You have
landed at the website dedicated to Night
Fighter -- a first-hand account of the life and times of
a P-61 radar observer in the China-Burma-India theater, 2nd Lt. James
R. Smith. Smith and pilot Carl J. Absmeier were responsible
for two air-to-air kills and a number of valuable intruder missions
during the waning days of World War II, flying a craft named Jing-Bow
Joy-Ride. In his later years Smith
wrote a fascinating account of
their exploits, richly detailed and full of facts and observations.
Smith and
Absmeier, attached to the 426th Night Fighter Squadron, were recipients
of a number of awards and medals, and the most successful team in their
unit. They flew several significant missions even after receiving
long-awaited orders to return stateside, including participation in a
mission to destroy the strategically important Yellow River Bridge.
There
is little good information available about the CBI, often called the
"forgotten theater." Join us in these pages for stories of
history and high adventure. We
welcome any comments or
questions and would be
particularly delighted to hear from surviving members of the 426th NFS
or other units from the 14th Air Force.
