MacArthur's Grim Reapers Stormtroopers - Lae to Rabaul

Stormtroopers MacArthur "Grim Reapers"

Nkhondo ya ku Pacific itayamba mu December 1941, asilikali ambiri a ku United States omwe anali kumeneko anagonjetsedwa pankhondo za Philippines ndi Java. Panthawiyo, mayunitsi atsopano adatumizidwa mwachangu kuchokera ku United States kuti aletse kufalikira kwa Japan kupita ku Australia. Chimodzi mwa izi chinali Gulu la 3 la Assault, lomwe pamapeto pake lidapeza dzina lodziwika bwino la "Grim Reapers".

Miyambo ya kukhazikitsidwa kwa gulu lachiwembu lachitatu kuyambira 3. Kwa nthawi yayitali yankhondo, idatchedwa Gulu Lankhondo Lachitatu, ndipo ngakhale idatchedwanso "gulu la bomba" mu 1918, pochita idakhalabe gulu lachiwembu. Magulu atatu a mapangidwe (1939th, 13th ndi 89th BS) adaphunzitsidwa pa ndege za A-90 Havoc, ndi chachinayi (20th BS) pa A-8 Banshee, gulu lankhondo la US Navy SBD Dauntless wowombera mabomba. Ndege.

Mu chipwirikiti cha masabata oyambirira a nkhondo, adaganiza zoponya gulu lankhondo lachitatu kunkhondo ku Pacific Ocean, koma popanda ndege zambiri (zonse za A-3s zinaimitsidwa m'dziko limene amayenera kuyang'anira ndege. gombe pofunafuna sitima zapamadzi za adani) komanso opanda maofisala akuluakulu (omwe amayenera kugwiritsidwa ntchito kupanga gulu latsopano). Choncho pamene tsogolo Grim Reapers anafika ku Australia kumapeto kwa February 20, iwo anabweretsa khumi ndi awiri okha A-1942s, ndipo mkulu kwambiri anali lieutenant. Pomwepo, ndege yawo idalamulidwa ndi Colonel John Davis, wamkulu wa gulu lophulitsa bomba la 24, lomwe linataya ma A-27s pankhondo zaku Java. Posakhalitsa, Davis adatenga gulu lonse la 24rd Assault Group, ndi maofesala ake omwe adatenga maudindo m'magulu atatu (mwa magulu anayi a gululo).

Nkhani yoipa kwambiri inachokera ku New Guinea. M'mwezi wa Marichi, aku Japan adalanda maziko a Lae ndi Salamaua. Mapiri a Stanley Owen okha ndi amene anawalekanitsa ndi mzinda wa Port Moresby, malo omalizira a Allieds kumpoto kwa Australia. Msilikali Davis adasonkhanitsa ma A-24 onse kukhala gulu limodzi (8th BS) ndikuwaponyera kunkhondo ya New Guinea. Gulu la 3rd Assault Group lidapanga ulendo wake woyamba pa Epulo 1, 1942, likuwuluka ma A-24s asanu ndi limodzi, ndikugwetsa mabomba asanu pang'ono pamtunda waku Japan ku Salamaua.

Patsiku lomwelo, Colonel Davis adalandira (malinga ndi mtundu wina wa zochitika, zoperekedwa) zatsopano za Mitchell B-25C zomwe zimapangidwira ndege za Dutch, zomwe adapanga magulu awiri ankhondo (13 ndi 90 BS). Patapita masiku angapo, pa April 6, 1942, iye anatsogolera ndege zisanu ndi imodzi poukira bwalo la ndege la Gasmata kugombe lakum’mwera kwa New Britain. Unali, kwenikweni, mtundu woyamba m'mbiri ya B-25. Popeza kuti mtunda wochokera ku Port Moresby kukafika pamalo amene ankafuna unali wa makilomita pafupifupi 800, ndegezo zinangotenga mabomba okwana 1300 okha, koma zinathabe kuwononga mabomba 30 a ku Japan omwe anali pansi.

