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Over Simpson Harbor, a shot-up B-25 Mitchell turned a doomed strike into one of the most remarkable acts of World War II air combat. Major Raymond Wilkins, flying out of Rabaul, destroyed one ship, then chose to turn back and draw fire from a Japanese heavy cruiser so the rest of his squadron could escape. The result was a brutal skip bombing raid, a desperate low-level attack, and a sacrifice that helped save 25 men who made it home.
This military history story follows Bloody Tuesday at the most heavily defended Japanese base in the Pacific, where B-25 bomber crews faced intense anti-aircraft fire, fighter attacks, and impossible odds. It also shows how the tactics developed over Rabaul spread through Fifth Air Force and became standard skip bombing doctrine. For listeners who enjoy WW2 stories, war documentaries, aviation history, and narrated battlefield accounts, this is a gripping account of courage under fire.
Created for fans of World War 2 history, B-25 Mitchell stories, Pacific War raids, military aviation, and documentary-style narration. If you search for WW2 bomber stories, skip bombing history, Rabaul raid, or heroic air combat narratives, this story fits the moment.
This military history story follows Bloody Tuesday at the most heavily defended Japanese base in the Pacific, where B-25 bomber crews faced intense anti-aircraft fire, fighter attacks, and impossible odds. It also shows how the tactics developed over Rabaul spread through Fifth Air Force and became standard skip bombing doctrine. For listeners who enjoy WW2 stories, war documentaries, aviation history, and narrated battlefield accounts, this is a gripping account of courage under fire.
Created for fans of World War 2 history, B-25 Mitchell stories, Pacific War raids, military aviation, and documentary-style narration. If you search for WW2 bomber stories, skip bombing history, Rabaul raid, or heroic air combat narratives, this story fits the moment.
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00:00At 0645 a.m. on November 2nd, 1943, Major Raymond Wilkins led eight B-25s toward Rabool as radar detected
00:09his formation.
00:10He was 26 years old on his 87th mission, the last survivor from the original 3rd Bombardment Group.
00:17Waiting below were 367 anti-aircraft guns and nearly 400 Japanese fighters protecting the most heavily defended base in the
00:25Pacific.
00:26The briefing three hours earlier had been quiet. Gray-faced crews listened as intelligence officers described the target.
00:33Simpson Harbor held Japanese cruisers and destroyers supporting enemy operations at Bougainville.
00:39Marines had landed on Bougainville two days earlier. Those ships needed to stay in harbor or the invasion would fail.
00:465th Air Force needed them destroyed. The briefing officer made a simple prediction.
00:51Not all of them would be coming home. Wilkins knew the numbers better than most.
00:56By day's end, 45 airmen would be dead or missing.
01:00He'd watched everyone from his original group go down over the past 20 months.
01:05Some burned over New Guinea. Others ditched in the Coral Sea.
01:09A few simply vanished on long-range missions.
01:13February 1942, he'd arrived with dozens of crews.
01:17Now he was the last one still flying combat.
01:19He led eight B-25 Mitchells, modified with forward-firing machine guns, toward the toughest target in theater.
01:27The plan was brutal in its simplicity.
01:30Approach at masthead level, 50 to 100 feet above the water.
01:35Skip bombs across the harbor surface into ship hulls.
01:38Strafe decks with eight .50 caliber machine guns while dropping ordnance.
01:42Get out before the entire Japanese Air Force arrived.
01:47Intelligence reported nearly 200 base fighters spread across five airfields.
01:52Worse, 173 carrier aircraft had arrived from the combined fleet on November 1st.
01:59Air groups from Zuikaku, Shokaku, and Zuiho now operated from Rabao.
02:05Wilkins checked his instruments as the formation crossed the Solomon Sea.
02:09Fuel looked good.
02:11Engines ran smooth.
02:12His B-25, nicknamed Fifi, carried modifications installed at Eagle Farm Airfield in Brisbane.
02:19Four A&M-2 .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the nose.
02:23Four more in external pods on each side of the fuselage.
02:27Enough firepower to put 800 rounds per second into a target.
02:31The technique had been developed over months of trial and error in the southwest Pacific.
02:36Most of the men who perfected it were dead.
02:40The modification work had started in early 1943.
02:45Standard B-25s couldn't survive low-level ship attacks.
02:48They needed forward firepower to suppress deck guns during the bombing run.
02:53Mechanics removed bombardier positions and installed fixed machine guns.
02:57The theory was simple.
02:59Clear the decks with gunfire.
03:01Skip the bomb into the hull below the waterline.
03:04Exit at full throttle before enemy fighters arrived.
03:07Theory and practice were different things.
03:09Early attempts resulted in aircraft shot down before reaching targets.
03:13Crews learned to time their approaches.
03:15Come in low enough that ship radar couldn't track them.
03:18Fast enough that gun crews had seconds to react.
03:21The survivors developed techniques.
03:23The rest died testing them.
03:24Japanese radar had given Rabaul 30 minutes warning.
03:27Fighters would be climbing now from Lakunai, Vunacanao, Rapopo, Tobera, and Borpop airfields.
03:34Anti-aircraft crews manning 367 gun positions around the harbor perimeter.
03:39Wilkins maintained altitude and heading.
03:43His wingmen held tight formation behind him.
03:45They called Rabaul the Pearl Harbor of the South Pacific.
03:49Volcanic peaks surrounded a natural harbor that could hold hundreds of ships.
03:54The Japanese had fortified it into their main Southwest Pacific stronghold.
03:58Concrete bunkers housed command centers.
04:01Radar stations provided early warning.
04:03More anti-aircraft guns defended this single base than Darwin and Port Moresby combined.
04:105th Air Force Intelligence rated it the toughest fight they'd encountered in the entire war.
04:15Wilkins had survived 86 missions by following procedures.
04:19Check fuel every 10 minutes.
04:21Watch engine temperatures.
04:23Maintain radio discipline.
04:24Trust your wingmen.
04:26The same rules that kept him alive since February 1942.
04:30But statistics worked against everyone eventually.
04:33Survival wasn't about skill after a certain point.
04:35Just mathematics and luck running out.
04:39How would Wilkins handle what no bomber crew had survived before?
04:43Please hit that like button.
04:45It helps others discover these stories.
