VPB-117 58 kills 1944-45!

[R Leonard]

VPB-117 tally, all 58, can be found here in Appendix 4 of

Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2
The History of VP, VPB, VP(HL) and VP(AM) Squadrons

https://www.history.navy.mil/content...adronsVol2.pdf

Nine shoot downs credited to VPB-118 are also on this list.

Note that the text specifically states: "Claims from this study regarding “probables,” “damaged” and/or “smoking” actions are not included in this listing".

[twocee]

Keith

My comments came from reading Jim Sawruk's introduction to his Appendix 4 (Air-to-Air Claims) in Volume 2, where he makes clear that his principal sources were the Navy War Diaries and Action Reports. He doesn't actually claim that the losses were checked against Japanese records, if indeed any exist. As you say, the comparison with other squadrons does indicate overclaiming.

[keith A]

Cheers chaps.