Chapter 6: Hungry Joe

In Chapter 6 of Catch-22, Hungry Joe continues to fly missions despite having completed 50, and his orders to go home never arrive. He is driven insane by his inability to take successful photographs of naked women, despite pretending to be a respected photographer from Life magazine. Each time Colonel Cathcart increases the number of required missions, Hungry Joe's nightmares cease until he completes another tour.

Colonel Cathcart is described as very brave in putting his men forward for perilous missions, and Appleby shows equal bravery in Ping-Pong games. Orr attacks Appleby in the middle of a Ping-Pong game, leading to a fight in which Chief White Halfoat breaks Colonel Moodus's nose. General Dreedle, Colonel Moodus's father-in-law, enjoys seeing him being abused and has Halfoat repeat the fight to keep him in good physical condition. Ex-P.F.C.

Wintergreen gives Yossarian another definition of Catch-22, which requires him to go on extra missions ordered by Colonel Cathcart, despite Twenty-seventh Air Force regulations only requiring 40 missions. Cathcart increases the number of required missions to 55.