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Re: Guadalcanal, P-400 lost on 30/08/1942
From the latest book I have on Guadalcanal (the French one by Bernard Baëza), four P-400 were shot down and six heavily damaged, but only one of the latter was immediately scrapped to provide pieces for the other.
The battle first opposed a sweep of 18 Zeroes of Shokaku and Zuikaku and 19 US fighters (11 P-400 of 67th FS and 8 Wildcats of VMF-223) and six Zeroes were lost (one pilot saved, 5 MIA). Then six more Zeroes arrived and two were shot down (pilots MIA). The returning Japanese claimed 12 victories.
On the American side, VMF-223 suffered no loss and claimed 14 Zeroes, while 67th FS claimed 5 and two probables.
So this battle was an American victory, even if the P-400s were initially bounced. With 19 claimed victories for 8 Japanese losses, the Americans overclaimed exactly at the same rate than the Japanese that day (12 claims for 5 real US losses), but still the P-400s may have shot down several of their opponents, and so possibly have killed as much pilots as they lost.
This was the first pure fighter sweep used by the Japanese during the campaign. The goal was to reduced bomber losses, and this was successful. The bomber formation this day was not intercepted and sank the old destroyer USS Colhoun, now used as a fast transport, killing 51 sailors.
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