March 19th Guest Speaker:  Bob Swan

Bob was born in Billings MT in 1918, he graduated from Pensacola as an ensign with Navy wings in Sept 1941, with orders to report to VP 44 at San Diego North Island. After the Pearl Harbor attach, he was transferred to Alameda for anti-submarine patrol of No. CA. After months of bad weather flying, he was assigned to a new PBY 5A, and departed to Ford Island in HI, a 21 ½ hour flight.

About mid April we flew anti sub cover for the Hornet and Enterprise on their trip with Jimmy Doolittle’s squadron of planes to bomb Japan. In May the squadron was assigned to Midway and flew daily searches of 12 – 14 hours at a time. Jack Reid was PPC (Patrol Plane Commander) and Bob was titled First Pilot-Navigator and Jerry Hardeman was 2nd Pilot and asst. navigator. Bob was primary navigator most of the time out of Midway, since he had more experience and Jerry flew as co-pilot.
 
On June 3rd they went about 25 minutes beyond the normal patrol limits of 680 mile out leg and ran into the enemy fleet. They were able to get the message about the enemy position which gave the US fleet about 20 hours notice of the enemy. It was fortunate that they went beyond the 680-mile limit because other patrol planes had been attached by Mitsubishi 96 planes near Wake Island. The Japanese would know what time our planes reached our turn around time and stayed just inside that point to attach as they made the turn. Bob’s plane had some new ammunition and was looking to see the Japanese planes, they were disappointed about not seeing anyone to shoot at but a lot more than they bargained for.

The next couple of days the patrol group was busy dogging planes and enemy ships, then were tasked to make some rescue missions. Going back to Pearl Harbor, they expected to go home, instead Bob did more training and received his PPC designation. Later the squadron was called in for a meeting with Adm. Mitchner who told them that he knew they were expecting some rest but were being sent to the Solomon Islands.

In the Solomon’s they flew out of Esprito Santos an Halavo Bay on Florida Is. and Vanikovo, an island in the Santa Cruz group until August of 1843. After 30 days leave for Bob’s wedding and checking out the new PV-1 Vega Ventura, he went back to Kanehoe bay in HI to train in rocket firing. The squadron was then sent to Tarawa flying to bomb Nahru Is. After receiving word that the Marines were going to take Tinian, they departed for Eniwetok. From Eniwetok, they headed for Tinian, the flight was at the maximum range of the Ventura. When landing at Tinian, his plane took a lot of rifle fire from the port side. On Tinian, they flew bombing missions to Yap, Olei, Pagan and others, as well as escort missions to Iwo Jima.

After the war, Bob went back to Florida to instrument training, and then as a reservist he flew with several squadrons and was CO of the Acorn 12-2.