CHAPTER 30 - Over and Under by Col. John Misterly, Jr.
The total darkness made one think of a black abyss; a bottomless pit as the huge crippled B-29 descended toward the angry sea below. The landing lights were lowered and turned on when we were within a hundred feet of crashing into the sea. The white caps were breaking on the surface with a vengeance; the sea was very turbulent. It looked as though it was waiting to swallow us up, what a bad break! But no use crying over spilt milk, the time of reckoning was at hand. My life didn't flash before my eyes, so I figured I'd make it.
The silence was broken as Bart called, "Get ready for the shock and remember after the first contact the plane may skip along so keep your place until we come to a halt and then get your asses out as fast as possible." The interphone went dead and now it was time to pray.
Heres Hopin' struck the water tail low and skidded along the surface for a short time then the nose came down and we went below the surface. I prayed it would not keep going down. The second shock was firmer than the first then the nose came back to the surface, what a landing in the wild sea! The plane was floating nicely as everyone scrambled toward his assigned escape exit. I exited through the astrodome atop the plane at the head of the tunnel and soon I was standing on the center of the wing trying to keep my balance on the slippery surface as the plane bobbed up and down. I rushed over the fuselage to help with the wounded. Everyone was out except Staff Sergeant John Wright who would forever be part of this B-29.
After we assembled on the wing the two rafts were inflated and lowered into the sea at the rear of the left wing. There was no panic, everyone took his time and in a matter of seconds we were all aboard.
"Bart, since everything looks normal I'd like to go back in the plane and get a few items we can use, like my sextant and a chart, they may come in handy," I said.
"Okay, but don't take too long this plane could sink any minute."
"Roger, I'll be back in a flash," I pulled myself back to the wing. The two rafts were secured together and tied to the extended flap. As I dropped into the hole where the astrodome used to be I waved to the guys as they watched huddled together for protection against the sea spray.
I entered the tunnel and looked aft and thought of John Wright back there all alone and shuddered. I slid down to the floor of the cabin and collected the items I needed and as I started to climb back to the tunnel I looked into the forward bomb bay and could see the water slowly rising. I poked my head through the hatch and called, "Here I come..." My words were heard by no one. The two large rafts weren't where I left them and a quick search of the black sea revealed nothing but threatening water. I yelled at the top of my voice, but no response was returned, they were gone and I was all alone! I yelled again and I thought I heard something over the howling wind, but it was probably my imagination, I felt a shock of fear go up my spine. What to do? I couldn't believe they'd run off and leave me, they knew I'd be right back. The line must have pulled loose and they couldn't get back to the wing, the current must be strong as hell.
I reentered the plane to get out of the wind and spray and tried to think, I had to settle down and use all the training I had, and then some. I was intimidated by the angry sea, which waited for me but knew I had to make plans for the danger that awaited me.
I slid down to the forward cabin deck and took stock of what I had to work with. I gathered up every useful item of survival and then decided what I'd carry with me and started packing my survival vest. I decided to take two one-man life rafts and use the second for extra items. One item I was happy to have was my pocket size survival manual, it should make future decisions easier. I stuffed my chart in my flight suit, then decided to go aft to see what I could use. First I looked into the forward bomb bay to see how much further the plane had settled, to my amazement the water had not risen appreciably. I climbed into the tunnel and crawled to the aft cabin. I saw John Wright still seated at the scanners position with a parachute draped over him. There was considerable blood and other distasteful remnants of the disaster. I decided there was little use looking around the area and returned to the front of the plane.
I looked at my watch and realized it would be getting light within a couple hours, it was time to get in the water. I cut some parachute lines and stuffed them in my pocket then pushed the two rafts and all the other gear I was going to take including a spare parachute up the tunnel. It was time to go.
I poked my head through the open astrodome and immediately felt the strong wind and spray. I pushed my two un-inflated boats onto the wing and climbed out after them. I inflated the extra raft and placed all the items I'd taken from the cabin in it and secured them as best I could, I hoped I could keep the parachute, it would help in so many ways, but it was heavy and could easily be lost. I inflated the other raft and then I tied them together and pulled them toward the rear of the wing. The sea was running from the front of the plane toward the aft and my first boat extended to the full length of its line as soon as it hit the water, almost pulling me overboard. I tied another line to the wing flap and then stepped into the raft. I untied the line and floated rapidly away from the B-29.
