#38747, "Too Hot To Handle,"

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>VPB-111 Bresciano</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="VPB111 Bresciano"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ppbchief@yahoo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ppbchief@yahoo.com"><U>Contact the Author</U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="id90.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="38895 McClintock CAC 10"><U><B>NEXT PAGE</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos Index"><U><B>PHOTO INDEX</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="38913, Rugged Beloved,"><U><B>PREVIOUS PAGE</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> December 1944. West Field, Tinian. VPB-111 arcft #38747, "Too Hot To Handle," crewed by CAC #9. Standing left to right: PPC Lt Cmdr R.P. Field; 1P Lt(jg) S.E. Traub; 2P Ens G.W. Ristvedt; AG ARM3c W.R. Coker; 2R ARM3c B.C. Beebe. Kneeling left to right: AG S1c J.G. Summitt; 1R A B.W. Grazulis; PC AMM1c E. Hendl; 1M AMM3c W.D. Barnard; Ord AOM2c E.W. Carl Jr. </div> <div> On 10 February 1945, Lt Cmdr Field and his crew were credited with and air-to-air shoot down of a Japanese "Tony" (Kawasaki Ki-61 Army Type 3, single-engine fighter, Hien [Flying Swallow]. At 1:00 P.M., approximately 790NM from its departure point, Tacloban, Leyte, and 29NM from Takoa, For! mosa which is located on the south west side of the Island, the patrol encountered two "Tony's" looking for a fight. One "Tony" feinted an attack while the other pressed in for an attack from astern. The attacking "Tony," when opposite the port waist hatch went into a chandelle to the left at which time S1c Summitt in the tail, ARM3c Coker in the port waist, and ARM3c R. Drake on the deck gun poured effective fire into the "Tony" after which it was seen headed into the cloud on fire. A moment later that same "Tony" was sighted heading straight for the Liberator, but before coming into range, it exploded and fell into the sea. </div> <div> On 13 May 1945, Lt Cmdr Field and his crew were again credited with an air-to-air shoot down of a Japanese "Pete" (Mitsubishi F1M2 Type O, single-engine observation seaplane. Around noon, after having left Puerto Princessa, Palawan Island, P.I. in the early morning hours, Lt Cmdr Fi! eld engaged the "Pete" just off the west coast of Celebes. After a short chase, the "Pete" came under fire from AOM3c Carl in the bow and ARM3c Coker on the deck gun. Three miles inland from the coastal town of Sanrabone and 16 miles south of Makassar the "Pete" was brought down in flames.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>#38747, "Too Hot To Handle,"</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1e0ee2f0.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="559" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> </tr></table></body>