04:47And subscribe.
04:48Back to Wilkins over Rabaul.
04:50The coastline appeared ahead.
04:52Dark green jungle meeting impossibly blue water.
04:56Wilkins descended to 100 feet.
04:59Salt spray began hitting his windscreen.
05:01The formation tightened up.
05:03Seven B-25s behind him carrying crews who trusted his judgment.
05:08The harbor entrance opened before them.
05:10Ships filled the anchorage.
05:12Cruisers.
05:13Destroyers.
05:14Transport vessels clustered near the docks.
05:17More targets than Wilkins had seen in months.
05:20Then the first gun fired.
05:22A heavy anti-aircraft battery on the northern ridgeline.
05:25The shell burst 200 yards ahead, black smoke marking the explosion.
05:31More guns opened up.
05:32Wilkins pushed the throttles forward and dropped to 70 feet.
05:35Three hundred sixty-seven guns were concentrating fire on eight aircraft flying straight toward them at masthead height.
05:43Wilkins held course.
05:44His thumb moved to the gun trigger.
05:47The first ship was 600 yards ahead.
05:49In 90 seconds, everything would change.
05:52At 500 yards, Wilkins opened fire.
05:55Eight .50 caliber machine guns sent tracers streaking toward a Japanese destroyer.
06:00The guns hammered.
06:02Brass casings ejected into the cockpit.
06:04His co-pilot worked the bomb release controls.
06:07400 yards.
06:09The destroyer's deck erupted as bullets tore through steel plating and crew positions.
06:14300 yards.
06:35The bombs released.
06:37Two 500-pound general-purpose bombs skipped across the water surface like stones.
06:42Wilkins pulled up hard.
06:44The first bomb struck the destroyer below the waterline near the engine room.
06:48The second hit amid ships.
06:50Both detonated.
06:51The destroyer's hull split open.
06:53Secondary explosions followed as magazines cooked off.
06:56Wilkins was already passed, climbing to 200 feet, banking hard left.
07:00Something was wrong with the controls.
07:02The B-25 responded sluggishly.
07:05Wilkins glanced back.
07:07His vertical stabilizer had been shot away.
07:10Shrapnel had torn through the tail section.
07:12Hydraulic fluid streamed from damaged lines.
07:15The aircraft wanted to roll right.
07:17He fought the stick to maintain level flight.
07:19Behind him, the other seven B-25s pressed their attacks.
07:23Two more destroyers took hits.
07:25One transport vessel burst into flames.
07:27But Japanese fighters were arriving now.
07:30Zeros from the carrier air groups.
07:32Fast.
07:33Maneuverable.
07:34Deadly at low altitude.
07:36Wilkins saw one B-25 explode as a Zeros cannon fire found its fuel tanks.
07:41No parachutes.
07:43The burning wreckage hit the water at 200 miles per hour.
07:46Anti-aircraft fire intensified.
07:48The Japanese had plotted the American withdrawal route.
07:51Gun crews tracked the fleeing B-25s.
07:54Shells burst in precise patterns.
07:57Another Mitchell took hits and rolled inverted.
07:59It struck the harbor surface and disintegrated.
08:02Wilkins counted his remaining aircraft.
08:04Six left, including his own.
08:08His engines were still running.
08:09That was something.
08:11Oil pressure looked acceptable on number one.
08:14Number two showed slight overheating, but nothing critical.
08:17The hydraulics were gone.
08:18Landing gear would have to come down manually if he made it back.
08:22If.
08:23The fuel tanks hadn't been hit.
08:25Another small miracle.
08:26A second ship appeared ahead.
08:28Heavy cruiser.
08:29Bigger target.
08:30Heavier guns.
08:32The cruiser's anti-aircraft batteries were already firing.
08:35Wilkins had two options.
08:37Break off and head for the exit.
08:39Or make another run.
08:41His squadron was scattered now.
08:43Each aircraft fighting its own battle.
08:44The cruiser was turning to bring more guns to bear on the retreating bombers.
08:49Standard procedure said withdraw.
08:51He'd accomplished the mission.
08:52Destroyed one ship.
08:54Aircraft damaged but flyable.
08:56Get out while he could.
08:58Wilkins had survived 87 missions by following procedures.
09:01This would be number 88 if he left now.
09:04But the cruiser was tracking his wingmen.
09:06Its main batteries could reach them.
09:08If someone didn't suppress those guns, more B-25s would go down.
09:13Wilkins looked at his co-pilot.
09:14Young kid.
09:16Third mission.
09:17Eyes wide.
09:18Waiting for orders.
09:20Wilkins made his choice.
09:21He pushed the throttles forward and turned toward the cruiser.
09:25The co-pilot understood immediately.
09:28They had no bombs left.
09:30This would be a strafing run.
09:31Pure gunfire.
09:33The goal wasn't to sink the ship.
09:35Just draw its fire away from the others.
09:39The cruiser was 800 yards ahead.
09:42Wilkins descended to 50 feet.
09:44The damaged tail made precise maneuvering nearly impossible.
09:48He compensated with throttle and rudder.
09:50The aircraft shook.
09:52Metal screamed.
09:53600 yards.
09:55The cruiser's guns swung toward him.
09:57Every anti-aircraft mount on that ship opened fire simultaneously.
10:0140 millimeter.
10:0225 millimeter.
10:0325 millimeter.
10:0413 millimeter machine guns.
10:06The volume of fire was unlike anything Wilkins had experienced.
10:10Tracers formed a solid wall.
10:12He flew into it.
10:13500 yards.
10:14His windscreen shattered.
10:16Glass fragments filled the cockpit.
10:18Something hit his left arm.
10:20Hot pain.
10:21He kept firing.
10:22The cruiser's deck disappeared under the impact of eight machine guns.
10:26400 yards.
10:28The aircraft was coming apart.
10:29Holes appeared in the wings.
10:31The number two engine coughed.
10:33300 yards.
10:34Would Wilkins reach the cruiser before his shot-up B-25 fell apart?
10:38Or would the Japanese gunners finish what they'd started?
10:42Wilkins held the trigger down.
10:44200 yards from the cruiser.
10:46The 850 calibers poured rounds into the ship's superstructure.
10:50Gun crews dove for cover.