Within minutes the plane faded into the mist and I was riding the rolling sea. I again thought of John sitting in his seat, I was sad and frightened, I wanted to stay on the B-29 until daylight but couldn't afford that luxury, the enemy might find the plane or it could sink. I wanted to get as far away from the plane as possible, I didn't want to be taken prisoner.
It was hard to think clearly, I was drenched and almost seasick. I knew the sun would dry me out fast and hoped the ocean would calm down. I kept thinking of how alone I was and what a bad break to be separated from the others.
I decided to get everything shipshape. I started by tying a line from my leg to the raft in case I was tossed overboard. At times I'd see my spare raft on the rise or going down one of the deep troughs, but she was still with me. The white caps and swells were enormous; they towered above me eight or ten feet. Being at absolute sea level made my visibility limited, I could pass right next to a ship and not see it. I was fighting to stay in the raft as the sea tossed me around like a cork. I was lifted by the mountain of water and then dropped into the watery valley. I decided to inflate my life vest just in case I was thrown out. Just as I pulled the second cord to inflate my vest I flew out of my small boat and landed in the cold water. I was glad I'd tied the raft to my leg although it was pulling so hard I thought my leg would come out of the socket. I pulled on the line and soon I was holding the side of the raft. The sea motion made it impossible to determine which way I was going as I swirled around. It made little difference; I had no control over my direction, maybe by some miracle I wasn't too far from the others. There was little use trying to reenter the raft, I'd only be dumped out again.
After three hours in the water I saw the gray of dawn and was finally able to determine direction. The best part was that as it got lighter the sea calmed down a great deal, it gave me hope. I looked for my second raft but it was nowhere to be seen, it had pulled loose and now I had lost the parachute, the big water jug and a few other items, which would make my voyage more enduring. I still had the water in my survival vest, two whole pints. I tried to remember how long a man could survive on two pints of water, but it was academic, I'd be able to capture water when it rained and it surely would!
I busied myself taking inventory of my gear. I didn't have much, but I had enough to survive, assuming my raft didn't sink or get away from me. I felt sure I'd be rescued soon, but had to plan like I was going to be out for a while. I recalled a couple weeks prior when we'd received a distress call from a downed B-29 two hundred miles north of the Mariana's. We'd diverted to their reported position and came right over the two large rafts. We got our sea marker dye ready and made a standard rate turn so we would come back over them. I timed the turn and knew we hadn't varied; yet the rafts were nowhere to be seen. It took 15 minutes of concentrated search before we again spotted them and dropped the marker dye on them coloring the ocean yellow-green. As I thought of the event I knew how difficult it would be for anyone to find me in this immense ocean, and I wasn't within two hundred miles of Tinian. I was sure our distress message had been received, therefore I felt they had pinpointed our ditch location and would have little trouble finding me. I was cold, wet, hungry and exhausted. I pulled myself into the raft and reinflated my mae west. I tried to remember how long it had been since I'd slept and with those thoughts I fell into a deep, but troubled sleep.
The day broke with scattered clouds and a slight wind. The swells were still big and the troughs deep, but nothing like the night before. My little craft rode up and down and after the sun had been up for two hours a noise woke me. I searched the sky for the engine I'd heard, then I saw the Japanese patrol plane as it circled to the north of my position. I estimated the distance to be approximately four to five miles. It dawned on me; they'd found our plane! I hoped the Jap pilot would think we all perished in the ditching, but I knew better. They knew the B-29 was a good ditching aircraft and stayed afloat for a long time. I wished the plane ‘d sunk; now they'd expand their search and probably send out a surface vessel to look for us. As the Jap plane searched I went under cover. I figured the others had heard the plane and would take the same action. I pulled the rubberized raft cover with the green on one side and the yellow on the other over me. The green would blend in with the sea around me.
The plane circled and came over me as I held my breath, if they spotted me they'd probably strafe and I'd have little chance of survival. I was glad I didn't have the other raft, it would've made it easier for the enemy to spot me. I couldn't chance a look, but I heard the plane as it hung over my position, then I heard the noise diminish as they widened the search pat-tern, I was delighted, they apparently hadn't seen me. I had the feeling that all the eyes on the search plane were looking directly at me. If you'd ever heard a Japanese twin engine plane you'd know what it sounds like. They seem to have trouble synchronizing their props; it reminded me of an old washing machine when I heard the "Wah-wah". In the American flying services you were always taught to synchronize engines from the very be-ginning of your training.
