Page Two
CLOUDBUSTER
Friday, February 2, 1945 j
CLOUDBUSTER
Vol. 3—No. 20 Friday, February 2, 1945
Published weekly under the supervision of the Public
Relations Office at the U. S. Navy Pre-Flight School, Chapel
Hill, N. C., a unit of the Naval Air Primary Training
Command. Contributions are welcome from all hands.
The Cloudbuster receives Camp Newspaper Service ma
terial. Republication of credited matter prohibited without
permission of CNS, War Department, 205 E. 42nd St.,
N. Y. C.
Lieut. Comdr. James P. Raugh, USNR
Commanding Officer
Lieut. Comdr. Howard L. Hamilton, USNR
Executive Officer
Lieut. Leonard Eiserer, USNR
Public Relations Officer
Lieut, (jg) Francis Stann, USNR
Editor
R. D. Jackson, PhoMIc Harold Hanson, Sp(P)2c
photographers
The Lighter Side...
Chief; Yes, he’s a bit bashful, but he led
a sheltered life.
Cox: What do you mean, a sheltered life?
Chief: He was 27 years old before his
mother let him read the ladies’ side of the
laundry list.
They carefully carried the wooden box
out of the station hospital and put it into
the hearse.
“Poor Jim,” said one cadet.
“Poor Jim, nuts!” said his mate. “I still
think that guy is gold-bricking.”
Ensign (as they finished dinner): “Er,
er—how about a little demi-tasse now, my
dear?”
Chorus girl: “I knew it! You weren’t
treating me like this for nothing!”
“Who are those people who are cheering
us?” asked the recruit as they marched to
the train.
“Those,” replied the veteran, “are the
ones who are not going.”
Mac: “ril call you when I get back -from
this cruise. Whafs your phone number?”
San Diego cutie: “Plaza 2222; but if a
man answers—the war’s over!”
CO (at mast): “And who was driving
when you hit that pole?”
AMM: “No one, sir. We were all in the
back seat.”
A Californian arrived at the gates of
Heaven and asked for admittance.
“Where are you from?” inquired the
genial saint.
“Los Angeles.”
“Well, you can come in, but you won’t
like it.”
Progress in American production methods
is illustrated by man-hour and money sav
ings effected in turning out Republic P-47
fighters.
Man-hours for construction of a Thunder
bolt have been slashed more than two-thirds
from the 22,927 required in 1942 to 6,290,
reducing the unit cost of the plane from
$68,750 to $45,600.
The economy was gained through instal
lation of continuous production lines and
simplification of the work of each employee
on the lines, and also through elimination
of unnecessary equipment and re-design of
many elements.
Perfect Defense By Air Group
While Air Group 15, led by Comdr. David
McCampbell, USN, established an unparal
leled record in terms of enemy planes and
ships destroyed, the achievement of which
it is reported to be most proud is that not
a single dive bomber or torpedo plane was
lost to enemy fighters under its escorting
cover. Moreover, the Essex, on which it was
based, never was hit by enemy bombs, tor
pedo, or bullets. And the big carrier never
was forced to fire a gun in its own defense.
In setting new carrier group records, the
“Fabled Fifteen” flew more than 7,000 indi
vidual sorties, which required more than
20,000 hours of combat flying. The pilots
and aircrewmen expended approximately
1,500 tons of bombs, 1,700 rockets, 50 tor
pedoes, and more than 1,700,000 rounds of
machine gun ammunition.
Arctic Tests for Jet Planes
The Army’s jet propulsion planes are un
dergoing Arctic tests in Alaska, it is dis
closed by an official Army publication, the
magazine Air Force, suggesting that the
tests are intended to fit the plane for use
under any climactic condition. The Amer
ican jet plane had its initial secret tests in
the hot, sandy desert at Muroc, Cal.
Air Force indicates that the Alaskan
tests probably concern fuel viscosity and
other fuel problems, “since kerosene does
not act like gasoline at low temperature.”
