TWO PLANS–ONE TARGET
If you are lucky enough to live a long life you start to know history first hand. Suddenly, what you’ve experienced and wondered if you would live to talk about, is something people want to know about. When I started talking with Scott Royce this summer, I knew that I needed more than two ears because the WWII experiences that I was starting to hear were historic, a tribute to American WWII planning and first hand.
Most WWII history buffs know about the Doolittle raid on Japan which was a retaliatory attack carried to their home islands and intended out to shore up morale on the U.S. home front while surprising the enemy. It took place during the early months of 1942 and resulted in the enemy having to maintain men and machines in unplanned defensive positions. The raid was one of the most famous exploits of the B-25 Mitchell bomber and a heroic personal story. All sixteen B-25s were lost, seven crew were injured and three were killed. Of the eight crew members taken prisoner, only four survived. Jacob DeShazer was a bombardier on the last B-25 to depart the Hornet, the Bat Out of Hell. The aircraft ran out of fuel after its bombing mission and the crew was captured. He spent 40 months as a POW and was the last survivor of the flight crews, passing away in his sleep at 95.
But what if Doolittle’s raid had failed to reach Japan? American sprit would not have been lifted and Japan’s feeling of impregnability would not have suffered. Not so fast; there was another secret plan, planned in parallel to ensure that the Japanese paid an early price for their attack on Pearl Harbor. Scott Royce, now 91, was one of a handful of Americans who know that, in addition to the Doolittle attack from the carrier Hornet, Air Corps Colonel Harry Halverson was slated to lead a China-based contingent of B-24 heavy bombers over Japan. Royce talked to me about his time with the Halverson Project.
Royce, two years out of college, held a reserve commission in the Air Corps and had been working on the B-24 as a very junior liaison engineer at Consolidated Aircraft. In the summer of 1941 the British Ministry of Aircraft Production hired him to help modify and put their new Liberators, as they called the B-24s, into action as anti-submarine patrol bombers. After December 7th 1941 and with the US Air Corps beginning to receive their first B-24s, Royce reasoned that his expertise would be of use to the U.S. forces. So he flew to Washington to find a job. In the halls of the War Department the first person he ran into was Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. When Royce explained why he was there, Doolittle told him he could use an assistant engineering officer for a top secret mission he was planning. Was Royce interested? What a question! In no time he was sworn in, given a top secret clearance, and was reporting to Doolittle’s office. While he was waiting to receive his assignment another Lt. Col. whom he knew slightly came by. He turned out to be a liaison officer with the Halverson Project. When he learned of Royce’s B-24 background he arranged to transfer him from Doolittle’s project to Halpro. Thus, Royce’s ninety-minute career as a Doolittle Raider ended. Since the Halpro mission was cloaked in secrecy and never fully executed there is little revelation about it the in history books today. Royce talked to me about his role and the mission.
B-24s were in short supply in January 1942. The only airplanes available had been flying day and night in the Accelerated Service Test Facility in Dayton. They needed new engines and a complete overhaul. R-1830 engines were used on several Air Corps models and were in even shorter supply than the airplanes themselves. The mission would be long, flying to South America, then across the Atlantic to Africa, then to India with multiple flights over the Hump to China, typically a 12-14 hour roundtrip grueling flight, which was the only way to get enough fuel, bombs and supplies to a secret airbase.
Royce went to Dayton, inspected the airplanes and reported that it was impractical to use them for the mission. For this and other reasons it was decided to delay the mission and expand it to 23 airplanes and crews. Royce was ordered to Mobile Air Depot (MOAD) where B-24Ds from the production line in San Diego soon began arriving. Royce designed modifications to the armament and fuel systems and as soon as these were in place sent the airplanes on to Florida.
Crew training began at Fort Myers, Florida in early April, 1942. Emphasis on maximum range operations was given to the 23 crews of eight men. As the Halpro modified planes arrived from MOAD crews were assigned to specific Liberators. Finally, 23 B-24D bombers departed for Karachi, India in three groups. Royce was designated the clean-up man. If a plane experienced difficulties en route, Royce would shift his baggage to the problem ship and remain with it until it was able to proceed.
