Book Review: Lucky 666,

        World war II has provided an endless stream of stories owing to the millions of individuals who shared in that experience.  Lucky 666 is one of those stories that identifies a few individuals who served in the US Army Air Force in the South Pacific as part of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's army as it began the long road back from Australia to Tokyo.  That road back was paved with the blood, sweat, and lives of thousands of soldiers, sailors and Marines who fought and died in many a God-forsaken place.
      Many historians observe that the Battle of Midway was the pivot point for the beginning of the turnaround of the Japanese advances and successes.  While the US victory in the Battle of Midway did, in fact, put the Japanese Navy on notice that they had awakened the "sleeping giant", this battle was between ships at sea that never encountered each other, and no troops were engaged on terra firma.  That job would fall to land-based troops who would fight it out as infantry has done for millennia.
      The two authors, Bob Drury and Tom Clavin are New York Times bestselling authors of The Heart of Everything That Is, Halsey's Typhoon, Last Men Out, and The Last Stand of Fox Company.  Together, they know their way around a military milieu.  Careful research, attention to detail, and a thoughtful appreciation for the characters involved in the many incidents and battles that include in the narrative contribute to the telling.
     Many readers are familiar with the exploits of pilots from Europe's 8th Air Force that helped the Allies in their march to Berlin.  Less well known is the 5th Air Force whose aircraft ranged far and wide over the wide Pacific Ocean.  Innumerable sorties covered the boundless seas with names such as the Coral Sea, the Bismarck Sea, the Solomon Sea, the Arafura Sea, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Sea.   If a plane went down over these waters for any reason, chances of being found were slim.   Navigation aids were next to nil, and crews had to depend on the on board navigator.  Even a small error could result in missing the target and expending too much precious fuel.
    Lucky 666 was the B-17 flown by a crew of men who found themselves together at a time when few aircraft were available for every mission.  The aircraft involved had actually been taken out of the squadron as unfit for service.  Lt. Jay Zeamer thought otherwise, and under his leadership, the aircraft was given a new life after spare parts were found and the plane made airworthy again.  In June, 1943, Zeamer and his 8 man crew was assigned a recon mission to photograph the shoreline of Bougainville in preparation for an amphibious landing by Allied forces.  This was a solo mission without fighter cover in either direction.   Intelligence indicated few Japanese fighters were available at the time for defense.  
      As they arrived over the island at dawn on June 16th, they observed 20 Japanese fighters newly arrived and ready to attack the solo intruder.   For the next forty minutes,  Old 666 was subjected to continuous attacks by these Japanese planes.  The B-17 was punished relentlessly, taking hit after hit from the Zeros.  Soon, the situation became a battle of survival.  With the photo shoot finished, it was time to go.  There were wounded crewmen on board, and at least 1 dead: navigator Lt. Joe Sarnowski, Jay's best friend.   Firing the on board .50 Cal machine guns, the crew managed to shoot down 7 Zeros, causing the rest to avoid attacking from the rear and the sides.  With a smoking engine, the bomber made for Port Moresby and home.  As they struggled to maintain altitude, pilot Zeamer began to lose consciousness from loss of blood, and turned the plane over to the wounded copilot.
     He realized they could not make it  all the way back.  He decided to make for a makeshift landing strip on the north shore; a grass field only 7000' long, barely long enough.  After a tense 2 hour flight, they skidded to a stop at the far end of the field.
     Jay was taken to a field hospital along with the other wounded.  Eventually he would spend the next 15 months in various hospitals recovering from his wounds.    He and navigator Sarnowski(posthumously) were awarded the Medal of Honor.  The other crewmen were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
     It's a great story, well told and worth a read by history buffs, flyers, those interested in a the South Pacific.
Five Stars *****