Mariana 1944 Gawo 1

USS Lexington, Wachiwiri kwa Adm. Marc Mitscher, wamkulu wa Gulu la Fast Carrier Team (TF 58).

Pamene ku Ulaya nkhondo ya Normandy footholds inakangana, kumbali ina ya dziko lapansi, dera la Marianas linakhala bwalo la nkhondo yaikulu pamtunda, mpweya ndi nyanja, yomwe pamapeto pake inathetsa ulamuliro wa ufumu wa Japan ku Japan. Pacific.

Madzulo a June 19, 1944, tsiku loyamba la Nkhondo ya ku Nyanja ya Philippines, nkhondoyo inasamukira ku Guam, chimodzi mwa zisumbu zomwe zili kumapeto kwenikweni kwa Marianas. Masana, zida zankhondo zolimbana ndi ndege za ku Japan zidagwetsa mabomba angapo a US Navy kumeneko, ndipo ndege zapanyanja za Curtiss SOC Seagull zinathamangira kukapulumutsa oyendetsa ndege omwe adagwa. Ens. Wendell Twelves wa Essex Fighter Squadron ndi Wingman Lt. George Duncan anakumbukira kuti:

Pamene a Hellcats anayi anayandikira ku Orote, tinawona ankhondo a Zeke a ku Japan aŵiri pamwamba pake. Duncan anatumiza awiri awiri kuti akawasamalire. Mphindi yotsatira tidamva kulira kopempha thandizo pafupipafupi komwe timagwiritsa ntchito. Woyendetsa ndege ya Seagull rescue seaplane adalengeza kuti iye ndi Seagull wina anali m'madzi kuchokera ku Rota Point, Guam, mayadi 1000 kumtunda. Adaomberedwa ndi Zeke awiri. Mnyamatayo anachita mantha. Munali kusimidwa mu liwu lake.

Zekes awiri anatiukira nthawi imodzi. Iwo analumphira kuchokera m’mitambo n’kutiyang’ana. Tinazemba, kutuluka pamzere wamoto. Duncan anandiwulutsa pawailesi kuti ndipite kukapulumutsa a Seagulls, ndipo anatenga Zekes onse kuti akhale yekha.

Panali pafupifupi mailosi asanu ndi atatu kupita ku Rota Point, komwe kunali pafupifupi mphindi ziwiri. Ndinayika ndegeyo kumapiko akumanzere, ndikukankhira chowongolera njira yonse, ndikuthamangira kumalo omwe adawonetsedwa. Ndinatsamira kutsogolo mosazindikira, ndikumangitsa malamba ngati kuti zingandithandize. Ngati ndikanati ndichitire chilichonse pa ndege ziwiri zopulumutsa, ndimayenera kupita kumeneko mwachangu. Ali yekha Zeke, analibe mwayi.

Ngakhale kuti ndinasumika maganizo pa kukafika ku Rota Point mwamsanga, ndinapitiriza kuyang’ana uku ndi uku. Sindingathandize aliyense ngati nditawomberedwa pano. Nkhondo inachitika ponseponse. Ndinawona omenyana khumi ndi awiri akumenyana wina ndi mzake. Utsi wochepa unkatsatira pambuyo pawo. Wailesiyo inalira ndi mawu osangalala.

Palibe chomwe ndidawonapo chinali chowopsa nthawi yomweyo. Chapatali ndinaona Rota Point. Maparachuti oyera owala ankayandama m’madzimo. Anali atatu kapena anayi a iwo. Anali m’gulu la oyendetsa ndege amene anapulumutsidwa ndi ndege zapanyanja. Nditayandikira, ndinawawona. Pamene anali kuuluka pamwamba pa nyanja, anachoka m’mphepete mwa nyanja. Mbalame yotchedwa Seagull inali ndi choyandama chimodzi chachikulu pansi pa chibolibolicho kuti chiziyandama. Ndinaona opulumutsidwa ndege akukakamira pa zoyandama izi. Ndinayang'ananso malowa ndipo ndinaona Zeke mmodzi. Anali patsogolo panga ndi pansi. Mapiko ake akuda ankawala padzuwa. Anali akungozungulira, ndikudziyika yekha kuti aukire ndege zapanyanja. Zinanditsina m'dzenje. Ndinazindikira kuti ikadzafika pafupi ndi moto wanga, idzakhala ndi nthawi yowombera pa iwo.

Zeke anali pafupi mamita angapo pamwamba pa madzi, ine pa zikwi zinayi. Maphunziro athu ankakumana kumene kunali ndege zapanyanja. Ndinali naye kumanja. Ndinakankhira mphuno ya ndege pansi ndikudumphira. Mfuti zanga za makina zinali zokongoletsedwa, kuyang'ana, ndipo liwiro langa linali kukwera kwambiri. Ndinafupikitsa bwino mtunda pakati pathu. Speedometer inawonetsa mfundo 360. Mwachangu ndinayang'ana uku ndikuyang'ana Zeke winayo, koma sindinamuone paliponse. Ndinaika maganizo anga pa amene anali patsogolo panga.

