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Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East. |
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#1
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24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
Hi
Over Buna,that day,during a big fight,five claims(two P-40 and three P-39) by eight Zeke of Tainan Ku. Five P-39 by seven Zeke of 2°Ku RAAF 75°Sq=two Zeke damaged RAAF 76°Sq=four Zeke shot down Somebody have details of these claims (Japanese and RAAF)? and losses? Thank's Michel |
#2
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
Michel,
F/Lts Frank Coker (402226) and John Piper (250828) of 75 Sqn claimed one Zero damaged each; the unit had no losses on this date. Will get back to you re 76 Sqn. Bruce |
#3
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
No personnel losses for 76 Sqn on this day and not sure about claims or a/c losses. The squadron history sheets indicate only two victories were claimed for the whole of August.
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#4
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
Hello,
There is a good account of the events at Milne Bay on 24 August 1942 in David Wilson's, The Decisive Factor 75 & 76 Squadrons - Port Moresby and Milne Bay 1942 (pp.130-4). The same author has this to say in his history of 75 Squadron RAAF - Seek and Strike 75 Squadron RAAF 1942- 2002 (p.64). The Japanese claimed 14 P-39s and one P-40 destroyed and 'not confirmed' one P-40 and five P-39s, as well as a B-17 and a 'Lockheed' destroyed on the ground, all the Zeros returned safely. No P-39s were present at the battle. Fourteen G3M 'Nell' bombers had taken off from Rabaul at 0735 for Milne Bay, but were turned back by bad weather. These exaggerated figures for Japanese claims of enemy destroyed and probably destroyed were taken at face value by the Japanese staff and have been repeated as fact in post-war Japanese histories of the units concerned. The claims were, and remain laughable, but had a serious result, as Japanese headquarters believed the effectiveness of their pilots and aircraft were many times greater than they were in reality. Col. |
#5
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
Thank's Bruce and Col.
Sadly,I don't have the possibility to consult the books of Wilson David. It seems that the four Zeros claimed by RAAF 76°Sq. are a mistake on the part of one of my sources(Luca Ruffato and Michael J.Claringbould)...wich is not corroborated by Andrew Thomas (osprey n°38). About the japanese claims,according to Tainan "Kokutai Kodochosho",it would be two P-40 and three P-39 shot down plus two P-39 prob. I have among the 8 pilots involved: YASUI Kozaburo:2 P-39+1 P-39 prob. KAKIMOTO Enji:? YAMASHITA Sadao YAMASHITA Joji ??? ??? ??? ??? Notably,the two YAMASHITA were killed the same day(27/08/42) during the same fight by RAAF 75°Sq.!! Even if the claims are largely unfounded (for my archives),does anyone know more about others pilots(I miss the pages,especially the 24/08/42). Michel |
#6
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
76 Sqn claims on the 24/8/42:
F/Lt Clive Newton Wawn (400163): two fighters probably destroyed F/Lt Vernon Francis Wilfred Sullivan (2172): one fighter damaged Sgt Ross Huggins Glassop (403921): ditto Sgt Robert Alexander Gray (402160): ditto TOTAL: 0/2/3 From 'The Decisive Factor', p 202 The squadron history sheets differ slightly, crediting Sullivan and Glassop with a shared damaged. For the trivia buffs, Ross Glassop was the future stepfather of Michael Hutchence (INXS). Bruce |
#7
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Re: 24/08/42:RAAF 75°and 76°Sq vs Zeros
Hi Michel,
Your question came at the right time. I'm currently reading a detailed book about the Tainan Air Group "Eagles of the Southern Sky" by Luca Ruffato and Michael Claringbould. It is a full account of the Tainan Group day by day over New Guinea. The account for 24 Aug 1942 is as follows - Tainan group reported encountering 28 enemy aircraft and claimed 5 shot down (2 P-40s, 3 P-39's). and 2 probables (2 P-39's). The only Allied casualty reported was F/Sgt Riddell's 75sqdn RAAF P-40 A29-111 with cannon damage to the mainplane and rudder. 75 Sqdn RAAF claimed 2 Zeros damaged and 76 Squadron RAAF claimed 4 Zeros destroyed. Japanese damage was 2 bullet hits on the Zero of FPO1c Yamashita Sadao. Cheers Michael |
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