View Single Post
  #5  
Old 4th September 2017, 15:33
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Paris, France
Posts: 2,917
Laurent Rizzotti is on a distinguished road
Re: Guadalcanal, P-400 lost on 30/08/1942

I searched Baeza's book to search everything writing on the 67th FS to check how much P-400 were available after these battle:

22 August: 5 P-400s arrived at Henderson Field
27 August: 9 more arrived (including BW167) -> unit strength: 14
29 August: 12 scrambled but failed to reach enemy
30 August: 11 in battle against Zeroes, 4 shot down, 6 damaged (1 scrapped immediately)-> unit strength: 3 OK, 1 unserviceable, 5 damaged

1 September: an order of battle of Cactus Air Force shows 67th FS with 9 P-400: coherent with the above that only one was scrapped on the 30th.
2 September: This day the 4 serviceable P-400 flew the first ground attack missions with success.
5 September: only two serviceable P-400 at dawn to attack barges
6 September: 3 serviceable P-400
8 September: 4 serviceable P-400 (according to the book no spare available, so they were repaired by cannibalization). One (British serial BW167) crashed on take-off and destroyed by fire.
10 September: 3 serviceable P-400, 5 other unserviceable.
11 September: 1 P-400 destroyed on the ground
14 September: 3 P-400 (one BW151) supported the Marines at dawn during the battle of Bloody Ridge, two hit by ground fire landed back on Henderson Field with engine cut
16 September: 3 P-400 flew a recon
17 September: 3 P-400 flew a ground attack mission, then a patrol
18 September: 3 serviceable P-400 in the evening
19 September: 3 P-400 flew a recon
20 September: 2 P-400 flew a recon
21 September: 3 P-400 flew a ground attack mission, 3 more arrived as reinforcement

I stop there for the moment, because with the new arrival it will be more difficult to check.

From the above, after the battle of the 30th, there was never more than 4 serviceable P-400, and never more than 3 after the loss of one in a take-off accident on 8 September. On the other hand the destruction of one during a bombardment on the 11th does not reduce this number.

So it is possible that the five P-400s heavily damaged on 30 August did not fly again during the period, but still they were counted in the OOB of the unit. One of these was probably the one destroyed by bombs on 11 September, or it not, one was then repaired enough to regain operational status. But I have no proof of anything. But still if restauring one of the five like that was possible, it could have been done after the 8th too.

As for serial numbers, I guess people there had another things to do.

Regarding your point 2) in your last message, there was no Wildcat loss on the 30th, only one was damaged and landed back to base. But the next day, 31st August local time but on the 30th US time, three pilots of VMF-224 disappeared with their fighters during a scramble. Their loss is reported on the 30th at http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLAug42.htm, but confirmed on the 31st at https://missingmarines.com/2012/12/2...gene-thompson/.
In the above link, it is sais that 2nd Lt Amerine, the only of the 3 pilots who survived, became lost and then was ambushed by two Zeroes. Documents in fold3 don't speak of any Zero, and actually the Japanese pilots all turned back due to bad weather well before reaching the area and no contact was done.
Reply With Quote