CACW Enters Combat
Officers of the 2nd Bomb Squadron taken at Kweilin. I have identified a few of them. Front row: William L. Daniels (2nd from left), Charles D. Miles (3rd from left), and Wilbur I. Taxis (2nd from right); middle row: William L. Curik (3rd from right), and Mark T. Seacrest (2nd from right). Frank T. Jakubasz collection
The 2nd Bombardment Squadron (“Avengers") of the 1st Bombardment Group, with the 28th and 32nd Fighter Squadrons of the 3rd Fighter Group, received movement orders on October 17, 1943, and became the Chinese-American Composite Wing's first increment to move from India to China. They flew their planes over “the Hump” to provide air support for Chiang Kai-shek's ground forces in accordance with Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault's plan. With six B-25s under the command of Maj. Thomas F Foley, the 2nd Bomb Squadron became the first CACW unit to reach China, arriving at Yangkai in South China on October 25, 1943. Within a few days, the next contingent of three bombers led by group commander Lt. Col. Branch followed, and finally the remaining three. It was not long before they were ordered into action.
The CACW officially entered combat on Thursday, November 4, when three 2nd squadron B-25s flew on a mission out of Erh Tong airfield at Kweilin (now Guilin) down to the coast. In a joint raid with Mitchells of the 11th (“Sky Dragons”) Bomb Squadron, 341st Bomb Group, 69th Composite Wing, 14th Air Force, this was a sea sweep to hit Japanese shipping at Swatow Harbor. Maj. Foley flew in the lead, with a Chinese pilot identified only as “Lt. Kao” and a full Chinese crew on his wing. Maj. Foley's Mitchell successfully bombed and strafed an enemy cargo vessel and sank it, although subsequent reports revealed some problems.
The November 12, 1943, issue of CBI Roundup praised the successful initial efforts:
14TH AIR FORCE HQ. - During the past week, the 14th Air Force rained destruction upon Japanese troops, installations, shipping and Japanese-occupied towns. As a result of these missions, during which the newly arrived Chinese-American Composite Wing participated for the first time on November 4, six large enemy vessels were sunk and one more was probably sunk. On a raid against the Swatow Airdrome, three Jap fighters and one bomber on the ground were damaged.
Unfortunately, this date also marked the first CACW bomber crew to be lost. Aircraft #98, a B-25D piloted by Lt. Kao, was damaged by ground fire while attacking enemy cargo vessels in Swatow Harbor. Later that night, Lt. Kao's plane crashed south of Liuchow, killing all on board. No given name was provided in the 1st Bomb Group’s monthly historical report, and no operational intelligence report for this first combat mission has been discovered. However, a search of early CACW monthly historical reports provides clues. He was perhaps 2nd Lt. Kuo Wang-chuen, transferred from the Chinese Air Force per orders dated October 22, or 1st Lt. Kuo Huan-chang, listed on flying status in October.
Capt. William P. (“Kit”) Carson flew the third Mitchell, A/C #276, on the wing of “an Eleventh Bomb plane.” They were separated in turbulent weather, and Carson became lost. “With the loss of an engine in threatening weather,” he was forced to crash land—accomplished successfully and without any injury to personnel. His Chinese radio man bailed out prematurely but rejoined the group later, according to the initial report. (The description of operations on this date is confusing, and this may have been a separate mission that took off soon after Foley and Kao.)
A few days later, more details for this mission were added to the monthly report:
Additional information on November 4 mission – Report of first bomber lose [sic.] proves correct with the verification of the crash of plane #98 near Wuchow following an attack on shipping in Swatow Harbor. On that day, Major Foley, Captain Carson, and Lt. Kao accompanied 11th Squadron bombers on sea sweeps. Malfunctions of guns and bomb releases harassed both Major Foley and Lt. Kao. The resultant delay over cargo boat targets caused Lt. Kao to become separated from the other bombers. While it is believed that #98 was damaged by enemy fire, the aircraft was reported to be flying two hours later. The crew probably was unable to find the base and eventually crashed. Lt. Kao’s desperate and courageous, though perhaps foolhardy, attacks repeatedly made on the enemy vessel stand as a living tribute to the spirit of all allied nations. The causes of the disaster present a stern challenge to the industry, efficiency, and initiative of those who carry on the fight. The boat under attack during the raid was later confirmed sunk due to damage caused by a salvo of bombs released by Major Foley’s plane.
A second ship crashed that day. Capt. Carson, flying #267 on the wing of a 11th bomber, was forced down due to flak damage. This second mission was also a sea sweep, along the south China sea coast. Both bombers made runs over enemy boats. Capt. Carson was hindered by faulty bomb release. During one of the runs, flak severed the gas line in the bomb bay. Capt. Carson became separated from the other bomber when instrument weather was encountered enroute to Kweilin. The plane lost the right engine at 12,000’. Capt. Carson dropped down through the overcast and attempted to work a direction-finding problem. Upon attempting to contact his Chinese radioman, he found that the latter had bailed out. When the one good engine began detonating and losing power, the pilot made a crash landing near a railroad at Ishan at 1430. The crew escaped injury and the plane was salvageable.
Despite a less-than-impressive start, the 2nd Bomb Squadron went on to stablish an enviable record of combat operations, officially completing 331 missions when the cease-fire was called in August 1945. Many of them were joint missions with the 3rd Bomb Squadron, the last of the CACW’s four bomb squadrons to reach China.
(Mission details taken from Air Force Historical Research Agency records, Microfilm Reel #B0035).
Want to know more? Find it in The Spray and Pray Squadron: 3rd Bomb Squadron, 1st Bomb Group, Chinese-American Composite Wing in World War II.