Hobby Master Archive

On April 21 1944 Lt. Cook Cleland, better known for his modified F2G Corsair racing after WWII, along with his Radioman/Gunner, W J Hisler were flying SBD-5 White 39 of VB-16 assigned to the carrier USS Lexington (CV-16). On this day near Hollandia New Guinea, Cleland downed a Sonia (Mitsubishi Ki-51 light bomber). On June 20 1944 Gunner Hisler downed a Zeke (Mitsubishi A6M Reisen) along with a second aircraft damaged. White 39 returned to the carrier with the fuel almost exhausted.