three fliers gathered up their papers and about-faced. O’Malley seemed to have forgotten the heat. He set a brisk pace. Allison slowed him down. “What’s your rush? China will be still there when we get to Rangoon,” he drawled. They walked across town to the waterfront where the harbor was crowded with craft from every nation of the world. A mass of frail vessels marked the Chinese boat colony where several thousand Chinese, some of whom had never set foot on land, used boats for homes and as a means of livelihood. The waterfront was swarming with a motley crowd of races and colors, all jabbering and shouting and talking. Few white men were to be seen. “Our man lives in a little shack down a few blocks,” Stan explained. “He has his office in one half of a single room and he lives in the other half. But he has plenty of authority and Uncle Sam is backing him.” They hurried on through the colorful throng, hardly paying any attention to what went on around them. They were eager to be on their way to China and the skies over the Burma Road. 13 14 CHAPTER II CHINA WINGS Stan Wilson led his pals to a small shack on the waterfront and halted before a flimsy door of matting. Over the door and along the wall were Chinese characters painted in red. Below the characters was a faded poster showing a slender American girl in a riding habit and wearing a cocky little hat. The girl was holding high a glass of Coca Cola. Stan pointed to the familiar advertisement. “Looks like home,” he said. “It sure does,” Allison agreed. “Those confounded soft drink ads are plastered all over the world.” “Here is where you sign up. I was down yesterday,” Stan said. “Still want to head for China?” O’Malley eyed the dilapidated building, then his eyes moved up and down the street crowded with similar shacks. “Sure, an’ I’m struck dumb with admiration by the elegance o’ their headquarters, but if they have planes and petrol I’m joinin’ up.” “They have both,” Stan assured him. “Suppose we have a look inside,” Allison suggested. Stan tapped on the wall beside the door. After a brief wait the matting swung aside and a brown face appeared. Two glittering, black eyes regarded them. The doorman was a Malay, smaller than the average. His lips were stained red from chewing betel nut and his skin was a rich red-brown. “Come,” he beckoned softly. Stan shoved O’Malley forward and Allison dropped in behind. They entered a small room lighted by yellow rays which filtered in through a screen covering a high window. The room was divided into two parts by a long grass curtain decorated with painted cherry trees and mountains. Against this backdrop sat a gaunt Chinese at a small desk. He wore a white jacket and a pair of billowing pants. His deep-set eyes peered out at the three fliers from unmoving lids. Slowly he lifted a bony hand to his chin and fingered its carved outline. “Welcome,” he said in a soft voice. “Welcome and please sit down.” The only place to sit was on a bench before the desk or upon one of the many cushions scattered about on the floor. The boys seated themselves on the bench. “General, I have brought two men who hope to join the China Air Force. They are the men Commander Beakin reported upon, and the same men I told you about,” Stan explained. “I am grateful. China is grateful. To have three aces from the Royal Air Corps is indeed a great gift.” The general’s voice was smooth and controlled, but his eyes were searching and watchful. “There was to be another man. He should be here,” Stan said. The thin, yellow lips parted in a smile. “Mr. Munson asked to come one hour later. He informed me he had an engagement.” “Sure, an’ I’m thinkin’ this Nick Munson is a bad one,” O’Malley broke in. The general beamed upon O’Malley. “It is good to be of a suspicious nature. However, we have checked the credentials Mr. Munson presented and find them eminently satisfactory. He boasts overmuch, perhaps, but China has great need of instructors and pilots.” “We’ll handle the spalpeen, General. We’ll break his neck if he gets funny,” O’Malley assured the officer. “He may well break his own neck if he does the things he tells us are easy for him,” the general said without smiling. “We are prepared to be watchful, that is what Lieutenant O’Malley means,” Allison explained. “I believe as much, and so we will get on with the few details which must be settled. First, I must warn you that 15 16 17 18 efforts are being made to prevent recruited pilots from reaching China.” He smiled and went on with hardly a pause. “You