“I had hoped to catch Colonel Munson at the field and thus keep him from warning the enemy. He saw and recognized Te Nuwa’s ship and got away,” Stan said. “But if we go over at dawn we can catch them before they can move out many planes. I do not think their field has any large floodlights.”
“That sounds feasible, and of course it will be a job your men will enjoy.” The colonel regarded Stan gravely. “How will you proceed?”
Stan flushed. He wasn’t in command. The colonel had made a slight error there. But there was no time to argue.
“The spot is a jungle hangar. I think they will have to take off one or two at a time and rendezvous in the air for any attack or defense,” Stan explained. “If we hit there at daylight we can go down and smash about a hundred planes on the ground, as well as blow up their ammunition dumps.”
“Reasonable plan,” the British officer agreed.
“But I do not happen to be in command,” Stan said. “I am merely reporting for Colonel Fuller.”
“You have been in command a full hour,” the young Chinese colonel said. “Colonel Fuller has so much to do he cannot be up with his squadron.”
Stan started to protest but the colonel lifted a hand. “You are in command of the squadron at your field. You will be joined by another squadron from Base One. You will have twenty bombers and twenty-four fighter planes. You will command the raid.”
“Major Allison has always been in charge of our flights,” Stan said.
“Shut up!” Allison snapped, then grinned at the young colonel. “I beg your pardon, sir, but this Yank is stubborn at times.”