The jet engine can operate on virtually any
hydro-carbon fuel, such as kerosene, gaso
line, or alcohol.
“At present,” the publication says, “the
engines make a heavy drain on the plane’s
fuel supply at low altitude, but they use
about half as much at extremely high alti
tudes, where consumption is about the same
as gasoline used by conventional engines.”
Enemy Pockets
By Lt. (j.g.) W. O. Shanahan
It is not known generally that 300,000 to
400,000 enemy troops occupy strong posi
tions behind our lines in both the European
and Pacific theaters of war. While these |
enemy garrisons are not an active menace
to our operations, they are a continual
nuisance and they keep allied forces tied
up in siege work. Few if any of these gar
risons have shown an inclination to lay
down their arms; all are full of fight and
some are so fanatical that they may not
give up even though their country surren-1
ders. I
Some information about these enemy pock
ets has been provided by Hanson Baldwii^
in a recent article in the New York Times.
Along the Atlantic coast German garrisons
still deny us the use of important French
ports. About 15,000 men are entrenched
around Dunkirk; 30,000 in the Channel Is
lands; 30,000 in Lorient; 30,000 in St. |
Nazaire; 18,000 in La Rochelle; and 32,0001
in the estuary of the Gironde controlling
the approaches to Bordeaux.
Except for the garrison in the Channel
Islands (lying off the French coast slightly
west of Cherbourg), each unit is well pro
vided with food and ammunition and ap'
parently receives medical supplies and
small arms by submarine or transport
plane. Since Guernsey and Jersey, the
largest of the Channel Islands, have a good
sized civilian population, arrangements have
been made by the allies to supply the civil'
ians with food.
The Canadians have attacked DunkirK
but no other serious attempt has been made
to dislodge the Germans from the Frenclj
coast. French Forces of the Interior and
American and British patrols keep a close,
watch on all of them, however. |
Jap Forces Isolated
Japanese forces cut off and left behind
by the rapid advance of the U. S. Navy
across the Pacific are perhaps less danger'
ous than the Germans. They are not
close touch with Japan and in the great
reaches of the Pacific we can avoid thei^
strongholds. It is estimated that there are
20,000 Japs in the Palau Islands; 10,000
the Carolines; 25,000 on Truk; 5,000 ofl
Ponape; 5,000 on Wake; 15,000 in the Mar'
shalls; 25,000 on Bougainville; 10,000 ot\
New Ireland; 40,000 around Rabaul, am
45-60,000 scattered along the coast of Ne'^
Guinea.
Some of these units, particularly in thei
Marshalls, are dying of starvation. Oi'l
Bougainville and New Britain the Japs ar*^
growing their own food. Our planes mal^^
occasional sorties over these gardens spray'
ing them with Diesel oil. This service
not intended to kill the parasites on tlJ^
plants!
Male Call
by Milton Canift, creator of "Terry and the Pirates"
Well, Slip My Cable
captain/ isn't it emouoh
THAT I AM STDCK IN THIS PLACE
IN6T6AD OF &£IN6 OVERSEAS
WHEEE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD
mean S0METHIM6 ? A^UST I
BB TREATED TO A 5H0W OF
INSUBORDINATION AS WELL?
DON'T you teach THE MEN /'oH,YES
SIR. '
BtlT-
TA*;£ COVER.'
HERE COMES THE
OLD MAN FIR.ING
FOR EFFECT.' HIS
HAM AND B669
DON'T FIT THIS
M0RNIN6J
he's a WESTERN ^
UNION MESSENC5ERW
I SEUEVB THE INSIGNIA
OF MY RANK, SHOWS CLEARLY
ENOUeH TO CONVINCE THIS
, PRODUCT OF YOUR LEADEKHIP
THAT I AM A COLONEL IN
THE UNITED STATES ARMV-
YET We stands THERE
5TARIN6 AT ME/
HUH?
WHAT'S
THIS ?
UNDER YOU TO SALUTE ?
J