Thanksgiving in China
When supplies coming in over the Himalayan “Hump” by transport plane failed to provide the canned turkey intended as the highlight of Thanksgiving dinner, the 3rd Bomb Squadron’s cooks served roast duck instead. Purchased from local farmers who kept them on the move in search of food, the ducks were not noted for their “plumpness.” The promised turkey finally arrived and was served a week later. J. H. Mills collection
Thanksgiving on November 23, 1944, was not a memorable occasion for the men stationed at Peishiyi (Baishiyi). Lt. George P. Wood, 3rd Bomb Squadron communications officer, wrote to his mother, “All I can see is buffalo meat for dinner; would sure like some cranberries.” Because some of the extra supplies that were ordered for the holiday feast had not arrived, the menu included duck and not turkey, which was promised later. The Chinese-American Composite Wing’s intelligence officer as well as historical officer, Maj. Don Hummel, complained that the local duck was "a particularly stringy, muscular variety, never guilty of going to fat" and blamed their lack of plumpness on an "athletic life" caused by the Chinese farmers’ practice of herding them frequently from one rice paddy to another in search of food.
Lt. Paul L. Young, an American citizen of Chinese descent, was the squadron’s historical officer and intelligence officer. He omitted any mention of the celebratory feast in his monthly report, perhaps because the Thanksgiving holiday was not a part of his Chinese heritage. He commented that rain impelled Maj. Chester M. Conrad, 2Lt. Robert L. Logan, and MSgt. Grady B. Fuller to postpone their trip to Bangalore, India, for the purpose of exchanging two old B-25Ds for new aircraft. When they tried again two days later, they discovered immediately after takeoff that the electrical system of one of the planes was out of commission, so the trip was delayed once again. Wood commented that he “took a ride with the major” and that Conrad “had a difficult landing to make but he sure put it on the button.” The planes intended for trade-in finally got away after a delay of three days.
A three-ball alert that sounded at 1945 on the twenty-third lasted about thirty-seven minutes. My father, (then) Sgt. James H. (“Hank”) Mills, recalled, "During moonlight periods in China, the Japanese would send bombing planes over to bomb our bases, and part of the time they would transfer part of the squadron, me included, to Chengtu.” Allied planes had been frequent targets at Kweilin (Guilin), but no actual attacks had occurred since the evacuation to Peishiyi, despite repeated alerts. Now that the moon was waxing full, concern arose that it would be only a matter of time before enemy bombs hit the field. When the weather eventually cleared in late November, Maj. Conrad received orders to move six of the squadron's Mitchells farther back to Wenkiang (Wenjiang) in the western suburbs of Chengtu (Chengdu), situated about sixty miles east of the Himalayas and capital of Szechuan Province. “Brass” considered them to be safer there from night attack, and the shortage of gas prevented them from flying missions, regardless of their location.
On November 25, Capt. Robert C. MacNeil, 2Lt. Willar G. Ilefeldt, TSgts. Frank T. Jakubasz and Ewell F. Wilkerson, SSgts. John P. Barge and Isabel G. Mier, and Sgts. Norman L. Long and James H. Mills flew to Wenkiang for temporary duty. With them went twenty-six Chinese officers and enlisted men: Capt. Sun S. C. (X-221); Lts. Huang T. P. (X-273), Chang C. K. (X-817), Ching K. L. (# not listed), Teng C. C. (X-374), Kuo P. H. (# not listed), Chiang T. (X-822), Shen M. C. (X-130), Ching H. C. (# not listed), In Y. S. (X-826), Liu P. C. (X-882), Chen Y. L. (# not listed), Cheng Y. K. (X-821), Chen S. C. (X-748), Chang C. C. (X-137), Pai J. S. (X-274); and Sgts. Chen P. E. (X-2176), Liao K. T. (X-2149), Wie C. S. (X-1417), Chang S. N. (X-2157), Hsiao T. P. (X-2179), Yong C. L. (X-2145), Chung C. (X-1408), Chiu C. L. (X-2141), Kuo E. Y. (X-1402), and Pao T. (X-2286). Six B-25s were off at 1546.
While the squadron's B-25s were kept safe, their crews went to a nearby rest camp. Operated by Aimee Millican, a Presbyterian missionary from Seattle who had first come to China with her husband Frank in 1907, managed the facility at Kwan-sien. Mr. Millican had been imprisoned by the Japanese in 1941 and was detained in a POW camp near Shanghai until Japan’s surrender. Far removed from the stresses of battle and providing opportunities for physical and mental relaxation, several of these camps had been established in the western part of China for men who were showing signs of "war-weariness.” Available to officers and enlisted men in an anxiety-free environment were a variety of optional activities, as well as the finest food that was procurable in China. Kwan-Sien Rest Camp, "within easy driving distance" of Chengtu, was in a valley surrounded by the rugged Kwan-Sien (Qingcheng) Mountains just north of the city.
