L O S S O F N E T H E R L A N D S E A S T I N D I E S
four heavy bomber sorties were dispatched. But of these, four missions
involving a total of seventeen bombers were abortive because of un-
favorable weather, and twenty-nine sorties in six other efforts resulted
only in negative reports. O n the remaining five missions, claims were
entered for the sinking of two transports and two other vessels, but
bomber losses were high. On 2 2 January, one B-17 was destroyed
when it overshot the field at Palembang; two days later, three B-17's
were badly shot up by enemy aircraft; on 24 January, two €3- I 7's of an
eight-plane mission were lost in crash landings, and only three of the
eight returned safely to Malang. On 2 7 January, Maj. Stanley K. Rob-
inson, commander of the 7th Group, while leading his fifth mission
within a week was shot down and with his entire crew was killed
when thirty Japanese pursuits attacked the formation of four B-17's.~'
Among the missions flown were those of 2 8 and 29 January against
Kuala Lunipur and the Kuantan airfield in the Malay States by four
B-17's which staged out of Palembang. Though their absence of two
and a half days from Malang still further weakened the defense against
the enemy above Java, the planes apparently succeeded in scoring
numerous hits on runways and hangars at K ~ a n t a n . ~ ~
T h e enemy on 26 January had captured Kendari, and to that
point he promptly transferred the forces of the 2 1st Air Flotilla which
on 3 February opened the attack on Java 'itself by savage strikes at
Soerabaja, Madioen, and Malar~g.~'O n that day near Malang the
Japanese caught American bombers standing on the Singosari field
loaded for take-off, and while enemy bombs tore the runway, strafers
concentrated their fire on the planes. Four B- I 7's exploded or burned,
and a fifth was shot down ten miles south of Malang. At Soerabaja
another Japanese formation damaged Dutch naval installations;
destroyed three Catalinas on the water; and in shooting down a B-18,
killed in addition to its entire crew several sorely needed radar experts
and Major Straubel, who had recently succeeded to the command of
the 7th T h e damage at Madioen was less serious, but the out-
look for a defense of Java against similar and continuing attacks was
dismal indeed.
In the absence of radar equipment, the Dutch air warning service
depended upon ground observation stations connected by wire with
a control room at Soerabaja. It had been well organized, bu; of course
there could be no substitute for modern equipment. There was a great
shortage also of antiaircraft guns, which for the most part were con-
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