FAA victories

[JoeB]

Originally Posted by gian paolo

H. Sakaida - Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45 - reports a combat

between VF-88 F6F and 302 KU A6M/J2M near Atsugi confirmed in an article on Flight Journal by Tillman . 6 F6F vs 12 Japanese ( HATA/IZAWA :
6 Grummans vs 8 A6M + 4 J2M ) claim 9 zeke/jacks for 4 losses (HATA/IZAWA admitting 4 Japanese losses as well )

VF-6 claimed 1 A6M + 2 J2M in the same area as did the FAA seafires

Did they fight different sections of the 302 KU or other IJNAF units ?

I think we're saying basically the same thing. Four F6F squadrons, VF's 6, 31, 49 and 88, made fighter claims in the same general area and time window as the Seafire claims (times in US records ~ time given in Brown of FAA strikes). VF-6 and VF-88 seem the most likely matches to the apparently only Japanese account, that of Morioka's flight of the 302nd AG, v 'Grummans'.

Thanks for adding Sakaida. Again the Japanese source there seems to be of or from Morioka. Perhaps Sakaida matched VF-88 based on the locations, 'near Atsugi' in VF-88's official claim, 'over Atsugi' in the Morioka account, reasonable. OTOH VF-88 claimed Franks and Jacks while VF-6 claimed Zekes and Jacks, only 15 minutes earlier and over Sagami Wan, the body of water immediately adjacent to Atsugi a/f (types, times and locations from Olynyk). Morioka's account in Saikada of the wounded F6F pilot, who died before Morioka could visit him, doesn't proves anything IMO: he could have been downed by anybody else, or AAA.

Without a more definitive source (which I hope someone will point out), I don't see how a firm conclusion could be reached. But it seems much more likely the 302nd/Morioka account refers to a combat with F6F's than Seafires, since it says so and plausibly matching F6F claims exist. The Seafires might have engaged any of the other JNAF or JAAF fighter units (mistaking JAAF types for Zekes) based in that general area, seems to me.

Joe