Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...

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Thirteen days after the 13th ATf< had landed. .iviat ion engineers had swept clear the area,
bedded it with coral, and had almost completed laying the metal matting, as this photograph shows.
50
T0 American forces movinr; at express trail
speed toward the Philippines. the opcr.it ior
at Cape Sam:lpor in Dutch 0:c'\\' Cninea \\'a
jnst a \\'histle,stop, Inv.u.iou troops storme
the area on Jn1)' ,)D. mopped "P the fcchl
Jap resistance in a hig lmrrv, and moved 01
'I\\'() week» after the inva-.iou. avi.rt iou eng
neers had cOl1\Trted nc.u bv "I iddelhmg Ivl.m
from a wilr] forest into a strip from whi«
lIghter pLJnes were doing a thr ivuu; busiucs
At that time, Snns.rpor was cxt rcmclv impo
tant-it \\:IS the closest Allied base to th
Philippines,
The S:lIlsa por stopover
and e:Isy OIl the ~ronnd, hut it hcld an in
port.mt spot on the air tunct.rblr-. The 1')t
Air 'I'nvk force, which included two fight
gronps and one B,2:; gronp from "(aj, Cel
St. Cl.ur Streett's I ')th .Vir Force. came higl
balling in from the Solomou-. to clear t h
track to Morotai. Not since Fcbru.nv I
when J:Il> Zeros m.nk- their last st;n'ld ;
Rnbnnl, kId the XIII ','ighter Commaucl ct
gaged in ucn.rl comb.u. :--low. after a 200
mile sea and air trip :IS part of the 1 ')th .\'1'1
It \\'a, back in action,
This task force. couun.mdcd bv Brig. Cc:
Larl \\', Hnrnc-; spc.uhcuck-d the ncutr.rliv.
tion of Dutch F:Ist Indies airtlelds, It pr
viclcd air cover for the I Ialm.ilu-rns invasioi
and on Septemher 6. ')2 XIV l.ightnin
escorted bombers to "lind:mao, a recor
1.4()() mile trip, Oulv a [up Topsv W:IS ab
to get into the air .mcl it was knocked dow
For pilots ::11(1crcvvmcn who made the 101
trip from the Solomons to :--lew Cuinca. th
victorv \\'as a stirring climax to the Sausap
operation. {:{
AIR FORCE