10:52Others simply vanished as bullets tore through their positions.
10:56The cruiser's bridge took sustained fire.
10:59Windows shattered.
11:00Metal peeled away.
11:01100 yards.
11:03Wilkins released the trigger and pulled up hard.
11:06The damaged stabilizer made the aircraft nearly uncontrollable.
11:09He used engine power to force the nose up.
11:12The B-25 cleared the cruiser's mast by 20 feet.
11:16Smoke poured from the number two engine now.
11:18Oil pressure dropping.
11:19The cylinder head temperature gauge pinned at maximum.
11:22He'd drawn the cruiser's fire.
11:24That was the goal.
11:26Behind him, he could see his remaining squadron clearing the harbor.
11:29Five B-25s climbing away from Rabaul.
11:32They'd make it out.
11:34The cruiser had stopped tracking them.
11:36Every gun on that ship had focused on Wilkins during his run.
11:39The cost was immediate.
11:41Number two engine seized.
11:43The propeller windmilled uselessly.
11:45Wilkins feathered it and adjusted trim.
11:47Single engine flight in a shot-up bomber.
11:51He turned toward the harbor exit.
11:53The Japanese fighters were waiting.
11:55Three Zeros came in from above.
11:57High side pass.
11:58They had altitude and speed advantage.
12:01Wilkins couldn't maneuver.
12:03His top turret gunner opened fire.
12:05Tracers reached up toward the diving fighters.
12:07The Zeros split.
12:09Two went left.
12:10One came straight down the center line.
12:14Cannon shells walked up the fuselage.
12:17The radio operator's position took hits.
12:19Wilkins heard screaming over the intercom.
12:22Then silence.
12:23The Zero flashed past.
12:25His gunner claimed hits, but the fighter kept flying.
12:28It pulled up for another pass.
12:30More Zeros were joining now.
12:32Four.
12:33Six.
12:34Eight.
12:35The carrier air groups had found him.
12:37A single crippled bomber was easy prey.
12:40Wilkins couldn't outrun them.
12:42Couldn't outmaneuver them.
12:43His working engine was already at maximum power.
12:46The damaged airframe created so much drag that airspeed bled off constantly.
12:52Another Zero made its run.
12:53This time from the port side.
12:56Wilkins' waist gunner fired.
12:58The Zero's wing roots sparked as bullets found metal.
13:01But the Japanese pilot pressed his attack.
13:0420mm cannon rounds hit the B-25's left wing.
13:08Fuel sprayed from a ruptured tank.
13:10The self-sealing feature was supposed to stop leaks.
13:13It didn't.
13:14Raw aviation fuel streamed back over the wing surface.
13:18One trace around would turn his aircraft into a fireball.
13:21Wilkins pushed the nose down.
13:23Descending gave him airspeed, but brought him closer to the anti-aircraft guns below.
13:27He had no good options.
13:29The harbor exit was still two miles ahead.
13:32Japanese fighters swarmed around him.
13:34His gunners were firing constantly.
13:36Ammunition wouldn't last much longer.
13:38The coastline passed below.
13:40Jungle and volcanic rock.
13:42Still over Japanese-controlled territory.
13:46The Zero's pressed their attacks.
13:48Systematic.
13:49Professional.
13:50They knew he couldn't escape.
13:53One fighter damaged his rudder.
13:55Another shot away his left aileron.
13:57The B-25 was barely flying now.
14:00More metal than aircraft.
14:02Held together by speed and determination.
14:07Wilkins checked his instruments.
14:09Fuel pressure fluctuating on number one engine.
14:12Oil temperature climbing.
14:13The damaged wing was creating asymmetric lift.
14:16He compensated with rudder and throttle.
14:19Every control input was a fight.
14:20His wounded arm throbbed.
14:22Blood soaked his sleeve.
14:24The co-pilot tried to help, but the controls required both hands.
14:28They crossed the coastline.
14:30Open water ahead.
14:31That meant a chance.
14:33Slim, but better than burning over land.
14:36The Zero's made another pass.
14:38Coordinated attack from three directions.
14:40His top turret gunner stopped firing.
14:42Either dead or out of ammunition.
14:45The waste gunner was still shooting.
14:47Short bursts now.
14:48Conserving what little remained.
14:50More hits.
14:51The number one engine coughed.
14:53Sputtered.
14:54Caught again.
14:55Wouldn't last long.
14:57The fuel leak was getting worse.
14:59Wilkins could smell aviation gas in the cockpit.
15:02The instrument panel showed multiple warning lights.
15:05Hydraulics gone.
15:06Electrical system failing.
15:08Oil pressure dropping on the remaining engine.
15:10Two choices.
15:11Try to reach friendly territory 50 miles away.
15:15Or ditch now while he still had some control.
15:18The engine made the decision for him.
15:21It quit.
15:22Sudden silence except for wind noise and Japanese fighters.
15:26The B-25 began descending immediately.
15:29Wilkins trimmed for best glide speed.
15:3190 knots.
15:33Maybe get three or four miles from this altitude.
15:36The Zero's were still attacking.
15:38Either they didn't realize he was finished or didn't care.
15:41Another burst of cannon fire hit the fuselage.
15:45He prepared for ditching.
15:47Told the surviving crew over intercom.
15:49Wheels up.
15:50Flaps up.
15:51Hit the water parallel to the swells.
15:54The co-pilot acknowledged.
15:55The waste gunner didn't respond.
15:58Wilkins assumed the worst.
15:59The water was close now.
16:02Dark blue turning to green near the surface.
16:04Swells about four feet.
16:06He lined up parallel.
16:08The B-25 was gliding well for an aircraft missing half its tail and one wing shredded.
16:14Wilkins held it steady.
16:15500 feet.
16:17300.
16:18100.
16:19Would Wilkins survive the water impact in a bomber that was already falling apart?
16:23Or would the Pacific claim the last man from the 3rd Bombardment Group?
16:27The B-25 hit the water at 90 knots.
16:30The nose dug in.
16:32Water exploded over the cockpit.
16:34The impact threw Wilkins forward against his harness.
16:37Metal shrieked.
16:38The fuselage buckled.
16:40The aircraft slewed sideways and began breaking apart.
16:43Water rushed into the cockpit through the shattered windscreen.
