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NARRITIVE
OF ACCOUNT:
.....Major
Carnagey and Capt. Newlands' divisions were ordered
on this strike to act as close cover for the center
flight of B-24 bombers of which there were to be twenty-seven
in three flights. The rendezvous point was Rigina
Island, which is just off the north coast and almost
centered on Choiseul, the time 1500.
.....A
bad squall over the field delayed the fighter take
off and the necessity of an irregular course to the
rendezvous point, because of thunderheads, further
delayed them. Carnagey was forced to return when his
fuel pump refused to operate Over 18,000 feet. The
other three continued to Rigina and arrived about
1505, circled a few times but saw no bombers, then
proceeded to Kahili to catch them if possible. The
weather was bad, closed-in solid over the northern
tip of Choiseul, so they cut across toward the Shortlands
hoping to intercept the B-24s on the way back and
protect their retirement.
.....They
never saw the bombers, but after turning back toward
Vella Lavella, they saw between 8 and 16 Zekes, about
three or four thousand feet below. As they started
their pass the Zeros must have discovered them for
the Japs immediately turned toward the attackers.
Lt. Schaeffer picked one out and after firing into
him, the Zeke turned over on his back and dove down,
but results of the shots could not be observed.
.....Schaeffer’s
next target pulled streamers as he zoomed straight
up to avoid the attack. The third of his targets received
a good burst so Schaeffer closed the range bat because
they were head on runs, results were undeterminable.
Lt. Moore had a good chance in his run but malfunction
caused his missing this opportunity. He reports the
Zekes to be painted a dark greenish color instead
of the usual brown. Lt. Gher locates the section as
about twenty miles from the northeast tip of Vella
Lavella, toward the Shortlands. He observed one Zeke
at the altitude with them and the others below.
.....As
they started their runs, Lt. Gher noticed the single
Zero got on Schaefer's tail, so he turned towards
the Zeke and chased him off. He then continued down
on the others and signaled one out to attack. He made
a good head on run and observed it hit and smoking
as it passed. (Confirmation of this smoker was given
on 1 October by Lt. Novak, a P-38 pilot, who saw the
plane falling off and smoking more and more leaving
a 4,000 ft. trail of smoke behind it. He did not see
it hit the water but was confidant that the Zeke must
have gone in.)
.....Capt.
Newlands' flight was split up and Nugent, being late,
cut across to Mange Point, hoping to find the bombers,
but had no luck, they ran into bad weather and pancaked,
making no contact. The second section of Pankhurst
and Witt, couldn't find the bombers and made no contact
with the enemy. Munda field was closed in from two
different approaches they tried, so being low on gas;
they proceeded to Segi where they landed at 1645.
They returned to Munda at 1805.
1st.
Lt. Wayne C. Gher:
....."After
relieving one squadron at noon, the division, of which
I am a part, took off to meet some bombers going on
a strike. During the climb to the rendezvous point,
the division leader had to return to base. Because
of very bad weather, we failed to meet the bombers.
We then went almost to the target looking for the
bombers, but upon failing to find them, we returned
down the slot hoping to perhaps catch them. Evidently
the bombers didn't make the hop.
.....The
Japs must have thought a strike was coming, because,
as we were coming out of the cloud, below and ahead
of us there were about 16 Zeros. (Type: Zeke) They
were milling around waiting to catch the returning
bombers. One Zeke was at our altitude, which was about
4,000 feet above the rest. He got on my buddy's tail
and I chased him off, then in a line abreast we dove
on the Zekes below, each picking out one plane."
.....My
target was going away from me, at about one o'clock
to me. Apparently the enemy had not seen us, but as
the tracers of Lt. Schaeffer's guns went past them,
they turned into us. Each of us could have had any
of a dozen different degree shots but I stuck to my
one target."
.....He
had turned over and started climbing at a very steep
angle at me so my high side run turned into a head-on
run. I opened up on him and noticed my tracers going
into his engine and propeller arc. Smoke started from
the engine and then we were past them and continuing
on our way back to the base with all possible speed.
Several Zekes tried to chase us, but we quickly put
a lot of air between ourselves and them."
Return
to 30 September, 1943 War Diary
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