Raider in the spotlight
Crew 14 - Pilot report John A. Hilger
| Chungking, China May 5, 1942. |
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| Subject: | Brigadier General J.H. Doolittlle. |
| From: | Airplane No. 40-2297 Pilot -- Major John A. Hilger Co-Pilot -- 2nd Lt. Jack A. Sim Bomb-Nav. -- 1st Lt. James H. Macia Eng. -- S/Sgt/ Jacob Eierman Gunner -- S/Sgt. Edwin V. Bain |
| Orders: | To proceed from Columbia, S.C., to Eglin Field, Fla., for installation of special equipment and completion of specialist training program. From Eglin Field, Fla., to Sacramento Air Depot for installation of more special equipment and final checks and then to Alameda Naval Air Station to be loaded aboard the U.S.S. Hornet. After sailing, all information was given out as to targets, routes, and probable time of attack. Take-off was ordered by the Naval Commander, however, ten hours prior to contemplated take-off due to interception of the naval force by an enemy sea craft. Take-off position was at Lat. 35°I O N, Long. 153° 23' E. Due to suddenness of orders no weather data was available and no new instructions were given. Each pilot took off on his original orders to bomb his individual targets and proceed to ChuChow for fuel and thence to Chungking. Definite orders were issued not to go to Russia. |
| Time of Takeoff: | 09:13 April 18, 1942. |
| Weather: | From take-off to within 200 miles of Japanese coast: scattered clouds with occasional rain showers. Visibility unlimited except in rain showers. Wind SW 12.
From 200 miles east of Japan to 300 miles east of China coast: Clear to high thin scattered clouds. Visibility unlimited. Wind varied from light shifting winds to E20 after passing the southwestern tip of Japan, then slowly swung to S5. From 300 miles east of China to destination: Overcast lowering to 300 feet with heavy intermittent rain. Visibility fair except in rain squalls. Instrument conditions from 100 miles off shore to destination with heavy rain. Ground winds at destination NE gusty up to 15 m.p.h. |
| Altitude desired: | Approach: minimum Bomb: 1500' Withdrawal: minimum |
| Actual Altitude: | Approach: below 100' Bombing: 1500' Withdrawal: below 100 ft. |
| Bombs: | 4 - 500# incendiary clusters. |
| Ammunition: | 900 rounds .50 cal. 3 AP, 2 incendiary, 1 tracer 500 rounds. 30 cal. 3 AP, 2 incendiary, 1 tracer |
| Targets: | Military Barracks at Nogoya Castle Oil storage warehouse NW of business district Military Arsenal in center of Nogoya Mitsuibishi Aircraft Works on waterfront |
| Secondary: | Any military objective. |
| Targets Bombed: | Primary targets. |
| Anti-Aircraft Opposition: | Moderate AA fire was encountered when we pulled up east of Nogoya to get our bombing altitude. Accuracy was very poor but altitude of bursts was exact. AA fire continued for ten minutes after we departed the target area. Size of bursts indicated 37-40 mm shells. |
| Pursuit Opposition: | Only one plane was seen in the air over Nogoya and it was not identified as to type and offered no attack. |
| Mission Report: | All primary targets were squarely it and when we were 20 miles south on our way out we observed a tall column of heavy black smoke with a mushroom head standing over Nogoya. The rear gunner saw many fires start in the military barracks. Speed of bombing run 220 m.p.h. Indicated. |
| Arrival in China: | When it became apparent that no landing could be made at ChuChow I warned the crew to get ready to abandon ship. When over the estimated position of ChuChow I had the rear gunner, Engineer, Navigator and Co-pilot jump in order. After they were free of the ship I trimmed it for level flight (A.F.C.E. Not operative) and abandoned ship.
I landed on a very rough mountain-top with only minor bruises. I wrapped in my chute and spent the night where I landed. The next morning I walked to a village at the foot of the mountain where I had landed and one of the villagers guided me to a road where we were met by a truck load of soldiers. I identified myself and showed them on the map the approximate location of my plane and the rest of the crew. They took me to Kuang Feng where I met three of my crew and spent the night. During the night my other crew member came in and the next morning the five of us proceeded by motor to Shang Jao and from there to ChuChow by train. We remained at the ChuChow air station until April 28 when we departed by train, bus and plane for Chungking. We arrived at Chungking on May 3, 1942 at 12:40. |
JOHN A HILGER
Major, Air Corps.
Take-off was made at 09:15 and approximately five minutes after previous ship had taken off. No difficulty experienced on take-off.