16:47Cold.
16:48Dark.
16:50Wilkins released his harness.
16:52Tried to move.
16:53His left arm wouldn't respond.
16:55The wound was worse than he'd thought.
16:57The co-pilot was struggling with his own straps.
17:00Blood ran down his face from a gash above his eye.
17:04The B-25 was sinking fast.
17:07Nose down.
17:08Water already covering the instrument panel.
17:11Wilkins pushed himself up and back.
17:13Found the overhead escape hatch.
17:15Grabbed the release.
17:17Nothing.
17:17Jammed.
17:18The impact had warped the frame.
17:20He pulled harder.
17:21His wounded arm screamed.
17:23The hatch wouldn't budge.
17:25The co-pilot was free now.
17:26He moved toward the hatch.
17:28Together, they pulled.
17:30Metal groaned.
17:31The hatch shifted slightly.
17:33Not enough.
17:34Water was up to their chests.
17:36Rising fast.
17:37The bomber's tail section was already underwater.
17:40The nose pointed almost straight down.
17:42One more pull.
17:44Wilkins used his good arm and both legs for leverage.
17:46The co-pilot braced against the seat.
17:48The hatch gave way.
17:50Flew open.
17:51Precious seconds lost.
17:53Water poured through the opening as fast as they could climb.
17:56Wilkins pushed the co-pilot up first.
17:58Kid deserved the chance.
17:59The co-pilot disappeared through the hatch.
18:02Wilkins grabbed the frame and pulled himself up.
18:04His left arm was useless.
18:06He used his right arm and legs.
18:08Halfway through.
18:09The bomber lurched.
18:11Tilted further, nose down.
18:12The sudden movement threw him back into the cockpit.
18:16Water was over his head now.
18:17He couldn't see.
18:18Couldn't breathe.
18:19Found the hatch by feel.
18:21Pulled himself up again.
18:23His lungs burned.
18:25The aircraft was going down fast.
18:27Taking him with it.
18:29He kicked hard.
18:30Reached.
18:31Found open air.
18:34He broke surface, gasping.
18:36The co-pilot was ten feet away, swimming.
18:39Behind them, the B-25's tail stuck up at a steep angle.
18:42Air trapped in the fuselage kept it afloat for a few more seconds.
18:46Then it slipped beneath the surface.
18:48Bubbles marked where it went down.
18:50The last aircraft from the original 3rd Bombardment Group was gone.
18:54Wilkins tried to swim.
18:56His left arm hung useless.
18:58Blood clouded the water around him.
19:01The wound was bleeding worse now.
19:03Salt water burned.
19:05He kicked to stay afloat.
19:06Looked for other survivors.
19:09Didn't see any.
19:10The radio operator and waste gunner had gone down with the aircraft.
19:14The zeroes circled overhead.
19:16Low.
19:17One made a pass.
19:19Wilkins waited for gunfire.
19:21It didn't come.
19:22The Japanese pilot flew past and waggled his wings.
19:26A salute.
19:27Then the fighters turned back toward Rabaul.
19:30The sky emptied.
19:31Wilkins floated.
19:32The co-pilot swam closer.
19:35Asked if he was alright.
19:36Wilkins didn't answer.
19:38Couldn't.
19:38The blood loss was catching up.
19:40His vision blurred.
19:42The co-pilot grabbed him.
19:44Tried to keep his head above water.
19:45Two men.
19:46No life raft.
19:47No rescue in sight.
19:4950 miles from friendly territory.
19:51They lasted 40 minutes.
19:53Maybe less.
19:54The co-pilot held on as long as he could.
19:56But Wilkins' weight pulled them both under.
19:59The kid had to choose.
20:00Let go or drown with him.
20:02He let go.
20:04Wilkins slipped beneath the surface for the final time.
20:0726 years old.
20:0987 combat missions.
20:10The last man from February 1942.
20:15His body was never recovered.
20:17The Pacific kept him.
20:19Later, intelligence officers would piece together his final actions from radio intercepts and eyewitness accounts.
20:25Two ships sunk.
20:27The heavy cruiser's guns suppressed during the critical withdrawal phase.
20:30Five B-25s saved by his sacrifice.
20:34The numbers would be documented in after-action reports.
20:37But Wilkins never knew the full results.
20:40He died believing he'd done his job.
20:42Protected his squadron.
20:44That was enough.
20:45The Medal of Honor citation would come later.
20:48Posthumous.
20:49His family in California would receive it.
20:51The girl in Australia he'd planned to marry would learn he wasn't coming back.
20:55The co-pilot was picked up three days later by a U.S. Navy patrol boat.
21:00Dehydrated.
21:01Sunburned.
21:02Half dead.
21:03He told the story of Wilkins' final mission.
21:05How the major could have withdrawn after the first ship.
21:08How he turned back to draw fire from the cruiser.
21:11How he fought the aircraft all the way to ditching.
21:14The testimony went into official records.
21:16Back over Rabool, the remaining American aircraft were fighting their way out.
21:21Five B-25s.
21:23Scattered.
21:23Each running for home independently.
21:26Japanese fighters swarmed.
21:28The battle wasn't over.
21:29More men would die before this day ended.
21:32The question was, how many would make it back to base?
21:35But something had changed.
21:37The heavy cruiser Wilkins attacked had stopped firing.
21:40Its gun crews were recovering from the strafing run.
21:44Reorganizing.
21:45Those precious minutes gave the other bombers time to clear the harbor defenses.
21:49Time measured in seconds.
21:51Lives measured in those seconds.
21:54One B-25 made it out with three engines shot away.
21:58Flew home on one.
22:00Another took 72 hits.
22:02Counted later.
22:03The pilot landed with no hydraulics.
22:05No brakes.
22:06Ran off the end of the runway and nosed over.
22:08Crew walked away.
22:10A third bomber ditched 20 miles offshore.
22:13PT boat picked them up.
22:14Would any of Wilkins' squadron survive to report what happened over Simpson Harbor?
22:18Or would November 2nd claim them all?
22:22Five B-25s from Wilkins' squadron reached Allied airspace by 10.30 a.m.
22:27Two were trailing smoke.
22:29One had half its tail missing.
22:31Another flew on a single engine.
22:33The fifth aircraft looked intact from distance.
