[Frank Olynyk]

John,
THe VC-63 ACA Report #5 claims a Single Seater Fighter "Tony", and says Tony throughout the report. I do not know the provenance of the VC-63 Log linked by udf_00. It is not a copy of the Natoma Bay's deck log. It may be a copy of the VC-63 History, prepared after the cruise was over (if it was in fact prepared).

Interestingly, in checking the ACA Report #5 I noticed a hand-written, penciled remark at the bottom of the first page, noting that VC-7 had also claimed the Tony. Checking my claims database I found that I did not have any entries for VC-7. So I pulled up my copy of the reports from VC-7 (based on the Manila Bay), and found its ACA Report #10-44, in which they credit Ens. John T Milnes with a Tony, "Smoking around engine & starboard wing". This combat started at 0519 GCT, approx. 75 miles east of Kavieng, and continued with about a ten minute chase. ACA #10-44 states:

quote

Ens. Milnes made three runs on the Jap. On his last run he got on the Jap's tail and at the time he pulled off the Tony was smoking around the engine and starboard wing.

1634: As Ens. Milnes pulled out, a VC-63 plane got on the Jap's tail and fired a long burst into the Jap. The Tony began burning, went over on its back and crashed in the water. The pilot did not get out. The position was 70-mi. due east of the U.S.S. Manila Bay.

end quote

So both units identified the aircraft as a Tony. The "1634" would correspond to 0534 GCT. At this point in the war ACA reports were to be prepared using GCT time. Later in the war they switched to using local time and indicating the time zone involved.

Enjoy!

Frank.