VC-65 aerial victories

[keith A]

Found the War Diary of VC-65. Ten pilots claim victories, with the squadron claiming 16 Japanese aircraft in aerial combat. The highest scorer being Lt Joseph T Riley with 3-4. No details on the names of the pilots or e/a type or date except 10 were claimed in June at Saipan (I have found basic details on four of these), one at Morotai in September and 5 at Leyte. Most of their records were lost when their carrier was lost, does this include a their combat reports?

best regards

Keith

[Leendert]

Keith,

Names of VC-65 claimants here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77651507?objectPage=21

Didn't go thru whole War History myself, perhaps you can find more details re dates and places in text.

Also check https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78590179 and https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78580537 for the Saipan Campaign combat reports with much more info.

Sunk USS St-Lo was still called USS Midway at that time.

Regards,
Leendert

[keith A]

Yep, many thanks. The squafton also make claims on 25 September 1944 for a probable by Ens FM Collins and then a Zeke destroyed by Ltjg Hammett on 26 September 1944 (flying from Tacloban a/f). The claimants vary in the war history. There's a pencilled note on one of the pages which seems to point to a shared victory (Ens CW Traul is named with another VC-65 member, name begins with R) and the combat reports have a couple of victories shared where the text attributes full victories to all four pilots.

The six missing victories of June 1944 as well as the one in September and four at Leyte were mostly credited to pilots who did survive although both the top scorer Lt Joseph T Riley (3-4?), and squadron leader LtCdr Ralph M Jones (1) were lost in action. I wonder why the reports prior to October 25, 1944 were not stored in another location or why the surviving pilots were not able to give details after the StLO was lost.

Based on what I know the claimants are Riley 3-4, Hamman 2.5, Hammett 2, Green 1.5, Vogel 1-2, Maino 1, Jones 1, Stroup 1, Freer 0.5, Bludnick 0.5, Traul 0.5 and (Riley)?.

best regards

Keith

[R Leonard]

This is what I have for VC-65
6/14/1944 - LTJG Leonard John Kash - TBM (pilot), 0.5 B5N (damaged), 25 mi E of Tinian
6/14/1944 - CM1c H E Dolliver - TBM (gunner), B5N (damaged), 25 mi E of Tinian
6/17/1944 - LTJG Charles Harry Freer - FM-2, 0.5 Ki-21, 180 deg, 30 mi from TF
6/17/1944 - LTJG Virgil Duane Green - FM-2, 0.5 Ki-21, 180 deg, 30 mi from TF
6/17/1944 - ENS Lawrence Edwin Budnick - FM-2, 0.5 A6M, 180 deg, 30 mi from TF
6/17/1944 - LTJG John Ashley Hamman - FM-2, 0.5 A6M, 180 deg, 30 mi from TF
6/17/1944 - ENS George Washington Stroup - FM-2, 1 B5N (probable), 180 deg, 30 mi from TF
6/23/1944 - LT Christopher Karl Maino - FM-2, 1 B6N, 40 mi southeast of Saipan
6/23/1944 - ENS Donald Frederick Vogel - FM-2, 1 B6N, 40 mi southeast of Saipan
10/25/1944 - ENS Forrest M Collins - FM-2, 1 Ki-43 (probable), over Samar
10/26/1944 - LTJG Wayne Elden Hammett - FM-2, 1 A6M, over Samar

Rich

[keith A]

Many thanksWhat about this Rich?

https://www.history.navy.mil/content...midway-ii.html

"During that period, on 20 October, Ens. Ray Rushing doggedly pursued a Mitsubishi G4M Type 1 land attack plane, braving heavy return fire from the turret gunner, and pressing home his firing runs to close range. Ultimately, the Betty burst into flames and crashed into the sea."

Oddly enough the report does not mention any other new aerial victories apart from Rushing.

Interesting to note that Lt Joseph T Riley had flown as a seaplane pilot aboard USS Portland at Midway.

best regards

Keith

[keith A]

I am beginning to see where the tally of six victories published for VC-65, rather than sixteen claimed in the War History comes from, but I wish I knew who wrote the pencilled notes on the war final report? The site I quoted does not seem to be missing any dates. The September 1944 claim could be a mistake for the Hamp shot down by VC-66 (Fanshaw Bay), or perhaps the squadron claiming a part of the victory after their pilots had attacked it (unsuccessfully)?

K

[R Leonard]

What do I think? I know this does not show up in the war diary. This non-appearance could be caused by

(1) the loss of squadron documentation with the loss of USS St Lo, or
(2) he may have chased the G4M to where there were no witnesses and if there were no gun camera film he might not have been credited.

On the other hand, without supplying any details the war diary lists the following credited with destroying enemy aircraft

LCDR RM Jones
LT CK Maino
LTJG JT Riley
LTJG VD Green
LTJG JA Hamman
LTJG WE Hammett
LTJG GW Stoup
LTJG CH Freer
LTJG LE Budnick
ENS DF Vogel

Jones does not appear on my earlier listing, though the others do. I don’t have result for him in air to air action LCDR Ralph Meldrim Jones (076873) AV(N) was killed on 25 Oct 1944.

[keith A]

See the faint pencil marks next to each name.

https://www.fold3.com/image/30200545...ii-war-diaries

K

[keith A]

What I would say about the Rushing claim is that it was written by McKenna, the ship's captain and would therefore I assume be contained in the records he used to create the article (I doubt he would have detailed every aerial victory so well so he is quoting details from another source). Again I cannot see a gap in the records that would allow the war history claims (with or without the pencil marks). The ten victories in the Saipan/Tinian campaign against the four we know seem the most difficult to identify. I am off to Fold3 again. Something will turn up

regards

Keith

[keith A]

The last flight of Lt Joseph T Riley is curious. He showed conspicuous bravery in returning to combat time and again and then losing his life in chasing Japanese bombers. The reduction from Navy Cross to Distinguished Flying Cross seems harsh.