ENEMY: Estimate at least 4 Tonys seen over Kahili. Estimate from 6 to 24 Zeros (Zekes) over Kahili. Estimate a separate 4 Zeros seen over Ballale.

RESULTS:

OWN LOSSES: None

NARRITIVE OF ACCOUNT:
..... We were originally supposed to supply twenty-four planes, but because only twenty ships were available one division had to be scratched. This left Carnagey to handle close cover with his division alone. Rendezvous was accomplished at 0820, but because Lt. Gher and Lt. I. S. Moore had trouble and had to return to base early, it left Major Carnagey and Lt. Schaeffer to escort close cover alone. The bombers, with their fighter escort, then moved up the slot close to the west coast of Choiseul Island and continued up the slot until at a point a few miles south of Kieta, then turned left toward Bougainville. It was in this turn that the fighter cover was hit by the enemy.

.....Close Cover: Carnagey and Schaeffer continued scissoring over the bombers until they were squared away for their bombing run and then they were attacked. The bombers went under clouds and were lost when Carnagey and Schaeffer had to maneuver to evade the Zeros. Carnagey could not find Schaeffer again and joined up on Wilson to return home. Schaeffer got a good shot at a Zero in a group of five and then his engine conked and he dropped from 26,000 to 6,000 feet before the engine caught again. This was almost over Kahili and he was able to observe bomb hits in the water at the end of the strip but saw no A.A., for which he was thankful. Not being able to find Carnagey, he continued home alone.

.....Medium Cover: Major Gordon’s division was split into two divisions neither knowing where the other was. It was in a turn that an estimated 24 Zeros hit this cover also. They were at 25,000 feet when six Zeros hit Gordon and Nugent. They dove out and came back into the fight. Major Gordon did not get any good shots at the enemy but Nugent got a good burst into a Zeke which seemed to shake all over and then go off in a spin, he was unable to observe the results. Gordon saw some light A.A. over Kahili but neither one saw the bombers or any results of the drops after the bombers left the target. It was Yeager and Wilson that got the best shots at the Zekes. Yeager estimated seeing at least 24 of them and he and Wilson made a shallow overhead approach at four of them. Yeager got a long burst into this one and as he tailed in on the Zero it attempted to loop but Yeager pulled up with it firing into it all the way until the Zeke flamed and fell off into a spin. Having lost Wilson he singled out another target and gave it a long burst observing it go down apparently out of control. Wilson lost Yeager while shooting some good bursts into a Zero with unobserved results he had a few other skirmishes and then was joined by Carnagey and they scissored down the slot with Zeros following as far as the Faro Islands. They could not find the bombers.

.....McLean’s division was in position at about 25,000 feet scissoring above the bombers. They were hit also by the Japs while turning with the bombers. Hughes was hit hard by the first burst from a TONY and pushed over in a spin, smoking. .McLean got this Tony as it stayed on Hughes' tail too long. .McLean raked him and observed the plane smoking and flaming and a piece of his plane fall off. Hughes limped back to the base but got his plane down safely with no hydraulic system or air speed indicator and 20mm holes in his left wing, tail, hits on engine and reports feeling bullets bouncing off his armor plate back.

.....Koetsch had trouble with his high blower and asked Hazlett to return with him. Just as they were turning, 3 or 4 Tonys came in for a run. Hazlett tried to shoot one off Koetsch's tail but only made it turn off then he saw another going up apparently for an overhead so he nosed up and put a long burst into the Tony with unobserved results. Koetsch dove out and landed with a 50 Cal. hole in his main tank the only damage. Hazlett lost him while on his back but joined with Craig to return to field.

.....High Cover: Major Volcansek's division was at 28,000 feet when Lt. Reid was forced to return from over Bougainville, he saw 18 bombers but could not observe bombing. Volcansek saw at least 20 Zekes coming in on them and he got a good shot at one, which smoked. After this he was alone with Zeros on him, which he evaded by S turns, and enough speed to keep out of range. He then saw a Zero on the tail of a Corsair and he slid in behind the Zeke and fired long bursts, which raked the ship from nose to tail and back again. The Zero then burst into flames. He joined with Williams and continued to search for bombers but without success.

.....Williams had malfunction of his guns but made several passes at 5 different Zeros but could not make his left wing guns fire, Craig got a probable with a five second burst and observed the Zeke to head down in a lazy roll as if the pilot were killed. Losing Williams he joined another Corsair and they returned with Zeros following them using one for bait.

.....Major Sapp started to return to base when Jones had high blower trouble, but they turned back to fight back at lower level. Jones was given lead when Sapp failed to see Zeros below. Jones went after one but passed with too much speed as they came down from 23,000 ft. over Ballale. Sapp saw two Zekes one behind the other get on Jones’ tail and he made a pass at one the back one from which he shot off half of the right wing, the Zero of course went into a spin. Sapp continued through to the Zeke closest to Jones and must of killed the pilot with a burst in the engine and cockpit observing flames from the engine and the plane going down out of control. He had another good chance but his windshield fogged and made the run impossible. About this time there was a Zero on his tail so he dove almost to the water and went home. Hobbs and Turner could never get in the fight because Turner stayed with him and they both returned seeing some Tonys on the way.

