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Show Cedar City Army Pilot Survives Thrilling Air Battle With Enemy People of Cedar City were thrilled thrill-ed Friday night and Saturday when the word was flashed over all the major broadcasting networks of the nation, that Lieutenant Frank Hunter. U. S. Army Air Forces, had performed one of the outstanding feats of skill and coolness under difficulties of the war. when he had brought a badly damaged Flying Fly-ing Fortress back to its home base and made a sensational crash landing land-ing safely. Lieutenant Hunter, son of Mrs. Alta Hunter of Cedar City, who has Leon slatloned with the Army Air Torces in North Africa for some time, and who has participated in many of the devasting raids of the North African Command over Tunisia Tu-nisia and the Islands of the Medi-teranian. Medi-teranian. participated in a raid of Messina, Sicily, Friday, and when for:ed out of formation because of dama?e to his B17 Flying Fortress, was swarmed over by at least 10 enemy fighing planes,but managed to get his ship back to the Tunisia shore and bring it in for a crash landing. In addition to completing their bombirg mission, and getting back safely the crew managed to shoot down seven enemy fighters, a record of the war for one plane. Nursing tho plane over the water wa-ter back to Africa with all the motors giving him trouble. Pilot Hunter, "greased In" with a belly Itnding whjeh his males found 'smoother than riding a Jeep," although al-though Fra.-.k admitted after he had landed that he "never expected to get back." Recounting the exciting trip, Frank told the commanding officer offic-er than the trip to Messina was uneventful un-eventful until about 10 milmteo before the target about fifty enemy fighters atta:ked the American formation. for-mation. His first trouble was encountered en-countered when a 20-mlllimeter shell hit the nose of his plane, striking strik-ing right between the navigator and bombardier. A moment later another shell hit No. 3 engine of the Fortress, putting It out of action. ac-tion. Continuing in the formation and heading or the target, the Fortress For-tress was constantly harrassed until un-til its bombs had been dropped, then Just as the doors were being closed flak caught the bomb bay and pierced pierc-ed the wings. Two enemy fighters were shot down during this Interval, but shortly short-ly afterward the plane ran into more trouble, described by Mr Hunter, as follows: "I got bark into formation with one engine still shut off and flew nlong pretty wel' on deck. The Ijht-rrs Ijht-rrs drcpred off lehlnd and we pushed up the cvar.t until we wrre iff Trnpan' hbout 50 miles. "Then about 10 or 15 Focke Wulf-lOfls tnd Messfrschmitt-lOJs came sw.iu;:ng dovn. ihtowing aerial ooams at the phncs ahead and letting us hiv? I'. with cannons and ma.'li!.! guns. They put four explosive shells In the cockpit-one cockpit-one h't under my v-V A cnn,,.i .".hell hnded on the top turret. Hunter said, "and pieces of It buwied around Inside like bees. The No. 1 engine was hit. At least six shot s'iuh t.ie wings. Two hit the rudder, wrecking the controls. con-trols. All the radios went out when a burst hit tht radio room. I lest all the Instruments and saw one shell pierce the gas tank. The oxygen oxy-gen caught fire, too, hr, lh radio operator smothered It with his hands." All of the men stuck 13 the guns until an additional five plunes were sent into the sea. Still a long distance from the home ba.';e and the Fortress in percarlous condition, the task looked look-ed hopless. but Hunter "kept his head." and the Fortress lived up to its reputation and slid ahead. They settled down at the first airport air-port they sighted, and Hunter, nu-tible nu-tible to use the flaps and wheels, went In for a belly landing. One of the crew described it as one of the best crash landings he had ever seen or heard of. Besides Hunter, the crew included Lieutenant John E. Andrews of Philadelphia, the navigator; Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Elmer L. Klrkendall of Steubenville, Ohio, bombardier; Staff Sergeant Kenneth Edward Titus of Huntington Park. Cal.; Staff Sergant Charley Isham of Burlington, Vt.; Staff Seargent'john T. Tenis of Waterbury, Conn.; Sergeant Ser-geant Eugene L. Chantley of Dry Creek. W. Va.; and Tech. Sergeant Ser-geant James E. O'Brien of South Minneapolis, Minn. Every gunner of the crew but one shot down one plane and one of them Sagged two of the enemy fighters. Radio commentators and news columnists termed Hunter's feat of bringing the damaged plane safely back, one of the outstanding examples of the war of Yankee efficiency and cooTness in difficult situations. Lieutenant Hunter enlisted in the Army Air Forces In January, 1942, rnd received his wings September 29. of that year. In January. 1943. he ICft for action in North Africa, and has seen plenty of it since. He was born in Cedar City and spent his life here until accepting employment with the Utah Copper Company of Bingham after completing com-pleting h!f schooling at the B. A. C. He married Miss Luzon Anderson of Richfield on September Septem-ber 1. 1937. She Ls residing In Salt Lake City. Frank was a prominent athlete through his school years, carrying Cedar City colors to honor In many conflicts, and was always that kind of a performer who did his best "when the chips were down', His first competition came when a member of Cedar City American Legion Junior Baseball team,, representing the local Post in a state tournament. He later gained honors as o member of a Cedar High School basketball team which participated in the state tournament, tourna-ment, and later carried the Blue and White of the Branch Agricultural Agri-cultural College In both football and basketball conquests. After leaving school he played commercially commerc-ially as a member f the Oemmell Club at Bingham. |
