"Pappy Boyington Field" film

[bunk22]

Today in WWII History:


On September 16, 1943 Major Boyington shot down 5 enemy aircraft in one day.

The VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron had just begun their combat tour on Sep 12th, but this day was their first engagement against the enemy. Their mission was to provide cover for a group of Torpedo Bombers and Dive Bombers, and then they ran into a large group of Japanese fighters over Ballalle.

The 24 Black Sheep took on a group of 40 enemy aircraft, the dogfight was spread out over 200 square miles and lasted 30 minutes. The Black Sheep shot down 11 aircraft, and another 9 were Probables. One Black Sheep did not return, and was later listed as MIA.

Major Boyington shot down 5 enemy aircraft during the mission, his first victories as a Marine, even though hepreviously claimed 6 victories as a member of the AVG 'Flying Tigers' in China. This now brought his running victory count to 11 enemy aircraft.

I'm a big fan and self proclaimed historian of Naval Aviation. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Boyington as well. He was an aggressive pilot, leader who often flew in horrible conditions due to weather and sickness with new Corsairs that were not exactly maintenance friendly. However, it is known Boyington did not shoot down 6 aircraft with the AVG. It was most likely 2 and with another claimed on the ground from research that I've seen. Also, though he claimed 5 in a day and his squadron claimed many more that day, looking at Japanese records show not that many aircraft went down. I think his overall score is now looked upon to be 24 total but his actual is more like 13-15 total if the records of enemy downed are looked at. Of course I'm going off others research, not my own. So one has accept the author's research as valid.

When John B. Lundstrom did his research and wrote two books on the Navy's air-to-air combat the first 9 months of the war and we see some of our aces are not aces, I think some get offended by a review or two that I'v read. IMO, it doesn't take anything away from those pilots as they were fighting against an aggressive enemy, in conditions of which we will never see again. A pilot may have seen that Kate go up in flames and dive away but he has no time to follow it down as there are others to be had. The flames go out on the Kate as he descend and he makes it bad to base. Not his fault really as last he saw, as well as maybe others, was a Kate falling in flames. Plus add to the confusion of combat, these things happen.

For example, Boyington claimed 3 Zero's and 1 for his wingman who was killed on the mission in which Boyington was shot down. Japanese records show exactly 1 zero shot down that day, the pilot lost. Another pilot saw Boyington shoot down a zero before he and his wingman were overcome by zero's. It's my understanding that other zero's were damaged...probably were hit and fell away smoking or on flames but made it back. The confusion of combat. Sometimes a better way of saying it is a pilot destroyed and/or damaged an X number of aircraft.

 

[Cron]

One of the things I found interesting in Pappy's own book, are his descriptions of Japanese civilians. During his time as a POW he and his fellow prisoners were made to clear away rubble in towns destroyed in B-29 raids. He repeatedly mentions how surprisingly nice and respectful the civilians were and how often they'd sneak in food for him and the others - this is after their homes and all possessions have been burned away (not to mention family/friends/neighbors).

I'd like to think I am more knowledgeable than the average person (especially amongst my generation) about the savagery of Jap troops during WW2, but passages from hardened combat vets like Pappy do put things into perspective.

 

[PBF]

Today is the 65th Anniversary of the Medal of Honor presentation to Pappy Boyington.

On October 5, 1945 in a White House ceremony, President Harry S. Truman presented the Medal of Honor to LtCol Greg 'Pappy' Boyington.





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