....Maj. VOLCANSEK's combat report: My division was high cover for the 12 B-24s. We joined up with the bombers at 0820 and started up the slot. Half way up Choiseul one bomber pulled out of the formation and headed back toward Cactus. Two of the F4Us close cover had to return after joining up due to being low on gas. At the Northern end of Choiseul my wingman, Reid had to return to Segi due to his motor cutting out. I continued to scissor with the other section of my division. Just about Kieta Airfield the bombers made quite a sharp left turn. This put us on the right side of the bombers. Right then a cloud of Zeros, about 20, came heading for the fighters from the south. I had just finished a scissor with my section and I went right through the Zeros getting a snap head-on shot at one before they passed behind. It appeared to start smoking as it passed over. I looked behind and there were two Zeros on my tail just out of range. I could see a dogfight off to my left rear also. I headed toward Kahili figuring the close and medium cover would still be with the bombers but the Zeros had also engaged them. The bombers went beneath a cloud layer evidently because I could not find them anywhere. I was able without full power to scissor slightly and keep out of range of the two Zeros on my tail. I kept looking for someone to join up on and saw what appeared to be 3 F4Us about 3 miles to my left and down about 3000 feet. I maintained my 25,000 feet altitude until I got in recognizable distance and the three turned out to be three more Zeros. I turned to the right and the two Zeros stayed right behind me just out of range. I was about 10 miles E of Kahili when I saw a Zero starting to close on an F4U tail to my left. I made a left then a right turn and pulled in above and behind the Zero. He was beginning to shoot so, still out of range, I started to fire and saw my tracer go behind the Zero, pulled up my nose so the bullets raked the Zero from tail to nose and then back to the tail and he burst into flames. Just in front of the cockpit. I turned sharp to the right to look for the Zeros behind me but they had disappeared and I was alone again. I was at 23,000 feet at this time and saw three planes scissoring to my right and below. I eased over there and they were F4Us who turned out to by my second section leader. We still could not find the bombers and finally reached the base.

.....Major SAPP's combat report: “At approximately 0915 and SE of Ballale about 15 miles while flying at 25,000 feet, my wingman Lt. Jones, spotted Zeros below at 18,000 feet. Not being able to spot the bogey, I turned the lead over to Jones to make the attack. He initiated the attack by diving down out of the sun on the leading plane and overran him after firing at him. He made a hard turn to the right followed by the two Zeros, one behind the other at about 1,000 feet apart. I closed on the tail of the second Zero and gave him a short burst and observed his right wing to disintegrate and the ship went out of control. His engine flared up and smoked and I saw the plane going down out of control.”

.....Lt. YEAGER's combat report: At approximately 0900 at 21,000feet over the coast of Bougainville north of the targets, Kahili, and while making a turn we saw about 4 to 6 (Zekes) tailing in behind the bomber formation but at our altitude. We continued our turn and came in on the tail of the Zekes. I picked out one and made a slightly high astern approach and opened fire. The Zeke made a steep climbing right turn through which I followed him firing all the way. While in the turn he flamed and started smoking and went into a spin. I then nosed over and headed down to gain speed and found myself alone having lost my wingman during the action. I shot about 12 different shots; about four were good in tail-in shots. It was one of those that I saw my tracers going in and I observed the Zero fall off apparently out of control.

.....Lt. McLEAN's combat report: Rendezvous with bombers and headed for Bougainville 0825. We had bombers covered with until they made their turn back to Kahili; my second section leader had trouble with his engine and didn't get turned with us. The bogeys had been spotted above and in the sun. My wingman and I spread out and began a tight scissor; a TONY had closed in on Hughes' tail. I wrapped up tight and caught the TONY with a slight deflection shot and as he turned away to a no deflection shot. He burned and smoke was coming from engine housing, and something was knocked from his plane. I turned back to scissor with Hughes and looked down and saw him in a tight spin and smoking. No other friendly planes in sight and two or more either Tonys or Zekes close behind. I nosed down for cloud cover. My red light was on so I opened intercooler which allowed me enough to them to catch up and put many bursts close but few in plane. Closed inter cooler and ran away again, shifted to neutral blower and they caught and fired more bursts at me. By that time I was in cloud cover and they were no longer around. I came back with no other contacts. Hughes landed shortly after me, shot up pretty bad.

.....Lt. CRAIG's combat report: I was approximately 27,000 feet scissoring with my section leader, Lt. Williams, and one plane from the other section of our division, which later turned out to be Major Volcansek. Suddenly, just after crossing over Lt. Williams and at that time being between him and the other plane, I saw a large number of Zekes coming in on us on our port bow. All three of us turned into them and they passed my nose like rain. As each passed I took a snap shot at him. The last one that passed my nose smoked but came around on my tail, out of range, but firing. I dived to 24,000 feet to get some speed, doing a nose down, slow roll as I went and then climbed back up. Most of the Zekes were in front of me but I saw four or five Tonys off in the distance and abeam of me. They had white spinners. I started over to them but changed my mind, I now being alone and not finding any F4Us to join up on. I then swung off to the left and noticed some Zekes behind and above me. About that time one pulled up out of range in front of me but I closed on him, fired about a 4 or 5 second burst, pulled to side, nosed down and got out of that area. The Zeke I shot rolled over on his back and started down in that position. I didn't watch him so I don't know whether he pulled out or not, but I feel sure that he didn't. I later saw a lone F4U and joined up on him. We scissored our way back toward home. Three Zekes followed us, staying quite a bit out of range. One was low, about two thousand feet below us, the other two were above us, 1,000 feet. Evidently that one below was supposed to be bait, for at one time I turned around on him and he also reversed course and when I turned back to continue homeward, he turned again and continued following. At length, just as we reached Vella Lavella, they turned and headed home.

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