operating normally the past couple of weeks in formations of 12, 9, 14 or 
 
perhaps 16 planes. The enemy planes attacked with 27 to 34 bombers and 20 
 
to 30 pursuit fighters, keeping from 25,000 to 26,000 feet. We got some of 
 
them, but it was difficult and we lost ships doing it. Their fighters would 
 
come down on the P-40's. These continued attacks kept up. They were in-
 
creasing their air strength all the time. They first took Bali and their 
 
base on Bali caused more trouble than anything else. The Japs made their 
 
Bali landing at night and we attacked the next morning. Our B-17's were 
 
bombed then. We had a few dive bombers -- operating around 10,000 to 12,000
 
feet -- with P-40,s giving protection. Our bombers managed to finish up 
 
what the Navy left. Only 1 destroyer and 1 cruiser got out. We lost only 
 
1 dive bomber and 4 pursuit ships. We  were down after that to 12 or 14 
 
airplanes.
 
We lost our planes a few at a time, a couple a day. When the invasion 
 
fleet came in on the 28th, it was met by our fleet as it came from the 
 
North.
 
There were 46 transports, about 8 destroyers, 6 or 8 cruisers, They were 
 
met by our fleet about 100 miles out of Soerabaja where they had quite a 
 
cover up for their fleet. Our Navy sunk a cruiser and set some destroyers 
 
afire. Their fleet action was in front and there was a V formation. We 
 
lost 1 destroyer.
 
On the afternoon of the 28th fighting, bombing -- everything -- was going 
 
well for us. The Japanese convoy turned around and started north again. 
 
 
They next came in to Soerabaja. The fleet turned around, came in again 
 
and we had no fleet to oppose it. We were reinforced with 6 British Hurricanes 
 
and 6 Brewsters flown and operated by the Dutch but they were no good for
 
interception. On March 1 there were 9 P-40' s in commission. We ran a
 
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