F4F Wildcat - Makahiki Mua o ka Pakipika: Kepakemapa-Dekemaba 1942 p.2

F4F Wildcat - makahiki mua ma ka Pākīpika. Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia nā Wildcats ma ka ʻaoʻao o ke alahele Fighter 1 ma Guadalcanal.

ʻO ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o ʻAmelika iā Guadalcanal i ʻAukake 1942 i wehe i kahi alo hou ma ka Pākīpika Hema a alakaʻi i ke kolu o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana ma ka hikina Solomona ma hope o kēlā mahina. Eia naʻe, ua hāʻule ke kaumaha o ka hakakā ʻana no Guadalcanal ma luna o nā mokulele e holo ana mai nā kumu honua.

I kēlā manawa, ua hoʻonoho ʻia nā pūʻali koa ʻelua o Marine Wildcats (VMF-223 a me -224) a me hoʻokahi pūʻali koa o ka US Navy (VF-5) ma ka mokupuni, e pale ana i nā hoʻouka kaua nui a ka Japanese Air Force i hoʻokumu ʻia ma Rabaul, New Britain. .

ʻO ka hōʻea ʻana mai o 11 mau pūʻali koa VF-24 i pae mai ka USS Saratoga ma hope o ka hoʻopōʻino ʻana i ka moku i ka hopena o ʻAukake, ua ʻoi aku ka ikaika o Wildcat ma ka mokupuni ma ka lā 5 Kepakemapa. I kēlā manawa, ua hoʻolako pū ʻia nā ʻāpana mokulele o ka Imperial Navy ma Rabaul, i hui pū ʻia ma ka 11th Air Fleet, me kahi 100 mau mokulele lawelawe, me 30 Riccos (twin-engine bombers) a me 45 A6M Zero fighter. Eia naʻe, ʻo ka A6M2 Model 21 wale nō i lawa ka laulā e hoʻomaʻemaʻe iā Guadalcanal. Ua hoʻohana mua ʻia ka A6M3 Model 32 hou no ka pale ʻana iā Rabaul mai ka US Air Force e hana ana mai New Guinea.

I ke awakea o Kepakemapa 12, ua hōʻea ka huakaʻi o 25 rikko (mai Misawa, Kisarazu a me Chitose Kokutai). Ua hele pū lākou me 15 Zeros mai ka Kokutai 2 a me 6. I ka hōʻea ʻana i kahi kokoke i ka mokupuni, ua hoʻololi ka poʻe pōkā i kahi lele luʻu mālie, e iho ana i kahi kiʻekiʻe o 7500 m e loaʻa ai ka wikiwiki. ʻO ka poʻe Kepanī i loko o ka pīhoihoi nui. ʻO ka nui o 20 Wildcats VF-5 a me 12 mai nā pūʻali Marine ʻelua i haʻalele mai Henderson Field. Ua hoʻāʻo nā mea hoʻokele Zero e mālama iā lākou ma ke kai, akā ʻaʻole hiki iā lākou ke hoʻopaʻa i nā mea hakakā 32. ʻO ka hopena, ua lilo ʻeono Rikko i ka poʻe Kepanī a me hoʻokahi Zero i hoʻokele ʻia e ka hoa mākaʻikaʻi ʻo Torakiti Okazaki o 2. Kokutai. Ua pana ʻia e Lutena (Junior) Howard Grimmell o VF-5, ua holo ʻo Okazaki i ka mokupuni ʻo Savo, me ka huki ʻana i kahi pahu wahie lele ma hope ona, akā ʻaʻole i ʻike hou ʻia.

I ka wanaʻao o Kepakemapa 13, ua hāʻawi nā mea lawe mokulele ʻo Hornet a me Wasp i 18 Wildcats i Guadalcanal no nā pūʻali koa i hoʻonoho ʻia ma ka mokupuni. I kēia manawa, ua hōʻea ka ʻike iā Rabaul ua hopu nā pūʻali koa Iapana iā Henderson Field, ke kahua mokulele nui o ka mokupuni. No ka hōʻoia ʻana i kēia, ua hele ʻelua Rikkos, i hele pū ʻia me ʻeiwa mau mea hakakā, i ka mokupuni. ʻO kekahi mau Zero, i ka ʻike ʻana i nā pōpoki ʻāhiu e piʻi mai ana iā lākou, kuʻi i luna, hoʻokuʻi i lalo i hoʻokahi, a hoʻokuʻu i ke koena i ke ao. Eia nō naʻe, ma laila, ʻo ka poʻe hoʻokele wiwo ʻole a mākaukau hoʻi i ke kaua o ka elite Tainan Kokutai i hana i ke ahi lōʻihi haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa i ka honua, a i ka hui ʻana o nā Wildcats hou aku iā lākou, ua pepehi ʻia lākou i kēlā me kēia. ʻEhā i make, ʻekolu aces: Mar. ʻO Toraichi Takatsuka, ke kōkua o Kazushi Uto a me ka hoaaloha o Susumu Matsuki.

Ua paio na lono mai na ohua Rikko elua, nolaila, ma ke kakahiaka o ka la 14 o Sepatemaba, ua hele aku ekolu A6M2-N (Rufe) i Henderson Field no ka hoomaopopo ana i ka mea nana e hoomalu i ka mokulele. He mau mokulele lākou e holo ana mai ke kahua ʻo Recata Bay ma kahakai ʻo Santa Isabel, he 135 mau mile wale nō mai Guadalcanal. Ua hoʻoweliweli maoli lākou - i ke ahiahi o ka lā ma mua, ua pana lākou i ka Fearless a kokoke i ka pae ʻana. I kēia manawa, ua hāʻule kekahi A6M2-N ma luna o ke kahua mokulele a hoʻouka i kahi kaʻa R4D i kaʻi ʻia mai Henderson Field. Ma mua o ka hiki ʻana i ka poʻe Kepani ke hana i kekahi pōʻino, ua pana ʻia e nā mea hoʻokele VF-5, a me ʻelua mau A6M2-N ʻē aʻe. Hoʻokahi i hahau ʻia e Lutenant (Second Lieutenant) James Halford. I ka wā i hoʻokuʻu ʻia ai ka pailaka Kepani, ua pana ʻo Halford iā ia i ka lewa.

ʻAʻole hāʻawi ka poʻe Kepani. I ke kakahiaka, ua hoʻouna ʻia ʻo 11 Zeros mai ka 2 Kokutai mai Rabaul e "luaʻi" i ka lewa ma luna o Guadalcanal, a he hapaha hola ma hope o lākou, he mokulele mākaʻikaʻi kiʻekiʻe o Nakajima J1N1-C Gekko. ʻO kekahi o nā ace 5. Kokutai, ka mea hoʻokele waʻa ʻo Koichi Magara, ua pepehi ʻia ma kahi hakakā me ka ʻoi aku o iwakālua VF-223 a me VMF-2 Wildcats. Ma hope koke iho, ua ʻike ʻia kahi mākaʻikaʻi ʻo Gekko a hoʻomaka e lele ma luna o Henderson Field. ʻAʻole i loaʻa i ka poʻe holo moku ka manawa e hōʻike ai i ka mea i hoʻokumu ʻia - ma hope o kahi alualu lōʻihi, ua pana ʻia ʻo ia e Second Lieutenants Kenneth Fraser lāua ʻo Willis Lees mai VMF-223.