Zeke adawombera Seagull wotsogolera. Ndidawona bwino zida zake zamfuti zake za 7,7mm zikuwulukira kundege. Oyendetsa ndege, omwe anamamatira ku choyandamacho, anamira pansi pa madzi. Woyendetsa ndege wa Seagull adapereka mphamvu zonse ku injiniyo ndipo adayamba kuzungulira kuti amuvutitse kwambiri. Madzi ozungulira Seagull anawira oyera chifukwa cha kugunda kwa zipolopolozo. Ndinkadziwa kuti woyendetsa ndege Zeke akugwiritsa ntchito mfuti kuti aziwombera iye asanamenye mizinga m'mapiko, komanso kuti maulendo a 20mm aja adzawononga kwambiri. Mwadzidzidzi, akasupe amadzi otuluka thovu anasefukira mozungulira Seagull pomwe woyendetsa ndege Zeke amawombera ndi mizinga yake. Ndinali kutali kwambiri kuti ndimuletse.

Ndinaika maganizo anga onse pa msilikali wa ku Japan. Woyendetsa ndegeyo anasiya moto. Ndege zonse ziwirizi zinawala m'malo anga owonera pamene zimadutsa pamwamba pake. Kenako idayamba kudumphira kumanzere. Tsopano ndinali nayo pa ngodya ya digirii 45. Ndinali pamtunda wa mayadi 400 okha pamene anandiwona. Analimitsa kutembenuka, koma mochedwa kwambiri. Pa nthawiyi ndinali nditakoka kale. Ndinawombera mwamphamvu, masekondi atatu athunthu. Mitsinje ya ma tracers incandescent inkawulukira kwa iye munjira yokhotakhota. Ndikuyang'ana mosamala, ndidawona kuti ndakonza bwino - zomenyedwazo zidawoneka bwino.

Maphunziro athu adadutsa ndipo Zeke adandidutsa pansi. Ndidayika ndege kumanzere kumanzere kuti ndikonzekere kuukira kotsatira. Anali adakali pansi, ali pamtunda wa mamita 200 okha. Sindinafunikirenso kumuwombera. Zinayamba kuyaka. Patangopita masekondi angapo, inagwetsa uta wake n’kugwera m’nyanja yafulati. Chinkadumpha pamwamba pake n’kuzungulira mobwerezabwereza, n’kusiya moto woyaka m’madzimo.

Patapita nthawi, Ens. Twelves adawombera Zeke wachiwiri, yemwe woyendetsa wake adakhazikika pa ndege zopulumutsa anthu.

Ndinali nditangoyamba kumene kufunafuna ndege zina pamene ndinadzipeza ndili pakati pa mtambo wa tracers! Iwo anawuluka kupyola nyumba ya okwera ndege akuyenda bwino ngati chipale chofewa. Zeke wina adandidabwitsa ndikumenya kumbuyo. Ndinakhotera chakumanzere kwambiri moti gulu la g-force linakwera kufika pa ma G 20. Ndinayenera kutuluka m’njira yowombera ndegeyo Pilot Zeke asanandiwuze mizinga yake ya 7,7mm. Anafuna bwino. Ndidamva zipolopolo zamfuti zake za XNUMXmm zikulira mundege monse. Ndinali m’vuto lalikulu. Zeke adatha kundiyendetsa mosavuta mkati mwa arc. Ndege yanga inali kunjenjemera pafupi ndi kuima. Sindinathe kukanikiza kutembenukiranso. Ndinakankha ndege kumanja kenako ndinanyamuka ndi mphamvu zanga zonse. Ndinkadziwa kuti ngati angafune kuchita zimene akufuna, mizinga ija idzandikhadzula. Sindinathe kuchita china chilichonse. Ndinali wochepa kwambiri kuti ndithawe ndi ndege yodumphira. Panalibe mitambo kulikonse kuti ndidumphiremo.

Ma tracers adasiya mwadzidzidzi. Ndinatembenuza mutu kuti ndione komwe wapita Zeke. Ndi mpumulo ndi chisangalalo chosaneneka, ndinawona kuti F6F ina yangomupeza kumene. Njira yopitira! Nthawi yake!

Ndinayang'ana mozungulira kuti nditsimikizire kuti ndili bwino. Ndinachita mantha, koma tsopano ndinazindikira kuti ndagwira mpweya. Zinali mpumulo bwanji! Zeke yemwe anandiombera moto uja anali akugwa, uku akutsata utsi kumbuyo kwake. Hellcat, yemwe adauchotsa kumchira wanga, adasowa penapake. Kupatulapo F6F ya Duncan pamwamba, kumwamba kunalibe ndipo kunalibe. Ndinayang'ananso mozungulira. Zeke onse asowa. Mwina padutsa mphindi ziwiri nditafika kuno. Ndinayang'ana zomwe zidawerengedwa ndikuyang'ana ndege. Ndinawona zipolopolo zambiri m'mapiko, koma zonse zinayenda bwino. Zikomo, Bambo Grumman, chifukwa cha mbale ya zida kumbuyo kwa mpando wakumbuyo ndi matanki odzisindikizira okha.