A Catalina Flyboat has sighted a pair of troop transports separated from the Japanese main attack fleet, which position is still unknown. The troop transports were escorted by destroyers and light cruisers. Lt. Commander Robert Schneider briefed the pilots Bowman and Janes for an escort missions.
15 minutes later the USS Hornet launched a pair of Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless bombers from VB-8 and two Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats from VF-8.
Lt. Bowman and Ensing Janes followed the dive bombers 300 feet behind and above to the supposed position of the ships.
Lt. Bowman, a veteran pilot, had a bad feeling about this mission. Commander Schneider told him personally, that he couldn’t afford more and better trained pilots for the escort, because the Admiral wanted the best pilots near the Hornet to fight off Japanese surprise attacks.
Additional they had to keep radio silence, so he couldn’t talk to his old friend Lt. Leppla, the pilot of the second Dauntless with the number 4.
An hour later, they had luck and found the ships, but to their surprise there was a Japanese fighter patrol in the air, too.
Bowman ordered his Wingman to stay on his side and the Wildcats accelerated to intercept the Jap fighters.
The US boys get the chance to fire combined at the leading Japanese fighter, a green Mitsubish A6M2 Reisen. They hit the Zero, but the return fire teached Bowman and his “Black 13” a hard lesson about the 2cm cannon armament of the agile enemy fighter.
A second later, Ensing Janes recieved the same lesson from the other Zero, while the leading one, passed Bowmann and concentrate the fire on the leading bomber.
With an Immelmann, the Wildcats suprised the the second Zero and Ensing Janes managed to damgage it.
With a second salvo and satisfied grin - Bowman shot the white Zero on fire and made the Jap pay for the damage he had done to the dive bomber of his friend Lt. Leppla.
Meanwhile the rear gunners kept the green Zero busy with their 0.30 caliber Browning machine guns.
The bomber pilots headed stubborn for the transport ships. They know about the importance of their job. Each sunk transport would weaken the planed Jap invasion of the Midway Islands.
The leading Zero did an Immelman to follow the bombers. The pilot guided his bullets to Lt. Leppla’s bomber but runned again into the combined fire of the Wildcats.
The fearless gunners finished the burning Zero off. Unfortunately the angry Japanese attacks claimed the first damages. Dark smoke smoldered out of the second Dauntless bomber.
The not so agile Wildcats had problems to follow the last Zero quick enough. Bowmann managed to shoot at him, but missed.
Bad thing for the Jap, that he misjudged the shooting abilities of the US rear gunners. He damaged Leppla’s bomber…
…but his Zero felt down to the waves, heavly hit by the bombers defense fire.
The bombers breaked the formation to attack each transport ship. Burst clouds appeared when the first US bomber commenced the dive.
This moment another pair of Zeroes headed for the bombers.
Captain Cleland released the single 2,250 lb bomb under his fuselage. It was a direct hit!
Lt. Bowman and Ensing Janes gave full speed to intercept the incoming Zeros and Lt. Bowman informed via radio the leading dive bomber about the new threat. Captain Cleland, a little bit shaken by the rough dive maneuver, confirmed the message with an solid oath therefor his mother would have washed out his mouth with soap.
For what reason ever, Lt. Leppla’s smoking, engine damaged dive bomber missed the second transport with his bomb drop.
Bowman and one of the Japs exchanges bullets, but the US pilot wasn’t able to shot the enemy down with this bursts.
To complete the disaster, Leppla’s Dauntless received an unlucky direct hit from the AA fire and it crashed into the sea.
Lt. Bowman was paralyzed for a moment, watching the death of his friend…
With hazardous maneuvers, the remaining bomber tried to avoid the same fate like his comrade.
It was a death race. The Wildcats reached the Zeros the moment they reached Cpt Cleland’s Dauuntless.
The cold blooded bomber pilot fooled his enemy with another dive maneuver and avoided this way a deadly short distance salvo from the Zero.
This was the bitter needed time his gunner used to shot down the following enemy.
The last Zero pilot decided to stay near the remaining transport ship and no to follow the escaping bomber.
A decision that the Wildcat pilots accepted. Both fighters were seriously damaged and the way back was a long one, so they closed the formation and escorted the dive bomber back to the Task Force 16.
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