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The Battle of Kairiru and Muschu Island
"Three
B-25s, piloted by Captain Bert N. Smiley (Operations Officer), Lt. Herb Young
and Lt. Pruitt, all from the 17th TRG "Fight'in 17th" experience
their first significant combat on an armed reconnaissance mission. They flew
over Kar Kar Island, but found nothing. They proceeded to Wewak with
clear weather, and low scattered clouds. Spotting a ship off Muschu and
Kairiru Islands, they split up to attack a variety of targets. Prutt attacked
a barge setting it on fire, and a direct hit on a 'Sugar Charlie (500 ton
cargo vessel) in a cove on Kairiru. Smiley attacked a ship getting near misses
and a lugger, and strafing another barge, then strafed two Pete seaplanes
moored off Kairiru, and targets on land. Young bombed a gun boat, and
near missed a cargo vessel. On the south side of Muschu Island, a large concentration
of barges, reportedly the largest ever seen in SWPA was strafed. The costs
were Smiley's top turret gunner S/Sgt Victor McMullen, who was KIA. Young's
plane was damaged, a fire in navigator's compartment and causing the left
gear to drop out of the plane, and belly landed back at base."
Credit: 17th TRG "Fight'in 17th" pages 131 - 132 Date: February 5, 1944
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