MacArthur's Grim Reapers Stormtroopers - Lae kuna Rabaul

Stormtroopers MacArthur "Grim Reapers"

Mushure mekunge Hondo yePacific yatanga muna Zvita 1941, vazhinji vemauto emuchadenga eUS aivemo akakundwa muhondo dzePhilippine neJava. Panguva iyoyo, zvikwata zvitsva zvakakurumidza kutumirwa kubva kuUnited States kumisa kuwedzera kweJapan kuenda kuAustralia. Imwe yeiyi yaive 3rd Assault Boka, iro rakazowana iro rine revo zita rekuti "Grim Reapers".

Tsika dzekusikwa kweboka rechitatu rekurova dzakatanga muna 3. Kwenguva zhinji yenguva yehondo, yainzi Third Assault Group, uye kunyangwe yakatumidzwa zita rekuti "bhomba boka" muna 1918, mukuita yakaramba iri boka rekurova. Zvikwata zvitatu zvekuumbwa (1939th, 13th uye 89th BS) zvakadzidziswa paA-90 Havoc ndege, uye yechina (20th BS) paA-8 Banshee, shanduro yemauto yeUS Navy SBD Dauntless dive bomber. Aviation.

Mumhirizhonga yemavhiki ekutanga ehondo, zvakasarudzwa kukanda boka rechitatu rekurova muhondo muPacific Ocean, asi pasina ndege zhinji (ese maA-3s akamiswa munyika maaifanirwa kutenderera. mahombekombe mukutsvaga ngarava dzevavengi) uye pasina vakuru vakuru (vaizoshandiswa kugadzira chikwata chitsva). Saka apo ramangwana reGrim Reapers rakasvika muAustralia pakupera kwaFebruary 20, vakaunza gumi nemaviri maA-1942s navo, uye mukuru mukuru aive lieutenant. Panguva iyoyo, ndege yavo yakarairwa naColonel John Davis, mukuru weboka rakaparadzwa rechi24 bhomba, iro rakarasikirwa neA-27s muhondo dzeJava. Nguva pfupi yapfuura, Davis akatora 24rd Assault Group yose, nevakuru vake vachitora nzvimbo dzekuraira mumapoka matatu (ezvikamu zvina zvechikwata).

Mashoko akaipisisa akabva kuNew Guinea. MunaKurume, maJapan akatora zvigadziko zveLae neSalamaua. Makomo eStanley Owen chete ndiwo akavaparadzanisa nePort Moresby, musasa wekupedzisira weAllied kuchamhembe kweAustralia. Colonel Davis akaunganidza vese maA-24 muchikwata chimwe (8th BS) ndokuvakanda muhondo yeNew Guinea. The 3rd Assault Group yakaita rwendo rwayo rwekutanga muna Kubvumbi 1, 1942, ichibhururuka maA-24 matanhatu, ichidonhedza mabhomba mashanu ane mwero pachigadziko cheJapan paSalamaua.

Pazuva rimwe chetero, Colonel Davis akagamuchira (maererano neimwe vhezheni yezviitiko, yakaganhurwa) mhando nyowani yeMitchell B-25Cs yakanangana nendege yeDutch, iyo yaakashongedza nayo zvikwata zviviri (13th uye 90th BS). Mazuva mashomanana gare gare, musi waApril 6, 1942, akatungamirira ndege nhanhatu mukuvhozhokera nhandare yendege yeGasmata kumhenderekedzo yekumaodzanyemba kweNew Britain. Yakanga iri, chokwadi, yekutanga kurongeka munhoroondo yeB-25. Sezvo chinhambwe kubva kuPort Moresby kusvika payakanga chiri makiromita 800 (anenge makiromita 1300) kumativi ose ari maviri, ndege dzacho dzakangotora mabhomba anorema makirogiramu mana chete, asi dzakakwanisa kuparadza mabhomba 30 eJapan pasi.

