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dgaad -> (6/13/2002 6:35:12 AM)
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Okay I found some info on LBJ's visit in Australia.
This is the most objective site I can find on the incident that won him the medal. He didn't do jack, but he was a politician, so he got himself a medal so he could go back a hero.
http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/tow9.htm[URL=http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/tow9.htm]LYNDON BAYNES JOHNSON[/URL]
There's actually a small book on the subject called "The Mission that Never Was". AAC mission record logs report the plane Johnson said he was flying in (number 1488) actually had engine trouble and returned to base before engaging any enemy.
This is LBJ's own diary entry from two days before the mission that resulted in the medal : ""Saterday, June 6, 1942: Up at 4:30. Left Brisbane 6:20AM en route to Townsville. Arrived Rockhampton people wearing shorts, Soldiers guarding plane B-17s in shorts. Stubby cut over country. Little vegetation. River circles through. Arrived MacKay -- small shock (city population 50,000) says guards in shorts. 10:00 AM left MacKay 10:15 AM, won half pound from Steve pitching dollars. 1:30 PM near Townsville. See our planes shooting at target ship on water. 11:00 AM circling airport, Townsville. See many of our big planes -- airport only few yards from water -- long level runways -- hills around water -- new construction. Hot now. We are at warm North having come from cold South. Arrived Townsville airport 11:45 AM. Dummy planes all over field. Met by Army car. Departed Townsville Sunday June 7 at 1.00 PM for Charters Towers."
Here is the Squadron commander's log for the mission :
MISSION TOW 9
June 8 & 9, 1942.
AIRCRAFT & PILOTS
Hq. Sq., 1437 Lt. Hayes, 1516 Lt. Flint, 1508 Lt. Bench, 2nd Sq., 1392 Capt. Ewbank, 1422 Lt. Crosson, 1480 Lt. McIver, 19th Sq., 1488 Lt. Greer, 1303 Lt. Powell, 1496 Lt. Hatch, 1433 Lt. Krell, 1537 Lt. Stanwood.
DEPARTED TOWNSVILLE By 1330L/S. Ship 1516 returned due to mechanical trouble, departed again by 1445L/S.
ARRIVED MORESBY Eleven ships arrived by 1746L/S.
TARGET
Destroy aircraft and supporting ground facilities from wharf area to Connels house Lae aerodrome. Attack to be at 1000L/9 after B-17 and B-25 attack
BOMB LOAD Thirty 100lb demolition instantaneous fuse.
TAKE OFF MORESBY By 0851L/9.
SHIPS RETURNED & REASON 1488 by 1008 engine trouble
TIME OVER TARGET 1002L/9.
RESULTS
Three hundred 100lb demolition instantaneous from five to eleven thousand feet on Salamaua. 1422 dropped 28 bombs on Isthmus. 1392 dropped 24 bombs on native buildings in trees, balance? in sea at Salamaua. 1480 most of bombs on runway. 1437 bombs on native buildings in trees and some in sea. 1516 bomb from edge timber along edge of Isthmus last four in sea. 1363 all bombs in water. 1496 some in sea most on bungalows on Isthmus. Results large fires seen eastern half of Isthmus. Military intelligence later reported schooner sunk just off Salamaua.
INTERCEPTION
B-25's pursued by ten zeros met flight on way to target. B-25's were south east of intended course. Zeros left B-25's and attacked flight. Later number of zero's increased to twenty. Attacked from front sides and rear. One zero down in flames. One had prop shot off, another probable. Ship 1363 left wing shot up hydraulic system out, crash landed 7 mile. Aircraft repairable. Ship 1508 Lt. Bench seen to crash in sea thirty miles from coast south of Salamaua. Ship 1422 large hole tip of port wing. Ship 1516 twenty mm cannon shell in wing and seven point seven bullet holes in prop and fuselage. Ship 1400 cannon shell in elevator. Ship 1433 two holes in tail. Tail gunner Gundling bullet wound in right shoulder, not serious. Met fighter escort at Cape Ward Hunt took zero's off.
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The log also clearly indicates that LBJ was on aircraft #1488, the same aircraft that returned to PM from engine trouble, and was not involved in the Lae attack. Also, in the report of the Results and Interception, aircraft #1488 isn't involved at all.
I would guess, from what I know of LBJ, and I have read the Robert A. Caro biography, I would bet good money on LBJ convincing the pilot of 1488 to return to base and report engine trouble so he could bug out of the mission. Probably threatened him too, if he didn't do what LBJ wanted.
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