Warbird Information Exchange

I am reading the diary of a Royal New Zealand Air Force groundcrew member who was with No. 3 (GR) Squadron, RNZAF. On Sunday the 4th of October 1942, whilst he was at Espiritu Santo, he stated in his diary, which is in note form, the following:
"Heard Fortress shot down 23 Zeros yesterday"

Is there any truth to the rumour he heard? And was it a squadron of Fortresses? Or one Fortress?

I just read "Fortress Against the Sun" which is a very detailed book about the B17 in the Pacific theater. Unfortunately I have turned it back to the library. I know I didn't read about one B17 shooting down 23 planes, perhaps the all planes in one raid reported a total of 23.

Thanks, yes I think if the number is anywhere near accurate it would have to be multiple B-17's, or over multiple days. His writing is purely in note forum rather than narrative unfortunately and that leads to the odd bit of ambiguity. I also think that by the time a rumour had filtered down to a lowly kiwi erk on a big US base, it may have been eggaggerated a few times too.

I doubt that one B-17 could carry enough ammo to shoot down 23 Zeros. I also doubt that the B-17 would be able to fly with all of the holes that 23 zeros would have perforated it with. But hey, "What do I know?" it could happen,I wasnt there

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"WHAT ME WORRY?"

Maybe it was this one


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where did you get that photo? i haven't seen that before in color. Too bad that b-17 was too heavy to keep up with the rest of the formation. I good idea tho

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

Could Ol' 666 have done it or come close? I seem to recall an episode of Dogfights where they at least held their own against a herd of Zeroes for something like 40 minutes.

-Tim

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Keep 'em Flying.

Ummm... it's a model.

http://www.327th.org/timsmodels.htm

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fooled me! Whoever built it did a great job though!

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

The rest of the story...
In case you wondered what became of the YB-40s, going through my father's flying records it seems he trained in one while doing B-17 training.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

http://www.327th.org/timsmodels.htm

cool models.., one was in my Dad's squadron. The B-29 with the feathered engine.., that A/C just passed away in August. He was a friend of mine. Vivian Lock of Kankakee, IL

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S.

I just looked it up, it was in an episode called "Long Odds" in season 1 of Dogfights. It's on youtube in the third segment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4cksG7JoE8

The show reports they took on 17 Zeros, but not all were shot down.

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-Mike "Stealth" M.

Service Crew for CHAA
www.harvards.com

"Fighter pilots make headlines, bomber pilots make history and crew chiefs make it possible" - Unknown

The Ol' 666 aircraft didn't enter service till 1943 as far as I can find, yet I am referring to 1942.

OK, just to add to the discussion, on the 3rd of November 1942, this airman wrote in his diary whilst he was based at Pallikulo ("Buttons"), Espiritu Santo, the following note:

"Squadron of Mustangs (Fighters) arrived very similar to Air Cobras."

Which unit was flying Mustangs in the Pacific that early in the war? And what mark of P-51 were they? Or was there another type that was also known as Mustang? Or was he mistaken in his identification of the aircraft?