“Off to the right! Jap planes on the right!” Stan shouted into his flap mike. “Coming under the cloud.”
“Peel off and after them!” Allison chimed in.
“Sure, an’ I’m on me way!” O’Malley yelled back.
“Hold formation!” Munson bellowed. “I’m giving the orders here.” His voice blurred out in a blast of static.
The three P–40’s on the right end of the line formation ducked and darted away. The others stayed in formation, following orders.
It soon became evident what the Japs were after. They were diving on the hangars and planes on the ground at the field. The three P–40’s went in with Allison in charge. They cut across the neat enemy formation and there was a scattering of ships. In and out, back and forth roared the three members of Flight Five. The twenty Japanese planes gave up the idea of strafing the field installations. They turned to the task of smacking down the roaring demons that had hurtled down on them. Three Japs went down in flames under the first dive.
Stan came back through with his thumb on the gun button. He twisted and turned; but he could not get a Jap in his sights. As he went up, he saw that O’Malley had learned his lesson. The Irishman was topping a high-zoom and coming back over, belly to the sun. As he went in, Stan saw him saw a wing off a Karigane and send it spinning to the ground.
The Japs seemed to be panicked by the savagery of the attack. They whirled and fled back toward their bases. The three victorious P–40’s roared up into the sky and circled. Allison’s voice came in with a slow drawl:
“Does that formation headed for Rangoon look like bombers?”
“It does,” Stan called back.