will be paid one thousand dollars a month in American money for your services. You will be under the orders of our renowned general, Chiang Kai-shek, as regular officers of the China Air Force. I have made out the papers you will need to present at the air base from which you will fly. Once you have reported you will not carry these papers on your person. Should you be forced down behind enemy lines or be in danger of capture, you will divest yourself of your uniform under which you will wear Chinese clothing. This is for your personal safety.” “So the Japs won’t shoot us on sight?” O’Malley asked. “They seldom shoot prisoners. They use them for bayonet drill, lashed to a post.” The general’s eyes were hard and clear. O’Malley straightened aggressively and started to say something uncomplimentary about the Japs. Stan broke in. “Thanks, General.” O’Malley got to his feet and thrust out a huge hand. The general took it and gripped it. “Don’t you worry, sor. ’Tis no Japs will be botherin’ yer supplies once we get up north,” O’Malley said gravely. The general laughed. “You are most wonderful boys. I wish you good luck, and, as they say, happy landings.” Stan hesitated, then faced the general. “Where did you learn to speak English, sir? Many of your phrases sound very familiar.” “I come from San Francisco, where I was born. Like yourselves I am a foreigner helping a great people resist an aggressor. When the liberty of China is secure I shall return to San Francisco and my law practice.” There was a twinkle in the eyes of the general. March Allison laughed his old, cynical laugh. “A Yank,” he said and snapped a smart salute which the general returned. Out on the street a minute later he turned to Stan. “What is his name?” “Tom Miller,” Stan replied. O’Malley stopped and looked at Stan. “What sort of a country have you got over there?” he demanded. “By the shades o’ St. Patrick, if that general is Tom Miller, I’m Chiang himself.” “We have Irish policemen, Chinese lawyers and Hindu doctors,” Stan said without a smile. “I’m going over there after the war,” O’Malley declared. “Just to have a good look.” At that moment the Malay boy who had admitted them to the presence of General Miller appeared. “Come, please,” he said. They followed him toward the waterfront. At a small fruit stand they met a short Chinese youth dressed in white duck pants and wearing a flat, straw hat. Their Malay guide bobbed his head and spoke in Chinese to the youth. The youth smiled at the three fliers, revealing two rows of even white teeth. “Welcome to the China Air Arm. I am Tom Koo, flight officer.” “I am Stan Wilson. This is Bill O’Malley and March Allison,” Stan said. “Allison will command our flight.” O’Malley was looking closely at the soldier. Tom Koo was dressed the same as a thousand other Chinese they had passed on the waterfront. Suddenly he asked, “You come from San Francisco?” “Yes,” Tom Koo answered, “but how did you know?” “I’m an expert,” O’Malley answered. “Anyway, no man could fail to recognize a Yank.” O’Malley grinned broadly and Tom Koo looked greatly pleased. He turned to Stan. “You, too, are an American?” “I sure am, and we’ll show up the Irish and the British, Tom,” Stan said very seriously. The Chinese flier laughed softly. “That will be a very difficult thing to do. You see, I am informed of the records of Majors Allison and O’Malley.” 19 20 21 22 “It’s action we crave, Spitfires and Japs,” O’Malley broke in. “Japs you shall have in large numbers,” Tom said. “And spies and crooks and saboteurs to add to the excitement.” The smile faded from his face and he looked grim. “But first you have a boat ride which will take you to an island where we have a flying field. It is best that you do not return to your barracks. Your bags will be forwarded to you.” The three walked beside Tom Koo. About them milled shouting and laughing Tamil and Hindu traders, expounding the value of their wares. In the midst of such a group stood a fat Chinese. His shrill voice rose above the tumult and the shouting. Tom shoved his way toward the fat boatman. The boatman did not seem to see them, but others turned to look. The fliers wore street clothing and were taken for tourists who would have money to spend. “I will go on. You will speak to the boatman. Say you wish to take a boat ride.” Tom Koo moved away after giving these instructions in a low voice. Stan was closest to the burly Chinese. “We want to see things. Have you a boat for hire?” The boatman turned and his black eyes fixed upon