ana o ▁to ▁Australia . ▁A ▁subsequent ▁message ▁from ▁Mac Ar thur ▁requested ▁his ▁" most ▁experienced ▁pil ots , ▁and ▁the ▁best ▁available ▁plan es ▁in ▁top ▁condition ", ▁but ▁the ▁only ▁long - range ▁aircraft ▁that ▁Bre tt ▁had ▁were ▁Bo eing ▁B - 1 7 ▁F lying ▁Fort ress es ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Group ▁which ▁had ▁seen ▁hard ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies ▁campaign s . ▁He ▁therefore ▁approached ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Herbert ▁F . ▁Le ary , ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁naval ▁forces ▁in ▁the ▁An z ac ▁Area , ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁a ▁loan ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁twelve ▁newly ▁arrived ▁Navy ▁B - 1 7 s . ▁Le ary , ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁ref using ▁requests ▁unless ▁he ▁could ▁see ▁how ▁the ▁Navy ▁would ▁benefit , ▁turned ▁Bre tt ▁down . ▁ ▁Bre tt ▁therefore ▁sent ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Group ' s ▁old ▁plan es . ▁Two ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁turn ▁back ▁with ▁engine ▁trouble . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁others ▁accident ally ▁dump ed ▁ ▁of ▁its ▁fuel . ▁The ▁pilot ▁fle w ▁on , ▁and ▁nearly ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁Del ▁Monte ▁Field , ▁but , ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁miles ▁from ▁his ▁destination , ▁the ▁fuel ▁t anks ▁ran ▁dry ▁and ▁the ▁engines ▁stopped . ▁The ▁B - 1 7 ▁crash ▁land ed ▁in ▁the ▁sea . ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁were ▁killed , ▁but ▁the ▁rest ▁made ▁it