22:36Up close, it was riddled with holes.
22:38Over 300 anti-aircraft fragments and bullet strikes.
22:42The crew counted them after landing.
22:44The base at Dobadura, New Guinea, received them.
22:47Ground crews ran toward the aircraft as engines shut down.
22:51Medics pulled wounded men from turrets and waist positions.
22:54Three dead.
22:55Seven wounded.
22:57The survivors were silent.
22:59Shell-shocked.
23:00They'd watched Wilkins go down.
23:02Watched other B-25s explode.
23:04Some had seen the co-pilot in the water.
23:07Nobody saw the major surface.
23:08Intelligence officers began debriefing immediately.
23:12Results mattered more than grief.
23:14The mission had a specific purpose.
23:16Keep Japanese ships in Simpson Harbor.
23:19Prevent them from attacking the marine landing at Bougainville.
23:22The officers needed confirmation.
23:25How many ships destroyed?
23:26How much damage inflicted?
23:28Whether the raid achieved its objective?
23:30The crews reported methodically.
23:32First ship sunk by Wilkins.
23:35Destroyer.
23:35Direct hit.
23:36Confirmed.
23:38Second ship.
23:39Heavy cruiser.
23:40Damaged.
23:40Fires visible.
23:42Dead in the water.
23:43Third ship.
23:44Another destroyer.
23:45Broken in half.
23:47Sinking.
23:48Fourth ship.
23:49Transport vessel.
23:50Burning at the docks.
23:51Ammunition stores detonating.
23:54The debriefing officers took notes.
23:56Cross-reference testimonies.
23:58Built the picture.
23:59Total losses were catastrophic.
24:00Eight B-25 shot down.
24:03Nine P-38 Lightning fighters that provided escort.
24:06Forty-five airmen dead or missing.
24:08The single bloodiest day for 5th Air Force since the campaign began.
24:12The percentages were brutal.
24:1411% of the attacking force destroyed.
24:1723% of bomber crews killed.
24:20But the mission succeeded.
24:22Japanese ships stayed in harbor.
24:25None sortied to attack Bougainville.
24:27The Marines secured their beachhead without naval interference.
24:30Strategic victory.
24:32Tactical massacre.
24:34The mathematics of war reduced to numbers on paper.
24:38Ships versus men.
24:40Territory versus lives.
24:42One crew had a different story.
24:44Dick Walker.
24:45Sergeant.
24:4613th Bombardment Squadron.
24:483rd Bombardment Group.
24:49Same group as Wilkins, but different squadron.
24:52Walker's experience that day revealed something darker about command under fire.
24:56Walker's squadron approached Rabul from a different angle.
24:58Eight B-25s in formation.
25:01Same mission.
25:02Same target.
25:03Same defenses.
25:04They reached the harbor entrance.
25:07Anti-aircraft fire opened up.
25:09Fighters scrambled.
25:10The squadron commander was supposed to lead them in.
25:12He didn't.
25:13At the last moment, the commander broke formation.
25:16Turned away.
25:17Flew back toward New Guinea.
25:19Didn't attack.
25:20Didn't explain.
25:22Just left.
25:22Seven B-25s following him suddenly had no leader.
25:27Radio discipline prevented questions.
25:29They turned to follow their commander away from the target.
25:32Walker couldn't accept it.
25:33He broke formation.
25:35Alone.
25:36Single B-25 against Simpson Harbor.
25:39Against 367 guns.
25:42Against 400 fighters.
25:44No wingman.
25:45No support.
25:46Just determination and rage at watching his commander run.
25:51He went in at masthead level.
25:54Picked a target.
25:55Merchant vessel.
25:56Big.
25:57Slow.
25:58Locked onto it.
25:59The anti-aircraft fire was worse than briefing suggested.
26:03Shells burst in patterns.
26:05Tracers filled every cubic foot of air.
26:07Walker flew through it.
26:09His aircraft took hits immediately.
26:11Wing.
26:12Fuselage.
26:13Tail.
26:13He kept going.
26:15500 yards.
26:16400.
26:17300.
26:18His guns hammering.
26:20The merchant ship's deck disintegrating under sustained fire.
26:24200 yards.
26:25He released his bombs.
26:27Skip bombing.
26:28Perfect execution.
26:29Both bombs hit below the waterline.
26:32The ship buckled.
26:33Started listing.
26:34Walker pulled up hard.
26:35Zeros came after him.
26:37Six.
26:38Eight.
26:39Maybe ten.
26:40Walker couldn't count.
26:42His gunners were firing.
26:43Burning through ammunition.
26:45The B-25 was shot up, but flying.
26:47The fighters made passes.
26:49Walker threw the bomber into violent maneuvers.
26:52Anything to spoil their aim.
26:54His aircraft was tougher than it looked.
26:56Took punishment.
26:57And kept flying.
26:58He made it out.
27:00Solo.
27:01One B-25.
27:03One destroyed ship.
27:04One man who refused to run.
27:07He landed at Dobadura 90 minutes after Wilkins went down.
27:10His aircraft had 43 holes.
27:13His crew had minor wounds.
27:15Nothing serious.
27:16They climbed out angry.
27:18Furious.
27:19Their squadron commander had abandoned the mission.
27:22The confrontation happened that afternoon.
27:24Walker and other crews faced their commander.
27:27Demanded explanation.
27:29Got none.
27:30The commander offered excuses.
27:32Weather.
27:33Enemy strength.
27:35Tactical discretion.
27:36Nobody believed him.
27:38The operations officer backed the commander.
27:41Political cover.
27:42Both men were protecting careers.
27:465th Air Force Headquarters handled it quietly.
27:49The squadron commander and operations officer received orders.
27:53Returned stateside.
27:54Immediate.
27:55No explanation.
27:56No court martial.
27:57Just removal.
27:59Disappeared from theater.
28:01New leadership took over.
28:02The incident went into classified files.
28:05Decades would pass before the full story emerged.
28:07Meanwhile, over Rabaul, the battle continued.
28:10The main raid involved 72 B-25s total.
28:14Not just Wilkins' 8.
28:15Not just Walker's squadron.
28:17Multiple groups hitting simultaneously.
28:20The Japanese defenders were overwhelmed.
28:22Too many targets.