The immediate danger had passed, but I had to stay alert because I was convinced they'd send a surface ship to investigate further.
All the excitement had dulled my senses, I'd forgotten the hunger and thirst, but now after being under the rubber cover I felt parched and hungry. I took a very short drink from one of the two tins and fastened the lid tightly to avoid any leakage. I decided to take inventory of my cache. I was sure I'd lost some of the items as well as the luxury items I'd stowed in the second raft. I had one life vest, still inflated; I stopped my inventory to deflate the vest. Two containers of water, one pint each; a small fishing kit, a first aid kit, life-saver candy, signal mirror, a jar of peanut butter, three K-ration dinners, a soggy map, knife, and my .45 caliber automatic encased in its plastic water proof cover which hung under my left arm in the shoulder holster. I almost panicked until I found the repair kit for the raft, I prayed I wouldn't need it. Chances were I'd be found before too long though I knew I'd better plan for a long stay by rationing all my stores.
I remembered the instructions I was given concerning conservation and rationing, always plan for the long haul, never take an early rescue for granted. I thought for a few seconds; water should be plentiful providing it rained and food should be avail-able directly below me, time would tell. I'd found the plastic water container in the lifesaving kit for water storage. I knew it would come in handy, it was a damn shame I'd lost my five gallon jug of water and the other items on the second raft, but there was nothing I could do about it. 20/20 hindsight would only drive me crazy, I promised myself not to agonize over the losses any longer.
After I finished my inventory I secured each item as best I could, it would not do to lose any more of my precious equipment. Now it was time to eat, and I was hungry. I thought of how hungry I'd get if I didn't catch a fish in the near future. I glad I still had my peanut butter; there was a lot of nutrition in that jar. I selected the breakfast K ration and decided it would be more fitting to eat the morning meal since it was morning. We'd always kidded about K-rations being the same and interchangeable. The taste was secondary; the nourishment was the important thing. Half of the meal should hold me; I'd eat the other half later.
The nylon line I'd cut from the parachute before departing the sinking plane would play a large part in my survival, I was sure. After I'd finished my first meal on the ocean I thought of how this small craft was my only means of support. Without it I'd be doomed. Extreme care must be exercised to be sure no sharp objects came in contact with its surface. When I used my trench knife I was very careful and returned it to the scabbard immediately.
The sun was now over head and the sky was as blue as the water. Under other circumstances I would have enjoyed the beauty of it all. I wanted to take off my flying suit and wring it out, but it was too difficult to move in the small space. Taking off the suit would be too much of a challenge, it'd be difficult to keep the raft from turning over and I'd had enough of that during the night. The sun had only dried the upper portion of my clothing. I would've liked to put my butt up in the air and dry it too, but again I couldn't maneuver.
The sea had calmed and the swells were approximately 3 to 4 feet making the ride more comfortable. I felt the side of my raft and decided it should be inflated more, I pulled the protected small hose from its housing, took a deep breath and blew, and I could feel the raft tightening and was happy to know it held all the air.
One of the most important things was to keep myself busy and that was difficult in the space I had to operate in. Fishing would be a great time waster as well as being beneficial. I took the small fishing kit and examined its contents. The kit only measured 3 by 4 inches, but it had many useful items of tackle. Line, hooks, lures, leaders and colored cloth to use for bait, I sure hoped it'd catch fish! I wondered what kind of fish I’d catch? I pulled out my water soaked survival manual and care-fully searched through the book for the information. I came across a picture of sharks, there was no way I wanted to see one of them! The Japanese are great fisherman so I was sure there were edible fish in these waters. Then I remembered that the Japanese ate a lot of shark, Christ! I hoped there was more than shark out there! I didn't want to think about it. I prepared a line and started fishing. After two hours of having no luck and tying almost every combination I decided to quit for the day, maybe they'd bite better tomorrow.