Mukati menhimbe muJava (Kukadzi 1942), Davis akasangana nomurume ainzi Paul Gunn, murume wengano. Aimbova mechanic weUS Navy, mutyairi wendege uye murairidzi wendege aive makumi mana nemaviri pakatanga Hondo yePacific yakamuwana muPhilippine, kwaakashanda semutyairi wendege akazvimirira. Mauto eUS akabva atora matatu C-42 Beechcraft yaakanga abhururuka nayo ndokumuisa munzvimbo dzavo semukuru. Mumavhiki aitevera, Gunn, anozivikanwa saPappy nekuda kwezera rake, akatyaira ndege muBeechcraft isina pfuti, achibvisa mauto kubva kuPhilippine. Apo ndege yehondo yeJapan yakamupfura pamusoro peMindanao, akasvika paDel Monte Airfield, uko, nebetsero yeboka ravamakanika, akagadzira bhomba rakanga rakuvadzwa reB-45 raakashandisa kuvabvisira kuAustralia.

kununurwa kubva muutapwa.

Davis paakava mutungamiriri weboka rechitatu rekurova, Gunn akaedza kuwedzera simba rekurwa rendege yeA-3 Havoc, paive nechikamu chechina chechikamu ichi, 20th BS, yakashongedzerwa zvakare. Donald Hall, aiva mutungamiriri wemauto panguva iyoyo, anoyeuka kuti: “Ndege yedu yakanga ine pfuti ina dzakatwasuka dzemamita 89, saka taiva nepfuti shoma. Nekudaro, iyo yakanyanya kudzikamisa padanho iri yaive pfupi pfupi yeA-0,3. Mamiriro ezvinhu akachinja zvakanyanya pakaiswa tangi yemafuta e7,62 gallon pamberi pebhomba. Kutsiva kuderedzwa kwebhomba rakakonzerwa netangi remafuta richivatorera nzvimbo, "Pappy" Gunn akachinja A-20 kuita ndege yechokwadi yekurwisa, achiisawo pfuti dzemuchina dzine mamirimita 450 mumhino. ndege, panzvimbo yaigara mupi wezvibodzwa. Saka streifer yekutanga yakasikwa, sezvo rudzi urwu rwendege rwakadanwa muChirungu (kubva pashoko rokuti strafe - kupfura). Munguva yekutanga, Gunn akakwidziridza pfuti dzeA-20 dzakabviswa kubva kune dzakaderera P-12,7 varwi.

A-20 isati yaenda kuhondo, muna Kubvumbi 12-13, 1942, "Pappy" Gunn akatora chikamu murwendo rwechi13 ne90 rweBS kuenda kuPhilippines. Vachishanda kubva kuMindanao, gumi maMitchell kubva kumapoka maviri akabhomba ngarava dzeJapan dzinotakura zvinhu muCebu harbor kwemazuva maviri (mbiri dzakanyura) dzisati dzamanikidzwa kudzokera. Mukupedzisira, General George Kenny - mukuru mutsva weUS 5th Air Force - akafadzwa nekugadziriswa kwakaitwa naGunn kundege yeboka rekurwisa 3, akamugadza kumuzinda wake.

Zvichakadaro, Mitchelle 13th uye 90th BS, mushure mokudzoka kubva kuPhilippine kuenda kuCharters Towers kuchamhembe kweAustralia, akarwisa mabhesi eJapan muNew Guinea mumwedzi inotevera (refueling paPort Moresby munzira). Mapoka ese ari maviri akarasikirwa zvakanyanya - yekutanga musi wa24 Kubvumbi. Pazuva iri, vashandi vatatu ve90th BS vakaenda kuPort Moresby, kubva kwavaifanira kurwisa Lae zuva raitevera. Zvavakasvika kumhenderekedzo yeNew Guinea, vakarasika. Kwakati kwadoka mafuta apera, vakakanda mabhomba mugungwa ndokurikanda pedyo neMariawate. Mamwe mabhomba akanamira mubhomba bay yeNitemare Tojo inoyerwa na3rd Lieutenant. William Barker uye ndege yakaputika payakarova mvura. Vashandi vedzimwe mota mbiri (“Chattanooga Choo Choo” uye “Salvo Sadie”) vakadzokera kuChartres Towers mwedzi wakatevera mushure mezviitiko zvakawanda. Gare gare, ndege dzakati wandei dzeboka rekurwisa XNUMX nevashandi vadzo dzakarasika panguva yekufamba nendege dzega mhiri kweStanley Owen Mountains, dzichirovera musango nekuda kwemamiriro ekunze akashata kana kuve vanyajambwa vevarwi vevavengi.