General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

aircraft for this highly hnznrllons mission. On the morning of 10 November.
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thirty-three P-38 aircraft o1 the group took off from Wama Strip, hlorotai. Each
plane carried one 1000~ound annorqiereing bomb and one 30o-gallon belly tank.
Arriving over Ormoc Day early in the afternoon, the group cnme upon a large
Ja~rnnerie troop transport protected by two light cruisers and four destroyers.
Although eight aggressive enemy tighter airplmes made desperate attempts to
break up their formntion, and although the ships below sent up an intense harrage
uf antiaircraft fire which brought down three of the P-38's nud seriously
damaged another, the pilots of the IEtIl PigZte~. Group (38) completed their
bombing runs on Lhe transport and scored two direct hits, sinking the vessel nlmoat
immediately. In the action which foilowetl, the group sank a destroyer with
a direct hit, scored several damaging near-misses on the remaining destroyers
and the cruisers, and left one destroyer with its deck in flames. Engaging the
intercepting enemy lighters, two of the F-58's probably destroyed one and darnaged
another. The groug then flew to Tadoban Strip on Byte. The following
morning cight airplanes of the group took off from Taclobnn on a search of the
area in whieh the engagement of thc previons day had taken place. In the
vicinity of the Visnynri Sea, seven enemy figliters attacked the formntion, and in
the ensuing battle, two enemy airplanes aere shot down, one other was probably
destroyed, and the remainrler aere forced to flee. Attacked ahut 50 minutes
later by an overwhelming force of 40 to 50 enemy fighters, the ~ilots of the 18th
Fighter Group (TE), although outnumbered approximately 6 to 1, courageously
turned to engage the enemy, destroj.ei1 six af tl;e hostile fighters, and probahlr
three more, and forced the remaining Japanese ailplanes to rctire. One P-38
was missing in the encounter. On these 2 dam the 18tk F4ghter Group (TB)
not only struck n heavy blow at enemy naval strength in the Philippines but
aided matel'ially in prcventing the Japmme from bringiilg more troops against
our forces then engaged in the battle for Leyte. The superb daring and skillful
sirmxnshi~i of the nilots of the 18th Fiohter Grouv ('I'RI and the devotion to
duty dieplayed by the ground personnel exemrrlify tile highest traditions of the
United States Army Air Forces. (General Orders 2042, IIeedquarters Far East
Air Forces, 28 September 1046, as approved by the Commander in Chief, United
States Army Forms, Pacific.)
7.Y OUnE33 OF TEE SECRET-UY OF WAR:
Om IUAL: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
EDWARD I?. R'ITSnLL C,.rcf of Staff
Mrrjor Gcnerol
1 ke Adjutant General