Biplane Oversight

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In the "Enduring Heritage" article in the July 1999 issue, the author describes the Boeing Model 226/P-26A Peashooter as the only fighter built by Boeing. That is not true. It was the only monoplane fighter, and the last fighter. But before that there was a long series of biplane fighters built by Boeing, such as the PW-9, FB-1, FB-2, FB-3, FB-4, FB-5 and the P-12. Let’s not overlook them.

John A. Niemeyer
Eagle Point, Ore.

Twelve O’Clock High

I am writing regarding the excellent article by Chuck Dunning, "Twelve O’Clock High: Fact to Fiction," in the September 1999 issue. In the middle 1970s my late wife, Elaine Jones, and I were the house guests of Grover Loening at his estate in Key Biscayne, Fla. General Ira Eaker and his wife were house guests during that same weekend.

I had occasion to spend quite a bit of time with General Eaker, and he told me the true story of Twelve O’Clock High. I believe he said that the colonel who he had had to relieve of command was his brother-in-law, and that he knew that it was going to wreck his career. He acknowledged that a number of the characters in the film were composites, but he filled in many of the blanks and told me what happened to some of these people after the period covered in the movie. When he had finished, I remarked to him that I was amazed Hollywood had gotten it so right, and he said "that was no accident–I was the technical director of the movie, and could yeasay or naysay every word of it!"

Nick Jones
Sheldon, S.C.

The author responds: Eaker’s relationship with Colonel Overacker, both prior to and after Overacker’s relief as commanding officer of the 306th Bomb Group, is covered with some detail in DeWitt Copp’s book Forged in Fire: Strategy and Decisions in the Air War over Europe, 1940­1945. According to Copp, Eaker was not Overacker’s brother-in-law, but their wives were close friends and the couples had known each other for years. The decision to relieve Overacker was hard for Eaker. He was planning to reassign Overacker as head of the B-17 Combat Crew Replacement Center and have him remain in England. Before Overacker assumed those duties, however, Eaker asked the colonel and another officer to prepare a report on Eighth Air Force training and equipment needs and present it to ranking Army Air Forces officers in Washington, D.C. Much to Eaker’s chagrin, the two officers used this opportunity to harshly criticize Eaker’s strategy for daylight bombing and say that it was doomed to failure. Infuriated, Eaker pointed out how Frank Armstrong had completely turned the morale of the 306th around in just six weeks. He went on to say that he not only did not want Overacker back in England, but he wanted him to have no contact with any bomb groups on their way to England. One has to assume that this was also the end of their friendship.

On page 45 of the September issue, there is a photograph captioned "Sy Bartlett with an unidentified friend." On the following page Dunning relates how Bartlett and co-author Beirne Lay, Jr., chose the title for their story when actress Ellen Drew, Bartlett’s wife at the time, told them "Twelve O’clock High" would be an excellent title. Unless my eyes are seriously mistaken, the "unidentified friend" with Sy Bartlett in the photo is none other than the prescient Ellen Drew.

Gordon D. Sharp, Jr.
Kingston, Pa.

The author responds: The photo in question was obtained from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Evidently they were unable to identify the woman. However, I have since compared the woman in that photo to a wedding picture of Sy Bartlett and Ellen Drew that ran in the August 18, 1941, issue of The New York Times (they were married at Lake Tahoe on August 16, 1941). Based on my comparison, I believe you are right. Thank you for your help in clearing up this mystery.

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