1 June 1943

WITH MAJ GEN DOOLITTLE’S STRATEGIC AIR FORCES:

    In a fast moving, hard hitting attack that left the Stagnone [Stangone] seaplane anchorage in Sicily covered with burning and sinking seaplanes, flight after flight of P-40 Warhawks went streaking today across the sea-wall protecting the anchorage from the open sea, and down to the "deck" to spray lead at one flying boat after another. When Intelligence Officers totaled up the day’s score, it was found that 12 of these craft had been undoubtedly destroyed and 6 left burning. Such craft have been used to haul supplies from the mainland to Sicily.

    It was an early morning job and apparently caught the enemy unawares. Major Robert Baseler, Columbia Lake, Conn., who got two of the seaplanes said, "We just snuck in on them before anyone was up moving around, and got out before they really knew what hit them."

    As they strafed the flying boats, it was like "running the low hurdles in a track meet," to 2nd Lt. Rayburn D. Lancaster, Stephenville, Texas, who left tow of them burning.

    Among the members of the first element to hit the target was 1st Lt. Herbert W. Andridge, Jr., Pittsford, Mich. He described the surprise visit in this way: "We really caught them asleep – that is, all except one and he was taxiing to take off, but he never made it because Collins and I let him have it." Collins is 1st Lt. Frank J. Collins, Breckenridge, Texas, who added: "And besides the one that was moving, there were three more and we hit every one of them."

    High above the formation was another group of P-40s acting as high cover. Capt. Herschel H. Green, Mayfield, Ky., leader of one of the protecting flights, described the action below, "Down below I saw fire after fire spring up, just as if someone was lighting up bonfires. There were also some large fires caused by the boats that the boys hit on the way out."

    After passing over the anchorage they took time out to strafe four boats in the outer harbor, leaving them burning and sinking.

    Other pilots who figured prominently in today’s successful mission were: F/O Bill H. Slattery, Birmingham, Ala.; 2nd Lt. Charled R. Steffler, Houston, Texas; F/O Mark P. Boone, Peru, Ind.; 2nd Lt. Kenneth R. Rusher, taylorville, Ind.; F/O Albert J. Moon, Rochester, N.Y.; and Lt. James H. Jones, Dublin, Texas.

    The perfect summing up of the mission was provided by F/O Leninger who said, "We sounded reveille for that place today, but it was also taps for a lot of them."