[bearoutwest]

A few snippets of info from Jerry Scutts' "Marine Mitchells in WW2" on USMC PBJ air-to-air actions:

22 Mar 1944 (around dusk), Maj JK Smith (VMB-413) shot down by 4x A6Ms of 253rd Kokutai.

9 Jun 1944 Lt WJ Hopper (VMB-423) attacked over Rabaul by 2x A6M2. Despite 4 attacking passes, neither IJN or USMC aircraft suffered any damage.

(VMB-612)
8 Feb 1945 VMB-612 PBJ intercepted by unidentified Japanese aircraft near Iwo Jima, but evaded successfully at low level.

23/24 May 1945, VMB-612 makes night shipping raids off coast of Japan, encountering and shaking off two Japanese night-fighters.

(VMB-612 Detachment Philippines)
3 May 1945, Lt Bennett, searching for a downed PBJ, encounters and chases a Ki-21 Sally. The Sally manages to land on Tagoloan airfield before the Mitchell destroys it on the ground. (This is the closest to a recorded air-to-air victory for the PBJs.)


There were a number of undetailed night losses for the PBJs which may (or not) have been from aerial encounters.


...geoff