the three fliers. His round, fat stomach bulged above the sash he had knotted around it. His head was shaven and smooth and his face was wrinkled into a mass of genial furrows. He was almost an exact copy of the little statues of the god of happiness they had seen displayed in the shop windows. He bowed stiffly and placed a huge straw hat on his head. “You payee—big?” he asked. “Sure,” Allison said. “American silver dollars.” The fat man looked around, then headed toward a junk moored at the wharf. The boat was high-pooped, square- sterned, made of carved wood, and staring popeyes were painted on the bows. On its deck was mounted a gun of a model which had been in use a hundred years before. Stepping on board, the three fliers found deck chairs under a canvass awning. Seating themselves, they watched the Chinese boatman maneuver his craft into the bay by using a long pole. The junk slowly proceeded away from the wharf, clearing the hundreds of odd-looking craft moored there. A breeze fanned lazily over them and the boatman hoisted a huge sail. The junk lumbered slowly out across the oily waters. Stan noticed that the man kept watching the shore. He wondered what the fat boatman was looking for. Junks and other craft were coming in or putting out, and a motorboat darted out from among the moored vessels. The boatman grunted and shrugged his shoulders as he gave his attention to his sail. After that nothing happened in the bay, so Stan gave his attention to the shore line falling away astern and to wondering if the American instructor would get out to the island. A number of small islands loomed ahead. The junk skirted the green patches so closely that they could see the natives going about their daily lives. The details of their tiny, palm-leaf shacks, standing on stilts over the water, could be seen clearly. The day was hot and steamy and the tide was running low. The receding waters left vast, flat banks of slimy, stinking mud, alive with crawling creatures chased by long-legged birds. Along the bank myriad mangrove trees hugged the shore, their naked, crooked roots exposed. “Reminds me of a basket o’ slimy, wrigglin’ snakes,” O’Malley observed sourly. “It all smells very rare,” Allison said with a grin. Stan was not watching the shore ahead, he was looking at a motorboat which had appeared off one of the small islands. It was the same boat that had put out into the bay at Singapore. It was cutting toward them, sending a white wedge of water foaming back from its prow. The Chinese boatman saw it and burst into a high-pitched chatter. “Looks like we might have our first taste of the stuff Tom Koo spoke about,” Stan said. O’Malley watched the oncoming boat with interest. “Sure, an’ we might have a bit of excitement,” he said eagerly. “We may have to make a detour to Rangoon,” Allison said softly. “Our boatman is scared stiff,” Stan observed. “If we had our service pistols we might have some fun,” Allison said. “But all we have are our fists.” O’Malley grinned wolfishly. He had gotten up and was leaning over the rail. The motorboat circled the junk and 23 24 25 26 27 came alongside. It was filled with little brown men armed with long poles. A chunky fellow stood in the prow. He shouted up to the boatman. “Yer delayin’ the parade!” O’Malley shouted down at the man in the prow. “Get that raft out of our way!” The leader of the crew looked up at O’Malley, then turned and began chattering to his crew. At that moment a white man appeared from a little cabin in the rear of the motorboat. Stan and Allison got up quickly. The man was Nick Munson. He stood looking up at O’Malley. “I missed the junk and set out to overtake you. I’ll be aboard in a minute,” he called to them. Ducking back into the cabin he came out with a bag. “Well, jest imagine that,” O’Malley drawled. Stan looked over at O’Malley and suddenly his eyes narrowed. O’Malley was sliding a service pistol into the ample pocket of his trousers. He moved close to the Irishman. “How come you filched a gun?” he asked. “We were to turn them in before we left London.” “I’m that absent-minded,” O’Malley said with a grin. “I got so used to the feel o’ Nora snugglin’ in me pocket that I jest couldn’t part with her.” Allison looked at Stan and there was a glint in his eyes. “Sometimes that Irisher shows a glimmer of brilliance,” he said. Nick Munson clambered aboard the junk. Dropping his bag, he wiped his forehead and sank into a chair. He spoke two words to the boatman in Chinese. “I reckon you learned to speak Chinese