Fuel, ammo not loaded on fighters

A dozen P-40 Warhawk fighters were parked wing to wing at the edge of Bellows Field’s runway on Dec. 7, 1941. All were low on fuel and some had their guns removed.

Why? It was a Sunday morning.

The P-40s — considered durable but lacking in state-of-the-art aerial performance — belonged to the 44th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field, which was wrapping up a monthlong aerial gunnery training session at Bellows.

When pilots flew a practice mission on a Saturday, refueling was put off until Sunday, which was the usual routine at Bellows. Also, on Saturday afternoons guns would be removed from aircraft for a thorough cleaning, according to a report compiled by Pacific Air Forces, Office of History.

At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday a lone Japanese fighter plane flew over Bellows, briefly firing its machine guns at a tent area where some personnel were still sleeping. That prompted a rush to an armament building for rifles and machine guns, although belts for machine guns could not be found.

At about 9 a.m. nine Japanese fighters attacked for about 15 minutes, diving as they strafed parked aircraft and also hit a gasoline truck. The truck’s tanker burst into flames but never exploded as it was riddled with so many bullet holes it simply burned out. Ground defense fired back but inflicted no damage, according to the Pacific Air Forces report.

Three of the squadron’s pilots were at Bellows that morning.

>> One started to get into the cockpit of his plane; he was hit in the back by enemy fire and fatally wounded.

>> Another officer, 2nd Lt. George A. Whiteman, ran up to a P-40 that was still being loaded with ammunition.

While taking off, Whiteman’s plane was spotted by two Zeros. He managed to get about 50 feet in the air when a blaze ignited after gunfire hit the engine, wings and cockpit. Whiteman attempted a belly landing on the beach, but the left wing hit the sand, touching off a fireball that engulfed the plane.

Fourteen years later Sedalia Air Force Base in Missouri was renamed Whiteman in honor of the lieutenant who died in the wreckage.

>> The third pilot, who began his takeoff behind Whiteman, was shot down in waters about a half-mile offshore. Despite a bullet wound in his leg, he managed to get out of his plane and swim to shore.

Also, one of the five Japanese midget subs that were part of the attack grounded near the field. Two others were sunk by U.S. ships, and two disappeared.

Sources: Pacific Air Forces, Office of History, Hickam Air Force Base (Leatrice R. Arakaki and John R. Kuborn); National Park Service