A course of 268° Magnetic was flown from the carrier and landfall was made near the cliffs south east of Tokyo. Course was then changed to parallel the coast until a point five miles off shore and south of Nagaya was reached.
One enemy patrol plane (similar to B-26 in appearance) was encountered 600 miles east of Tokyo but it is believed he did not see our planes.
The bombing attack was delivered at 15:20 (-10 zone time) and the targets attacked were (1) Military Barracks in Nagaya Castle Grounds, (2) Oil and Storage warehouse, (3) Military Arsenal, (4) Mitsuibishi Aircraft plant south of Nogaya. All the targets were the originally selected ones and all were squarely hit with incendiary clusters. Bombing approach was made at minimum altitude and bombs were dropped at 1500 feet and 200 m.p.h. Indicated. The rear gunner saw many small fires start and when we were thirty miles south on and way out and approximately 10 minutes after the bombing we could see a tall column of heavy black smoke over the city. I would estimate the height of the column to be 5000 feet and the mushroom head on the column would indicate very intense fires.
After the bombing only one enemy plane was seen to take off. It was a small monoplane but never attacked our ship and disappeared soon after it was sighted.
The volume of A.A. fire was moderately heavy but accuracy was very poor. Only two or three shots were close enough to be uncomfortable. The size of the bursts indicated that the shells were of 37-40 mm in size. No machine gun fire was encountered. No barrage balloons were encountered.
While over Japan our entire crew was impressed with the drabness of the cities and the difficulty of picking out targets. All building were grey and very much the same in appearance. The cities did not look at all the way we expected them to look from the information in our objective folders and on our maps.
The maps which we used were misleading because the contour interval was too great. We had expected to make a very low approach from the sea into Nogaya but were forced up to almost 1000 feet at times by low hills which did not show on the charts.
After the attack a course of 180° was flown until 15:45 at which time we were 20 miles off shore. Course was then changed to 225° and held until 16:00 at which time course was altered to 252°. The southern tip of Japan was passed at 19:18 and altered course to 262°.
After leaving Nogaya six cruisers and one aircraft carrier were sighted. Three cruisers and one carrier were in one group and three cruisers were in another group. These two groups were about fifty miles apart off the south coast.
About 300 miles off the China Coast we encountered rain squalls and lowering ceilings and about 100 miles off the coast at 20:15 the weather got so bad that we pulled up to 1000 feet and went on instruments. At 21:05 we estimated we should be over the coast line and started climbing to 7,000. We saw a few breaks but very few lights on the ground. At 22:20 we estimated we were over ChuChow and still on instruments. We had about 40 gallons of gas left and I changed altitude to 8,500 and ordered the crew to jump. The crew abandoned the ship quickly and with no confusion. After the co-pilot jumped I trimmed the ship for flight at 170 m.p.h. (A.F.C.E. Not operative) and abandoned ship.
I heard the plane crash shortly after my chute opened and the site was later visited by the co-pilot. The ship was badly smashed and had been stripped by vandals.
No injuries to crew members other than bruises and sprains.
The entire route was flown at 100' except when making the bombing runs and when on instruments near the China coast.
Only a few of those who jumped managed to save any rations, etc. and it might be advisable to construct as an integral part of the parachute harness a pouch that will carry matches (waterproof), condensed ration and a sheaf knife. Each crew member carried a compass and very few of these were lost. The gun belts carried the gun, canteen, first aid packet and twenty rounds of ammunition. Only two of these were lost in jumping.
When I landed from my jump I was shaken up but not seriously injured I was on a very steep mountain so I made a tent of part of chute and rolled up in the rest of it and spent the night there. The next morning I discovered a small village at the foot of the mountain and one of the villagers took me to a road where I met a military party out searching for us. I was taken to Kwang Feng, about 15 miles from where I landed and then sent to Chuchow the next night.
Pilot - Major John A. Hilger
Co-pilot -- Lt. Jack A. Sims
Navigator-Bombardier -- Lt. James H. Macia
Engineer -- S/Sgt. Jacob Eiierman
Gunner -- S/Sgt. Edwin V. Bain
JOHN A. HILGER
Major, Air Corps,
Pilot 40-2297
A.S.N. 0-2437
89th Reconn. Sq.
17th Bomb. Grp.
Mrs. Virginia B. Hilger
83 Parkton Road, Jamaica Plans, Mass
The Heroes of Doolittle's raid on Japan in april 1942
by Mr. Geert Rottiers
The book will be available soon.
