The Master of My Fate, the Captain Of My Soul ...

May 27, 1944: Kweilin, China -- forward echelon base of the 308th Bomb Group. Two B-24Js take off in poor weather for a sea sweep, a patrol of the South China Sea around Hainan Island seeking enemy shipping convoys. Shortly after take-off at 6:07 am, the planes become separated in the thick overcast; each completes its 8-hour mission.

Upon returning to Kweilin, Lt. Burke in 42-73445 "Georgia Peach" encounters heavy rain, thick fog and near-zero visibility but manages to land at 2:10pm. Arriving in the area minutes later, Lt. Kenneth Starcher in 42-73309 "Trouble Maker" is instructed to divert to the small auxiliary airfield at Lingling and land there to wait out the weather -- the plane touches down safely at 2:55pm.

Lt. Burke reports no enemy shipping sighted and no bombs dropped; it's assumed that the second plane had the same luck but the crew of "Trouble Maker" won't be interrogated until they return to Kweilin tomorrow.

Flight deck crew surround the AJ Savage "Ichi Ban!" on board Kearsarge, September 7, 1943. US Navy photo.