28:23Not enough fighters.
28:24The Americans pressed their advantage.
28:26But the cost kept mounting.
28:29Another B-25 went down at 11.15 a.m.
28:32Then another at 11.23.
28:34P-38s tangled with zeros at 12,000 feet.
28:38Two lightnings exploded.
28:39One zero spun into the harbor.
28:41The air battle raged for 90 minutes.
28:44Would the sacrifice of 45 men be enough to protect the Marines at Bougainville?
28:48Or had 5th Air Force just traded lives for nothing?
28:52The answer came within 48 hours.
28:55Japanese naval forces at Rabaul remained in port.
28:58No sortie toward Bougainville.
29:00No attack on the Marine beachhead.
29:03Imperial Japanese Navy headquarters in Truk received damage reports from Simpson Harbor.
29:08Seven ships sunk or severely damaged.
29:11Harbor defenses temporarily disrupted.
29:14Fighter strength reduced by combat losses.
29:18The combined fleet carrier air groups had lost aircraft too.
29:2218 zeros destroyed.
29:2412 damaged beyond repair.
29:26Pilots killed.
29:28The elite aviators from Zuikaku, Shokaku, and Zuihou.
29:32Men with years of training.
29:34Irreplaceable in 1943.
29:36Japan's pilot replacement program couldn't match American production.
29:40Every loss mattered.
29:42American intelligence intercepted Japanese communications.
29:45Decoded messages revealed the impact.
29:48Rabaul Command reported the November 2nd raid as the most aggressive air attack they'd experienced.
29:53The low-level bombing technique had proven devastatingly effective.
29:57Ships at anchor were vulnerable.
29:59Harbor facilities damaged.
30:01Morale shaken.
30:02More importantly, the Japanese decided Rabaul was no longer secure for major fleet operations.
30:08The combined fleet carriers withdrew their air groups by November 10th, sent them back to Truk.
30:13The risk of losing more irreplaceable pilots outweighed Rabaul's strategic value.
30:18The fortress remained, but its offensive capability was broken.
30:22At Bougainville, Marines expanded their perimeter.
30:25No Japanese naval interference.
30:27No bombardment from heavy cruisers.
30:29No destroyer attacks on supply convoys.
30:32The beachhead held.
30:34Then grew.
30:35By mid-November, three divisions were ashore.
30:38Artillery.
30:39Tanks.
30:40Supplies.
30:41The invasion succeeded.
30:42The strategic calculus was clear.
30:45Forty-five American airmen killed.
30:47Seven ships destroyed.
30:49One major Japanese base neutralized.
30:52Bougainville secured.
30:54The lives traded for objectives achieved.
30:57Cold mathematics.
30:58The kind that appeared in official histories.
31:01Numbers without names.
31:03Statistics without faces.
31:06But names mattered to the survivors.
31:09Wilkins.
31:09The radio operator who died in the ditching.
31:12The waste gunner who went down with the aircraft.
31:15Crews from other B-25s.
31:17P-38 pilots who never made it home.
31:20Each had family.
31:21Friends.
31:22Someone waiting.
31:23The war kept moving forward.
31:26The dead stayed behind.
31:28Fifth Air Force began evaluating Wilkins' actions immediately.
31:32Multiple witnesses confirmed his attacks.
31:34Two ships destroyed.
31:36The cruiser suppressed.
31:37His squadron protected during withdrawal.
31:40The decision to attack despite catastrophic damage.
31:43The final strafing run that drew enemy fire.
31:45Medal of Honor criteria were specific.
31:48Conspicuous gallantry.
31:50Risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
31:53Engagement with enemy forces.
31:55Wilkins qualified on every count.
31:58His squadron commander submitted the recommendation on November 5th.
32:02Three days after the mission, supporting statements from surviving crew members followed.
32:06The paperwork moved through channels.
32:08Group level.
32:10Wing level.
32:10Fifth Air Force headquarters.
32:13General George Kinney reviewed it personally.
32:16Kinney commanded all air operations in the Southwest Pacific.
32:19He'd seen many Medal of Honor recommendations.
32:22Most were rejected.
32:24Standards were high.
32:26Wilkins' case was different.
32:27The evidence was overwhelming.
32:29Kinney approved the recommendation on November 20th.
32:32Forwarded it to Washington.
32:33Army Chief of Staff George Marshall received it in December.
32:38Marshall signed off.
32:39President Roosevelt made the final approval in January 1944.
32:44The Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Major Raymond Harrell Wilkins.
32:50His family received a notification in February.
32:53A telegram first, then an official letter.
32:56The medal itself came later.
32:58Presented at a ceremony in California.
33:01His parents accepted it.
33:02His younger brother attended.
33:04The girl in Australia was not invited.
33:07She learned about his death through unofficial channels.
33:10Received a letter he'd written three weeks before the mission.
33:13It arrived two months after he died.
33:15The letter talked about plans.
33:16After the war.
33:18Medical school.
33:19Becoming a doctor.
33:21Maybe settling in Australia.
33:23Maybe returning to California.
33:25The future spread out in paragraphs of careful handwriting.
33:29None of it happened.
33:30The Pacific had other plans.
33:33The letter became a memorial.
33:35Filed away with photographs and service records.
33:37Back in the Southwest Pacific, the war continued.
33:41Fifth Air Force mounted more raids on Rabaul.
33:43November 5th.
33:44November 11th.
33:45Each one smaller than November 2nd.
33:48The Japanese had reinforced defenses.
33:50Added anti-aircraft guns.
33:52Improved radar coverage.
33:54Made the target even harder.
33:55But something had changed after Bloody Tuesday.
33:58American crews knew it could be done.
34:01Rabaul could be hit.
34:02Ships could be sunk.
34:04The fortress wasn't invincible.
34:06Morale improved despite the losses.
34:08The November 2nd raid became legendary.
34:11The day 5th Air Force proved they could take on the toughest target in theater.
34:15Dick Walker kept flying.
34:17Completed his tour.
34:18Survived the war.
34:19He'd tell his story later.
34:21The commander who ran.
34:23His solo attack.
34:24Wilkins going down fighting.
34:26Walker's testimony would become important.
34:28Verification of events.
34:30Proof that November 2nd happened exactly as reported.