I had to fix a routine, but what would I include? I knew I had to keep busy. It would help the time pass quicker if I included fishing and singing, what a life! It was then that I heard the faint sound of aircraft engines. I scanned the sky and finally saw the planes high to the west; they were B-29's heading
for Japan. It made me feel better thinking of them going up there to kick some ass, I sure wished I was up there with them instead of down here bobbing like a cork. I knew it was useless to signal they were too far away and they wouldn't be looking for a tiny raft out here in the middle of the ocean. I strained to see the tail markings, but they were too high and far away to distinguish. If what they told us at briefing was true there would not be many more missions to Tokyo. After what I saw last night I believed it.
I settled back and rode my small boat over the waves as the afternoon wore on then I had a familiar urge which in the past caused little thought, but now I had to figure out what to do about it, and how! The unmistakable feeling got stronger and there was no time to waste, but how would I accomplish this biological function? I pondered the problem for a few seconds and decided the only way to take care of it was to take off my flying suit and let myself into the sea. I wiggled and struggled and wiggled some more and finally got the one piece flying suit down to my waist and then over my boots. I then removed my boots and all other clothing and secured it neatly in the raft. I had to be most careful not to over turn the raft as I slipped into the water. I went over the low end of the raft and into the chilly sea, it almost took my breath away. I'd become used to salt water baths, but this was ridiculous! I'd never tried to relieve myself in this manner and it took a few minutes for me to empty my bowels, I hoped the debris wouldn't attract a big fish. I'd fastened the raft to my upper arm so it wouldn't get away from me. I then pulled myself around to the opposite side of the raft trying not too cause too much confusion on the surface; it was known that sharks sometimes attack when they think they have a wounded fish near the surface. I quickly pulled myself aboard and wished again that I had the parachute to use as a towel, I'd have to stay naked and let the warm sun dry my body. I knew I'd have to enter the ocean at least once a day and the thought of not knowing what was waiting for me was unnerving to say nothing of freezing my balls off!
It took but a few minutes for both my body and the clothing I left in the raft to dry. I knew I'd get better at this ritual, if I had to repeat it for very long, I was a regular guy.
I was gaining confidence in my little raft as time passed, I prayed I wouldn't have another hellish night. Each time my raft had turned over I'd had to pull myself back into it after deflating my mae west and then re-inflating it after I was safely aboard. The trouble was that I didn't stay aboard for very long. It was most tiring to reenter the raft time and time again. The maneuver was accomplished by holding the small part of the raft with both hands and then pulling it down as you raised your body. After fighting the ocean and pulling myself onto the raft a few times I was exhausted. I'd gone through a self-debate whether to keep my pistol and after pondering the question for some time decided I might need it to ward of the enemy or possibly a large fish. The discomfort of wearing the heavy pistol would have to
be endured. I'd removed it from my shoulder holster and stowed it securely in the raft, I hoped I wouldn't have to use it. After dressing and enjoying the warm rays of the sun I started to day dream about my love, far off in Australia. I felt things would probably never work out for us, but her lovely vision was avail-able by merely closing my eyes and it was most com-forting to me. It was at that exact moment I heard the sound of an airplane. I immediately prepared to either cover the raft from view, or turn the yellow side up to make myself more visible. I was having trouble determining what direction the plane was coming from. If it came from the north it would surely be the enemy, however, if from the south it could be friendly. I reached for my signal mirror and was ready in any case. Yes, the plane had a smooth sound and was coming from the southwest, it was a PBY, a Navy patrol plane. Oh God let him see me! I flashed my mirror and waved the yellow cover. He circled some distance from me then headed further to the southwest. He was going away, I prayed he'd come back. I could barely hear the engines, but there was no doubt in my mind the plane had made a landing.
Within minutes I heard the engines revving up as the throttles were advanced. I was out of eye view and could only pray they would search further. Then off in the distance I saw the big floatplane rise into the sky and fly off in the same direction he'd come. They must have found Bart and the others, they probably couldn't spare the time to look for me because of the wounded men, I told myself, as fear and anger overtook me. After a few minutes of total frustration I tried to rationalize, they must have felt the need to rush the wounded to the hospital, which means one or more of them were in pretty bad shape. I was sure Bart would know I wasn't too far off and would get a rescue team back for me, but I was very disappointed at what had just transpired and knew it would take some time to get back to nor-mal, if there was such a thing floating out here in the north Pacific in Japan's back yard.