By May of 1942, Allied setbacks in the Middle East had been devastating. Rommel had fought his way across Libya and was resupplying his troops 75 miles from the Egyptian border. The Suez Canal was in grave danger. The Italian navy roamed the Mediterranean protecting Rommel’s supply ships. The Ploesti refineries, in Rumania, out of range to British bombers and considered safe from air attack, were pouring out gasoline for Hitler’s armies.
The British appealed to the U.S. for help. Although not all of the Halpro airplanes had arrived at the Egyptian staging point, Fayid airport, it was agreed to divert the Halpro mission for strikes against the Italian navy, Ploesti and Rommel’s supplies. The first mission against the Italian Navy was success, together with a few RAF Liberators, the B-24s ran the Italians into port from which they never emerged.
By June 11th only nineteen of the Halpro detachment had completed the overseas movement and the task force was able to put up only 13 bombers for the 2,600 mile round trip to bomb the Ploesti oilfields. The distance was great and needed the use of the long range gas tanks, installed in the bomb bays. This allowed for only four 500 lb British general purpose bombs to be loaded.
It was considered a strategic mission by the British and 13 bombers left individually June 11 and early on June 12, 1942. The mission planners didn’t want to risk formation flying at night in the B-24s. One ship turned back while 12 others attacked the oil refineries the next morning. Smoke defenses and bad weather made the attack ineffectual but the surprise attack had lasting effects.
The Axis moved defensive guns closer to the refineries making it more devastating for follow-on raids and American planners gained an understanding of long range bombing. Not all of the airplanes made it back. Four landed in Turkey and were impounded. One ran out of gas and landed wheels up in the desert. In one raid Halpro had lost over 20% of its airplanes. At the time this was the longest bombing mission ever attempted and the first US strategic bombing raid against the Axis in Europe.
Meanwhile Royce had been shepherding stragglers across the Atlantic and the African continent. The last airplane finally arrived over Fayid on June 30th. As they prepared to land it was discovered that the nose wheel would not come down. A mechanic’s tool box had gotten stuck in the mechanism. After all his work Royce was not about to let a new B-24 bite the dust. With crew members holding his legs, hanging half out of the nose wheel opening, he was able to free the gear and allow the airplane to land. The first overseas movement of a B-24 bombardment unit had been completed without losing an airplane.
The Halverson Detachment began the war with a secret mission to bomb Japan but because Doolittle had showed the Japanese that they could be reached, and because the proposed base in China was reported overrun by the enemy, and because the need for heavy bombers in the Middle-east was so great, Halpro was ordered to stay and fight on in Africa. The remains of the little band was re-designated and built up to become the 376th Bomb Group (H). By the end of the war it was one of the most decorated groups in the Air Corps.
Royce survived the war and continued in the Air Force in various engineering and scientific roles. His last assignment before retiring as a Lt. Col. in 1960 was Executive to the Chief Scientist at the Air Force Missile Test Center at Cape Canaveral. Royce still flies his own plane and loves every minute of it. Closing our discussion he said, “Today not too many people realize the importance of heavy bombers in the Middle East at the beginning of the war. The B-24s denied Rommel his vital supplies and played a large role in his defeat by the British Eighth Army. Being chased out of Africa was the beginning of the end for the Germans.”
B-24’s make a low level Oil Refinery raid in 1943.
There is no doubt that the 3.4 million tons of bombs dropped by the Allies made a strategic difference in the war. 12,000 Allied heavy bombers and their crews paid the price of delivery. The Halpro bombers and later 376th Bomb Group (H) packed an early punch into the German defensive plan.
I want to say thanks once again to Scott Royce who experienced this story in living color, heard the sounds of heavy bombers as they lifted off the runway full of bombs and awaiting destiny. Without his help and editorial improvements I could not have told this story. Thanks to all of our vets who fought and are fighting to maintain American freedom.
By John Cilio and Scott Royce You can contact John at: questions@vintageflyer.com