in a United States plane factory,” Stan said, and his eyes locked with Munson’s. “I picked up a few words along the waterfront in Frisco,” Nick answered. The motorboat roared away and the junk moved on its slow course around a small island beyond which they could see a larger expanse of land. Stan sat back and watched Nick Munson who was giving O’Malley a big line about dive bombers. O’Malley was taking it all in and grinning amiably at Munson. Presently they sighted low buildings on the island, then the gray and silver forms of several transport and bomber planes rose into view. As the junk moved closer they saw that the island was humming with activity. Malays and Chinese ran about and many white men mingled with them. “Hudsons and P–40’s,” Stan said. “Fine stuff,” O’Malley chimed in. “They got full armament.” “China, here we come!” Stan shouted. Allison leaned back and there was a sardonic look on his face. He puffed out his cheeks as he watched. “Not bad, old man, not bad at all.” Nick Munson stood up, his eyes moving swiftly over the scene, taking in all the details. His lips curved into a smile. “Ideal spot for an attack, no cover, nothing.” He spoke slowly as though pleased with the idea. 28 29 CHAPTER III CHINA The air base on the island was temporary and would be abandoned within a few weeks. It had been laid out to shorten the trip of bombers delivered to China by way of Australia and Rangoon from the west coast of the United States. Stan and his pals hurried to a flimsy headquarters building where they were met by a number of officials. Nick Munson went along, though O’Malley made a number of discouraging remarks. They presented their credentials and signed for uniforms and equipment. Tom Koo put in an appearance as the navigator who was to take them on the first leg of their journey, the hop to Rangoon. He did not say anything about the details of the flight, or the course, beyond running a finger across the map to show where they would fly across the Malay Peninsula. O’Malley was in high spirits and even offered to share half a stale pie with Nick Munson. He had discovered the pie in a small canteen attached to headquarters. Munson refused, so O’Malley devoured all of it. Stan walked around the grounds while they were waiting for their call to go out. He made a circle of the field and came back past headquarters. As he passed the door he heard Nick Munson’s voice. It sounded irritated. Munson was arguing hotly with someone. Stan halted just beyond the door and listened. “I want a single-seat bomber, one of those dive bombers out there. That was the agreement when I came over here. I’m an expert and an instructor. I fly alone.” A smooth but firm voice answered, “I am sorry, Mr. Munson. I have orders to assign you to Tom Koo’s bomber crew under command of Major Allison. If you wish return transportation to Singapore, that will be arranged. If you wish to go on to China, you will follow instructions.” “You’ll hear about this,” Munson growled. Stan hurried away. He did not want Nick to see him at the door. When he arrived at the Hudson they were to fly, he found Tom Koo explaining flight details. Nick Munson sauntered up a few minutes later and stood listening. “It is not unusual to be attacked by Jap fliers over the Gulf of Siam,” Tom Koo said. “They do not recognize neutral waters or soil. But you all know the Hudson can fly as fast as most pursuit ships and that she is well armed. Our only danger comes from spies flashing word of our take-off to the enemy. In that case we may be ambushed by a swarm of fighter planes.” He smiled at the fliers. “If you sight ten or twenty enemy planes, you duck and run for it.” “What if we sight half a dozen?” Stan asked. “We shoot them down,” Tom Koo said modestly. “Very encouraging,” Allison drawled. “Jest you furnish me a fighter to ride herd on the bombers and we’ll show the spalpeens,” O’Malley exclaimed. “The distance is too great for a fighter plane,” Tom Koo explained. “We just fight our way through.” Stan smiled. The Chinese were used to fighting with the odds against them. They had been meeting the Japanese that way for years. “We’ll take the Hudson through,” Stan said. “And if you hang a few eggs underneath, we’ll drop them on Saïgon just by way of a little token.” Tom beamed. “A very good idea. But we have no bombs here to take along. At our China bases we will find bombs —American made bombs and very good ones.” Tom looked at Nick Munson who was bending over the map spread on a box. Nick looked up. “Do you have two- way radio?” he asked. “Yes,” Tom answered. “But the radio will be used only by Major Wilson. One-man communication. The ship will be under command of Major Allison.” He turned to Stan. “I will give you the code and the wave length used at Rangoon.” “What if something happens to Wilson?” Nick asked. 