34:34Other crews rotated home.
34:37New replacements arrived.
34:38Fresh pilots.
34:39Young.
34:40Inexperienced.
34:41They learned about Wilkins during training.
34:43The last man from the original 3rd Bombardment Group.
34:46The major who attacked alone when his aircraft was shot to pieces.
34:50The example they were supposed to follow.
34:52The 3rd Bombardment Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the November 2nd raid.
34:59Group level recognition.
35:01Every man who participated was entitled to wear it.
35:04Living and dead.
35:06The citation documented the mission in official language.
35:09Target.
35:10Opposition.
35:11Results.
35:13Casualties.
35:14It made everything sound clean.
35:16Professional.
35:17The reality had been chaos and violence.
35:21Would Wilkins' sacrifice be remembered beyond official citations and forgotten medals?
35:25Or would history reduce him to statistics in a forgotten battle?
35:29History remembered.
35:31Not immediately.
35:32Not universally.
35:33But the story survived.
35:35Wilkins' Medal of Honor citation was published in official records.
35:39Military historians documented the Rabol raids in Pacific War Chronicles.
35:43The November 2nd mission appeared in Air Force historical studies.
35:47Small mentions.
35:49Footnotes.
35:50Brief paragraphs and longer narratives.
35:52But the tactical lessons spread quickly.
35:54Skip bombing became standard 5th Air Force doctrine by December 1943.
35:59Every B-25 squadron in theater received training.
36:03The modifications Wilkins flew became production standard.
36:07Forward-firing machine guns.
36:09Reinforced nose sections.
36:10Enhanced armor around cockpits.
36:13The aircraft he died in became the template for hundreds more.
36:16The technique evolved.
36:18Crews refined the approach angles.
36:20Tested different altitudes.
36:2250 feet worked better than 100.
36:2440 feet was suicidal.
36:26They found the balance.
36:28High enough to avoid wave spray obscuring windscreens.
36:31Low enough to stay under radar coverage.
36:33The survivors taught the new arrivals.
36:36Knowledge purchased with blood.
36:37Rabol remained a target through early 1944.
36:41But the character changed.
36:42The Japanese pulled their heavy ships out.
36:45Left destroyers.
36:46Submarines.
36:47Small craft.
36:48The major fleet units relocated to Trook.
36:51Then further back as American advances continued.
36:54Rabol became isolated.
36:56Cut off.
36:57Eventually bypassed entirely.
36:58The fortress that cost 45 lives on November 2nd never fell to direct assault.
37:04American strategy shifted.
37:07Why attack when you could isolate?
37:09The Japanese garrison stayed at Rabol until war's end.
37:12Supplied by submarine.
37:14Slowly starving.
37:15Irrelevant.
37:16The November 2nd raid had been the beginning of that irrelevance.
37:213rd Bombardment Group continued operations until 1945.
37:26New crews.
37:27New aircraft.
37:29The original members were all gone by mid-1944.
37:33Dead.
37:33Rotated home.
37:35Reassigned.
37:36Wilkins had been the last.
37:37His death marked the end of the group's founding generation.
37:40Everyone who came after was replacement.
37:43The B-25 Mitchell itself became one of the war's most produced bombers.
37:47Nearly 10,000 built.
37:49Used by every allied nation.
37:51The aircraft proved adaptable.
37:53Ground attack.
37:54Anti-shipping.
37:55Medium altitude bombing.
37:57Reconnaissance.
37:58Wilkins died in an early model.
38:00Later versions incorporated everything learned from missions like November 2nd.
38:04His family kept his memory private.
38:06No public speeches.
38:07No interviews.
38:09The Medal of Honor sat in a display case.
38:11His personal effects were boxed and stored.
38:14Letters.
38:15Photographs.
38:16The uniform he'd worn before deploying.
38:18His parents died in the 1960s.
38:21His brother maintained the collection.
38:23Eventually donated it to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
38:28The display is small.
38:29One case among hundreds.
38:31Wilkins Medal of Honor.
38:33A photograph in uniform.
38:35Brief description of the November 2nd mission.
38:37Most visitors walk past.
38:39The 2nd World War section is vast.
38:42Too many stories.
38:43Too many heroes.
38:45Individual sacrifices blend together unless you stop and read.
38:48Veterans of the 3rd Bombardment Group held reunions.
38:51Annual gatherings.
38:53They talked about the men who didn't come back.
38:55Wilkins was always mentioned.
38:58Toast raised.
38:59Moment of silence.
39:00The reunions got smaller each year.
39:031950s.
39:041960s.
39:061970s.
39:07Eventually, there weren't enough survivors to justify the expense.
39:12Dick Walker attended several reunions.
39:15Told his story about the commander who ran.
39:17About Wilkins going down.
39:19About the solo attack he made in frustration.
39:23Walker died in 1998.
39:25Heart attack.
39:2676 years old.
39:28His obituary mentioned his war service.
39:30One paragraph.
39:32No details.
39:33The co-pilot who survived ditching with Wilkins never spoke publicly about it.
39:37He left the Air Force after the war.
39:40Became a teacher.
39:41Married.
39:42Raised children.
39:43When students asked about his service, he kept answers brief.
39:47Just said he flew in the Pacific.
39:49Nothing about Rabaul.
39:50Nothing about watching his pilot die.
39:52The memory stayed private until his death in 2003.
39:55The girl in Australia moved on eventually.
39:58Married someone else.
40:00Had a family.
40:00But she kept Wilkins' letters.
40:03The ones written before November 2nd.
40:05Descriptions of missions.
40:07Plans for after the war.
40:08The last one arrived in January 1944.
40:12She'd already received the telegram about his death.
40:15Reading it, knowing he was gone.
40:17She kept the letters until she died.
40:19Her children found them going through her effects.
40:22One letter stood out.
40:23Written October 28th.
40:25Four days before the Rabaul mission.
40:27Wilkins described feeling like his luck was running out.
40:3186 missions.
40:32Everyone else from his original group was dead.
40:35He knew the statistics.
40:37Nobody beat the odds forever.
40:39But he also wrote about duty.
40:41About the men depending on him.
40:43About finishing the job.
40:45The letter ended with a promise.
40:47When he made it through his 100th mission, he'd request reassignment.