Mkati mwa ndawala ku Java (February 1942), Davis anakumana ndi mwamuna wina dzina lake Paul Gunn, munthu wanthano. Woyendetsa ndege wakale wa US Navy, woyendetsa ndege komanso wophunzitsa ndege anali ndi zaka 42 pamene nkhondo ya Pacific inayamba ku Philippines, komwe ankagwira ntchito ngati woyendetsa ndege payekha. Asilikali aku US nthawi yomweyo adalanda atatu a C-45 Beechcraft omwe adawulutsa ndikumuyika m'magulu awo ngati kaputeni. M'masabata otsatirawa, Gunn, yemwe amadziwika kuti Pappy chifukwa cha ukalamba wake, adakwera ndege molimba mtima mu Beechcraft yopanda zida, ndikuchotsa asitikali ku Philippines. Pamene ndege yankhondo ya ku Japan inamuwombera pamwamba pa Mindanao, iye anafika ku Del Monte Airfield, kumene, mothandizidwa ndi gulu la amakanika, iye anakonza ndege yowonongeka ya B-17 yomwe adagwiritsa ntchito kuwasamutsira ku Australia.

kupulumutsidwa ku ukapolo.

Pamene Davis adakhala mkulu wa gulu lachiwembu lachitatu, Gunn adayesa kuwonjezera mphamvu zankhondo za ndege ya A-3 Havoc, pomwe gulu lachinayi la unit iyi, 20th BS, idakonzedwanso. Donald Hall, yemwe panthaŵiyo anali mtsogoleri wa gulu lankhondo, anakumbukira kuti: “Ndege yathu inali ndi mfuti zinayi zowongoka zotalika mamilimita 89, choncho tinali ndi zida zochepa zowombera. Komabe, cholepheretsa chachikulu kwambiri panthawiyi chinali mtundu waufupi wa A-0,3. Zinthu zinasintha kwambiri pamene tanki yamafuta ya magaloni 7,62 idayikidwa kutsogolo kwa bomba. Pofuna kuchepetsa kuchulukitsitsa kwa bomba komwe kunabwera chifukwa cha tanki yamafuta, "Pappy" Gunn adasintha A-20 kukhala ndege yeniyeni youkira, ndikuyikanso mfuti zinayi zotalika mamilimita 450 m'mphuno. . ndege, pamalo pomwe wogoletsayo ankakonda kukhala. Kotero streifer yoyamba inalengedwa, monga ndege yamtunduwu inkatchedwa mu Chingerezi (kuchokera ku liwu lakuti strafe - kuwombera). M'nthawi yoyamba, Gunn adakweza mfuti zosinthidwa za A-20 zomwe zidachotsedwa kwa omenyera a P-12,7 ocheperako.

A-20 asanalowe kunkhondo, pa Epulo 12-13, 1942, "Pappy" Gunn adatenga nawo gawo paulendo wa 13 ndi 90 wa BS wopita ku Philippines. Akugwira ntchito kuchokera ku Mindanao, a Mitchell khumi ochokera m'magulu onse awiri adaphulitsa zombo zonyamula katundu za ku Japan ku doko la Cebu kwa masiku awiri (awiri adamira) asanakakamizidwe kubwerera. Pamapeto pake, General George Kenny - mkulu watsopano wa US 5th Air Force - anachita chidwi ndi zosintha zomwe Gunn anapanga ku ndege ya gulu lankhondo 3, anamuika ku likulu lake.

Panthawiyi, Mitchelle 13th ndi 90th BS, atabwerera kuchokera ku Philippines kupita ku Charters Towers kumpoto kwa Australia, adagonjetsa maziko a Japan ku New Guinea miyezi yotsatira (kuwonjezera mafuta ku Port Moresby panjira). Magulu awiriwa adatayika kwambiri - woyamba pa 24 Epulo. Patsiku lino, antchito atatu a 90th BS adanyamuka kupita ku Port Moresby, komwe amayenera kuukira Lae tsiku lotsatira. Atafika kugombe la New Guinea, anataya mphamvu. Madzulo, mafuta atawathera, anaponya mabomba awo m’nyanja n’kukaponya pafupi ndi Mariawate. Mabomba ena adakakamira pa bomba la Nitemare Tojo loyendetsedwa ndi 3rd Lieutenant. William Barker ndi ndegeyo inaphulika itangogunda madzi. Ogwira ntchito m'magalimoto ena awiri ("Chattanooga Choo Choo" ndi "Salvo Sadie") anabwerera ku Chartres Towers mwezi wotsatira pambuyo pa maulendo ambiri. Pambuyo pake, ndege zingapo za gulu lankhondo la XNUMX ndi ogwira nawo ntchito zidatayika panthawi yomwe ndege zodziwikiratu zikuyenda mbali ina ya mapiri a Stanley Owen, ndikugwera m'nkhalango chifukwa cha nyengo yoyipa kwambiri kapena kuzunzidwa ndi adani.