An article in The China Lantern provided a description of the facility’s attractions: “Nestled in the center of one of China's most scenic areas, the new camp provides all the equipment for complete recreation including ball fields, tennis courts, a swimming pool, horses for riding, and extensive hunting and fishing facilities.” For the “more sedentary” there was an opportunity for “a complete rest in comfortable quarters under the shade of stately cedars, fine food in the camp's mess hall and limitless possibilities for interesting scenic camera shots."
Maj. Hummel offered high praise for its many benefits:
The Chengtu climate, high, dry, and handsome, almost in itself was enough release from snuffling, fog dripping Peishiyi valley to have recuperative value. Even more the opportunity for ambling about in a house of many rooms, sleeping in a bed with springs, lounging before a crackling fireplace, and eating breakfast cereal flooded with genuine Holstein milk direct from the herd pastured on the campus lawn of Chengtu University, provided a week of non-military rest camp. For a week the GI soul, if not his body, was in mufti. For a week he saw American civilians, even though they had spent nearly all their lives in China, and more important, for a week he was not surrounded by military personnel and the soul deadening khaki hanging from their frames and figuratively entered into their blood and bone.
Hank described it as "kind of like a hotel" that was "operated by the government for soldiers.” Soon after his arrival, he learned that vitamin tablets were available, and he decided that he needed some. He had always believed that if a little will do some good, a lot will work wonders. "Since I hadn't had any for a while, I took a handful, and in a few minutes, I felt like I was on fire. I had to go to my room and start taking off my woolen clothes. Those vitamin pills hit me. I had more than enough!"
After the week of R&R at Kwan-Sien, MacNeil and his men moved into transient quarters at one of the B-29 installations that had been built in the vicinity of Chengtu. Hank explained, "Chengtu was the first B-29 base. The coolies built it. They leveled a place out and put large rocks down, then some smaller-sized, smaller-sized, on up to it was smooth. The first B-29s that came over sank through that. They were too heavy.”
These B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers of the 20th Bomber Command were based at four airfields—Kwanghan, Kuinglai, Hsinching, and Pengshan—in different areas of Chengtu’s suburbs, all constructed as part of Operation Matterhorn (code name for the systematic bombing of Japan) and intended for use as bases from which to stage long-range attacks on industrial centers of the Japanese home islands. All four of those at Chengtu (as well as at other bases throughout China) had runways built over rice fields by thousands of Chinese villagers from the surrounding area who labored as their contribution toward defending their homeland against Japanese occupation. The herculean task of building the runways was completed by Chinese laborers working without mechanized equipment, first hauling the rocks from the riverbeds to staging areas where they were sorted into piles and then on to the sites where runways were to be built. Long lines of Chinese resembling lines of foraging ants moved thousands upon thousands of rocks with nothing but “yo-yo baskets”: straw baskets suspended from each end of bamboo poles carried across their shoulders. Other workers then took the rocks and, using small wooden mallets, pounded away irregularities to form an almost-smooth surface before laying the rocks to construct the runways. Finally, massive stone rollers were used to compact and smooth the runway’s surface, readying it to support the massive bombers. Men, women, and children worked from daylight until dark in return for twenty cents and a bowl of rice per day. The bases served their purpose but were discontinued for use by the “Superforts” after Allied forces secured the Marianas and operations were transferred there.19
Hank, Barge, and “Wilkie” went into the city for sightseeing and took photos to document their visit. One of Hank's photos is captioned, "One of the gates in wall around Chengtu, China.” Chengtu was one of the most attractive of Chinese towns, with wide streets and modern buildings. There were quality restaurants with excellent Chinese cuisine, as well as others that catered to American tastes. Directed toward "the eternal souvenir acquisitiveness of the GIs" were its "silk streets and silver streets, and jade-and-junk streets,” according to Hummel.
Activities continued to be routine for the men at Peishiyi through the end of the month. The morning report’s tabulation of squadron personnel indicated twenty-seven present and thirteen absent of the forty Americans currently assigned. The delayed traditional Thanksgiving dinner was served at the mid-day meal. The menu included not only the long-awaited turkey (canned), but also roast duck, dressing, mixed green salad, French fried potatoes, asparagus, and blueberry pie. Afterward, a softball league that comprised CACW officers and enlisted men and 1st Bomb Group personnel was informally organized. Two games were played that afternoon. Wing clerks defeated both officers and Bomb Group teams. Brig. Gen. Winslow C. Morse, in command of the CACW, played first base for the officers' team. Scores were not recorded.
At Chihkiang (Zhijiang) during this period, detachments from the 3rd and 4th Bomb Squadrons were conducting operations as usual against enemy supply convoys, and a joint raid against Hankow-Wuchang (“Wuhan”) with B-25s and P-51s of the 68th Composite Wing on November 22 was especially successful. Despite the mission’s many hazards, all aircrewmen returned safely.
