Thursday 24th snapshot will be all new http://ahevents.org/pacific-theatre/rhythm-of-the-cobra.html (http://ahevents.org/pacific-theatre/rhythm-of-the-cobra.html), which will be run now for the first time.
The event starts at 3pm EDT, 21.00 CET. Welcome!
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The men and P-39s of the USAAF's 8th Pursuit Group (PG) achieved operational readiness in Port Moresby, New Guinea, at the end of April 1942. Eager to engage the enemy, the PG sortied an offensive sweep to the Japanese airfields at Lae and Salamaua on the last day of April.
Formation leader Lt Col Boyd D 'Buzz' Wagner reports:
"Our approach was made on Lae from 50 miles out to sea at an altitude of about 100ft in order to prevent our detection. When about 20 miles out, four aeroplanes were sent ahead to engage the Japanese Security patrol over Lae Drome. The top cover drew the enemy security patrol off to the east of Lae Drome, and no aerial resistance was encountered during our strafing attack. Inaccurate ground machine gun and ack-ack fire was observed.
Our strafing aeroplanes were then attacked from above by several Zero fighters. Belly tanks were dropped immediately and throttles opened. Our formation began to pull away from the Zeros when the last four P-39s turned to engage three of the enemy fighters in combat. In the meantime, more Zeros had appeared, and it is estimated that we were attacked by 12 to 13 altogether. The four P-39s were now hopelessly outnumbered, so I turned the entire formation back and a terrific fight ensued between 13 P-39s and an equal number of Zeros."
Four Zeros were claimed shot down by the P-39 pilots, and the Americans lost four fighters - three pilots eventually made it back to Port Moresby on foot and the fourth was reportedly captured and executed by the Japanese. From the four claimed Zeros, Buzz Wagner scored three, raising his score to total of eight and making him the ranking US ace in-theatre at the time.
George Mellinger and John Stanaway - P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War 2