30 31 32 33 “In that case I will take over,” Tom answered. They checked the charts carefully. Accustomed as they were to complete weather reports and detailed instructions, this flight preparation seemed woefully lacking. Stan shoved the code book into his pocket. Allison gathered up his flying orders and O’Malley strapped on his helmet. “We’re all ready,” Allison announced. “I’ll clear you,” Tom said. They climbed into the Hudson. Her motors were idling smoothly as she stood at the cab rank. A number of American mechanics smiled and waved to them. One of the boys called up to Stan: “We’ll see you in China in a week.” Stan lifted a hand and grinned at the boy. He moved back to the radio compartment. O’Malley manned the forward gun. Nick was placed in the rear gun turret forward of the twin tail assembly. Tom was at the navigator’s post. The field officer flagged them and Stan felt the big ship tremble under full throttle. She slid forward, gathering speed, her engines roaring and flaming. The afternoon sun gleamed on the oily, tropic sea and many birds were winging back and forth in the hot, burnished sky. The Hudson lifted and bored away and upward. Stan connected his headset and gave his attention to the code sheets spread before him. He had a feeling this would be a routine flight such as he had made many times in the United States. Everything about the ship was familiar and gave him a snug feeling. The instrument panel, the arching ribs, the cable lines, all were familiar to him. He could see the top of Tom Koo’s head, and he could hear Nick Munson muttering to himself as he lifted the intercommunication phone to his ears. Nick evidently had the mouthpiece hanging close to his head. Stan leaned forward and replaced his earphones. He dialed the wave length indicated on his code sheet. For a time he listened to routine orders coming out of the Rangoon base. But he did not cut in with any messages of his own. That would be taking unnecessary chances. An enemy radio might be listening. The time passed slowly. He heard his phone sputtering and slipped off his headset. Nick was calling him. “Get in touch with Rangoon?” “Cleared through O.K.,” Stan called back. Nick grunted and lapsed into silence. Stan went back to his radio. The hum of the twin motors beat into his senses and the radio messages clicked off and on. He eased back and closed his eyes. It was very restful, flying up above the layer of hot air close to the ground. He nodded and drowsed off into a nap. There was nothing to keep him awake. Suddenly Stan opened his eyes again. The first sense to register was his ears. He knew, too, from the sickening lurch of the ship that she was in a tight reversement, knifing over and going down at a terrific rate. But it was his ears that told him the Hudson was being attacked. There was the familiar scream of lead ripping through the dural surfaces of the bomber. Looking out Stan saw two Karigane fighters dropping down out of the sky. Above and behind him he could hear Nick Munson’s guns blasting away, while up ahead he heard O’Malley’s guns pumping lead. Stan pulled off his headset and caught up the intercommunication phone. The next instant the Hudson was looping back, flap guides screaming, as she faded into a vertical turn gauged to a split second. Allison was tossing her about like a light fighter plane and the Hudson was responding nobly. In the swirling patch of sky and clouds that whirled past, Stan saw at least a dozen of the Karigane fighters circling and diving, eager to get at the bomber. “Somebody must have tipped them off,” Stan muttered. Then he saw that fire was licking at the forward tanks. He pawed an extinguisher from its clamp and worked his way toward the leaking tank. The spray from his pump blanketed the blue flame forking up from the hole. The flame wavered, then went out. Stan went back and cut in his radio. He got Rangoon and heard a cool voice talking to a bomber flight. Stan broke in: “Hudson, Flight Three out of Singapore attacked by flight of Karigane fighters. Hudson, Flight Three calling. Do you hear me?” The cool voice came right back at him. “Hudson, Flight Three, I hear you loud and clear. Give your location.” 34 35 36 37 38