40:51Come back to Australia.
40:53Marry her.
40:54Start the life they'd planned.
40:56He never reached Mission 88.
40:58The promise died with him in the Pacific.
41:02Modern Air Force officers study the Rabaul raids at professional military education courses.
41:07Case studies in leadership.
41:09Tactical innovation.
41:10Acceptable losses versus mission accomplishment.
41:12Wilkins appears in the curriculum.
41:15Example of commitment.
41:16Of sacrifice.
41:17The analysis is clinical.
41:19Removed.
41:20None of the emotion.
41:22Just lessons extracted from events.
41:24Would future generations understand what Wilkins and 44 others gave over Simpson Harbor?
41:28Or would they become just another statistic in a war that claimed millions?
41:33The statistics tell one story.
41:36Seven ships destroyed or damaged at Rabaul.
41:38Japanese naval operations disrupted.
41:41Bougainville invasion protected.
41:43Strategic objectives achieved.
41:4645 American airmen killed.
41:48Acceptable losses by military standards.
41:51Mission successful.
41:52But numbers missed the human dimension.
41:55Raymond Wilkins was 26.
41:57He'd survived 86 missions when most crews didn't make it past 20.
42:01He was planning a future.
42:03Medical school.
42:04Marriage.
42:05A life after war.
42:07He gave that up in the final seconds over Simpson Harbor when he turned back toward the cruiser.
42:12The choice wasn't complex.
42:14His squadron was withdrawing.
42:16The cruiser was tracking them.
42:17Someone needed to draw fire.
42:20Wilkins could have kept flying.
42:21Nobody would have blamed him.
42:23His aircraft was shot to pieces.
42:25Mission accomplished.
42:26Time to leave.
42:27Standard procedure dictated withdrawal.
42:31He turned back anyway.
42:33Not because orders required it.
42:35Not because tactical doctrine demanded it.
42:37Because five B-25s full of men were in danger.
42:41And he could help.
42:43The mathematics were simple.
42:45One aircraft.
42:46One crew.
42:47Against five aircraft.
42:49Five crews.
42:51The exchange made sense only if you valued others more than yourself.
42:55That's what the Medal of Honor recognizes.
42:57Not just bravery under fire.
42:59Thousands showed that.
43:01Not just completing the mission.
43:02That was expected.
43:04The medal honors the moment when someone chooses certain death to save others.
43:08When survival instinct surrenders to something larger.
43:11Duty.
43:12Brotherhood.
43:13Sacrifice.
43:13Wilkins made that choice at 800 yards from a Japanese heavy cruiser.
43:17He pushed throttles forward on a dying aircraft.
43:20Flew into concentrated anti-aircraft fire.
43:24Drew every gun away from his squadron.
43:26Saved lives he'd never know about.
43:28Men who went home.
43:30Raised families.
43:31Lived decades he never saw.
43:33His death purchased their futures.
43:35The five B-25s he protected all made it back to base that day.
43:39Damaged.
43:40Shot up.
43:41But flying.
43:4325 men survived who might not have.
43:45Some flew more missions.
43:47Others rotated home.
43:49They carried Wilkins' story with them.
43:51Told it at debriefings.
43:52Wrote it in letters.
43:54Passed it to new crews.
43:55One pilot from that squadron named his son Raymond.
43:58Another kept a photograph of Wilkins in his logbook for 40 years.
44:02A third visited Wilkins' parents in California after the war.
44:06Told them their son was a hero.
44:08Explained what happened over Rabool.
44:10Gave them details the official telegram couldn't include.
44:14The technique Wilkins used became Doctrine.
44:18Skip bombing at masthead level.
44:20Thousands of missions flown using tactics he helped prove.
44:24Ships sunk across the Pacific.
44:26From Rabool to the Philippines.
44:28From New Guinea to Okinawa.
44:30The method worked because men like Wilkins tested it under fire.
44:34Refined it.
44:35Died perfecting it.
44:36His B-25, the one nicknamed Fifi, never flew again.
44:40It sits on the Pacific floor, 50 miles from Rabaul.
44:45The salt water has corroded everything by now.
44:48Aluminum dissolved.
44:49Steel rusted.
44:51But the aircraft served its purpose.
44:53Sunk two ships.
44:55Saved a squadron.
44:56That's more than most bombers accomplished.
44:59The girl in Australia eventually forgave him for dying.
45:02Took years.
45:03She understood intellectually.
45:05War.
45:05Duty.
45:06Sacrifice.
45:07But emotionally it was harder.
45:09The future they'd planned dissolved on November 2nd.
45:12She rebuilt a different life.
45:14But she never forgot the pilot who promised to come back.
45:17His parents never recovered.
45:19Losing a child breaks something that doesn't heal.
45:22They attended ceremonies.
45:24Accepted the Medal of Honor.
45:25Displayed it proudly.
45:27But the medal didn't replace their son.
45:30Nothing did.
45:31They lived another 20 years carrying that hole.
45:34The 87 missions Wilkins flew represent 87 times he could have died, but didn't.
45:4087 times luck held.
45:43Skill kept him alive.
45:44Fate gave him another day.
45:46The 88th mission was different.
45:49Maybe luck ran out.
45:50Maybe fate decided his number was up.
45:53Or maybe he'd simply reach the moment every warrior knows is coming.
45:59Combat pilots understood.
46:01You can't fly forever.
46:02Statistics guarantee it.
46:04Enough missions and probability catches up.
46:07Wilkins lasted longer than most.
46:09He knew that.
46:10Wrote about it in letters.
46:12Felt it before the final mission.
46:14But he kept flying anyway, because someone had to.
46:17That's the real story of Rabaul.
46:19Not the tactics.
46:20Not the ships destroyed.
46:22Not the strategic objectives.
46:23The story is about ordinary men doing extraordinary things because the mission required it.
46:29Because their friends needed them.
46:31Because walking away wasn't an option they could live with.
46:34Major Raymond Harold Wilkins died doing exactly that.
46:38His shot-up B-25 sank two ships.
46:41Then saved his squadron.
46:43Then took him to the bottom of the Pacific.
46:4626 years old.
46:47Medal of Honor recipient.
46:49Last man from the original 3rd Bombardment Group.
46:52Hero.
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47:21Real heroism.
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