On the following day, men stationed at Chihkiang sat down to their Thanksgiving dinner "with gratitude in our hearts for the unequaled opportunity that had been offered us" and with satisfaction to be "again [fulfilling] our obligations in the combat theater.” Although 2Lt. Charles J. Portaluppi, Task Force 34’s historian, did not mention the menu, he focused on the holiday’s true significance and concluded, "But above the petty considerations of personal pride in our work and satisfaction for the meeting of duty, we gave humble thanks to God who had so far spared us.”
Following their brief holiday break, Capt. Moncure N. Lyon, leader of the successful Wuhan raid, led a formation of four B-25s that was off Chihkiang at 0935 on the twenty-fourth to bomb stores and installations at Siangyin. 2Lt. Thomas H. Edgerton flew as his navigator and Cpl. Lloyd E. Jackson Jr. and Sgt. Taun T. P. as gunners. 1Lt. Leo C. Baker was pilot of #43-5056, a new 4th squadron Mitchell only recently assigned to Task Force 34, and SSgt. James E. McCann was his turret gunner. Another 3rd Squadron pilot, 2Lt. Chu K. S, flew A/C #722 with Sgts. Tso J. C. and Wang C. L. as gunners, and Sgts. Liang Y. T. and Ho W. C. were gunners aboard A/C #714. The J models each carried twenty-two 100-lb. M30 demolition bombs, and the H carried twenty-two M47A2 incendiaries. Ten 5th Fighter Group P-40s flew escort.
Strong south winds carried the formation north of its intended course on the outbound flight, so planes arrived too close to the target to drop on the first approach. Edgerton was unable to line up on the target on the second pass. The formation then turned 180 degrees and made a run in the opposite direction, dropping at 1100 from 9,000 feet. All were on target except two that drifted to the right into the river. The pattern was about 1,700 to 2,000 feet in length by 150 to 200 feet in width and lay along the river front on the west side of the town. Thick smoke and dust drifting back over the target prevented an estimate of fires or other damage. Anti-aircraft fire was probably from heavy automatic weapons, moderate in intensity, and apparently accurate but mostly out of range. Crewmen counted more than twenty bursts, five or six of them from a position south of the town “and these uncomfortably close.” Most of the other bursts were slightly below and behind.
Another night mission to support heavy bomb operations by interdicting use of enemy searchlights at Hankow-Wuchang (Task Force 34’s mission #26) was off at 1900 on the twenty-fourth. Lt. Baker was the pilot of A/C #722 with a volunteer crew that included Cpl. Andrew R. Allegretto, Cpl. Jackson, and Sgt. Eril W. Peters as gunners. The aircraft reached the target area south of Wuchang and the 4th Squadron navigator, Lt. Young C. H., brought the pilot around to the Hankow side in a wide circuit, arriving exactly at 2100. Baker circled to the north of Hankow for nearly an hour, but it was evident from the fires burning in the twin cities that the heavies had already bombed. He then circled back to the Wuchang side and made a bombing pass near a fire spotted in Wuchang, dropping twelve M41 stabilized frag clusters at 7,500 feet on a run to the north. Another fire broke out, observable from ten miles away. A/A was moderate and inaccurate. Immediately ten searchlights illuminated, momentarily catching the aircraft in the beam, but the pilot dived out of the lights and evaded them before heading back up the Yangtze.
Baker soon became aware of two unidentified aircraft flying virtually wing position to the Mitchell. They promptly followed moderate change of course and altitude, and he was able to shake them off only by violent dives and turns. Thereafter the aircraft were seen frequently, and tracer flashed by from time to time as they tried to draw fire. The night fighters persisted in their attempt to pick up the bomber, but Baker took cover in a patch of overcast encountered near Tungting Lake and lost them. He proceeded toward home but encountered difficulty in locating the field because of extensive cloud cover. He finally found it after flying a search for ninety minutes and put the aircraft down at 0115.
Duties of Cpl. Jackson, classified as airplane instrument specialist, included inspecting, testing, maintaining, and repairing or replacing a variety of electrically, mechanically, or gyro-operated aircraft navigation and engine instruments such as compasses, gauges, and meters. Although specialists were seldom required to take part in combat missions, Jackson volunteered for this "second suicide mission,” as he later described it to his family, because Allegretto and Peters had returned safely from the mission against the Wuhan searchlights two days previously and had volunteered again for this one. His assessment afterward: "It wasn't so bad."
On the same date as this Wuhan raid came alarming reports that the Japanese had taken Nanning, 150 miles farther to the southwest of Liuchow (Liuzhou). By the end of November, many of the major airfields used by the 14th Air Force and the 20th Bomber Command had been captured and communication between Manchuria and Southeast Asia had been established. Maj. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer, in command of American forces in China, expected the Japanese to drive toward Kunming or to push westward past the Yellow River Bend toward Chengtu―or perhaps both.
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