Viewing page 56 of 349

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[underline]] Friday 27 April 45 [[/underline]]    [[underline]] Victorville, Calif. [[/underline]]

Talk by Gen. Hansel, 
ex CG 21st, Bomb [[Com. Saipan]].
He emphasized importance of
precision at IP.- Said one
take-off of 83 planes ^[[B.29s]] - Instrument
take-offs OK but assembly following
was so poor that none reached
target. - Reconnaissance planes
[[strikethrough]] were [[/strikethrough]] were only source of wx info. - Another case = 83 B-29s out.  Because of poor guess on terminal
weather, a storm was over Saipan
when they returned. Visibility was
so low that the runway lights
could not be seen from the tower. 
Fortunately, the storm passed, vis. 
improved in 25 minutes- the 
longest one had lasted to that time.
Gen. H. said "Instrument landing would 
have been a great help. We had the 
beams installed but no one had
had any training so they couldn't be
used!" [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] No ships lost because of
quick movement of storm - 
   Called Duckworth who said he had
called back some time ago (to Wash) and
had been told I'd gone back overseas!
He told me to see Lt. Col. Roy Ward - new
post C.O. (Duckworth is now Tng Wing C.O.)
and Capt. Bakke of the Insmt Stand Board.
   Col. Daniel White - Ops & Tng of Victorville
described radar Nov-Bomb training to me. 
Field has 140 4-eng A/C of which they 
are able to fly about 50% - Scheme of
alternative missions renders any wx
flying unnecessary. Only difficulty
now is keeping track of their A/C.
They run around "air traffic control" which 
is mainly a system for receiving

Transcription Notes:
"wx" stands for weather.