Re: [IRCA] Mystery tone at 1610, 1020 and WWII

["Gil Stacy" <gilstacy@xxxxxxxxx>]

I found this interesting response  in my mailbox this a.m. from a WWII
pilot. These guys were and still are an amazing and special breed of men.
It was in response to my question regarding use of the RDF in the
trans-Pacific flight to Hawaii  by aircraft crews in the 345th Bombardment
Group of the 5th Air Force during WWII:

"My crew and I flew a B-25J to Hawaii from Susuin Fairfield, now called
Travis, to Hawaii in the fall of 1944.  We waited for prevailing winds and
lifted off at about 2 o'clock in the morning using nothing more than
celestial navigatioin and dead reckoning.  Our only consolation was that
picket ships were positioned on our course to be contacted only in a May Day
situation.  Hawaii had complete radio silence at that time. We were
instructed to fly at 6000 ft and cruise at an air speed of 160 mph to
conserve fuel.  My navigator was one of the best.  From Hawaii we flew on to
Christmas Island, Canton, Tarawa, Guadalcanal, and to our final
destination, Nadzab in New Guinea using nothing more our maps and dead
reckoning and without any radio contact. The rumor floating around  was
that a few of the crews were lost at sea although I knew of none.  I
was assigned to the 499th Squadron of the 345th Bomb Group and completed my
50 combat missions."

73, Gil NN4CW
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