|
Historical Article: The Royce Raid
Posted on: 2014-04-09 17:46:51 The USAAF fights back in early 1942 By John Dudek @ The Wargamer The five B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, with bomb bay doors open, came in low and fast over the harbor at Cebu that morning at near wave top height, lining up on the three Japanese transport ships tied up along its pier. A quick toggle of bombs by the plane's bombardiers and all three transports were hit with one of them exploding and capsizing with a massive roar. Two quick attack passes was all it took for the docks and warehouses, plus some other ships to be hit, left burning or in ruin. The unexpected savagery, accuracy and quickness of the surprise bomber raid utterly shocked the confused Japanese. Surprise attacks were something that happened to other people, not the Japanese. How could this be? After all, the Philippines were now a peaceful, Japanese occupied rear area backwater of the war with no enemies left for over a thousand miles in any direction. Read on... |