2nd Combat TourJune 17 to July 29, 1943 |
Second row: M. Peck, E. Shaw, J. Morgan, S. Hall, R. Votaw, M. Vedder, W. Humberd, M. Peyton, G. Weissenberger, B. Leary, W. Cloake, A. Treffer, T. Brown, S. Harrison (Intelligence Officer), and W. Livingood (Flight Surgeon). VMF-213’s mascot, Doc Schnauzer, is again present.
Dates: 17 June 1943 - 29 July 1943
June 17.- 1st echelon arrived at Guadalcanal fighter #1 via SCAT from Buttons.
- Cloake’s & Cupps divisions & Harrison & Livingood.
June 20.
- 2nd echelon arrived – flew F4Us. Espiritu Santos to Guadalcanal Fighter #1.
- Weissenbergers, Halls divisions & Boag.
June 27
- Coffeen returned (missing since April 13) - is patient at MOB#8 Hospital. visited squadron. Pictures taken.
June 28.
- Harrison – fever, chills, - aches. Smears positive for Plas. falciparum. Treatment for 2 days at MAG 12 then to squadron for routine course. 12 sick days.
June 29.
- Tate on morning patrol – had engine failure – attempted to make Fighter #2 but crashed short of runway – injuries, multiple, extensive, including skull fracture, avulsion of left eye, extrusion of brain, etc. Lived only a few minutes. Burial in Row 52, Grave 5, Army Navy and Marine Corps Cemetery – Guadalcanal – services by Protest Army Chaplain, Major Gratefeld.
June 30.
- Aerial battle over New Georgia and Rendova – covering the Rendova landings. Divisions – Weissenbergers, Halls, Cloake’s.
- Weissenberger shot down 3 zeros, but plane shot down by last zero, flaming, bailed out about 1000 ft., struck by tailpiece with left chest, shoulder, neck contusions, picked up by DD [FN#2] exhausted – reported as missing this day.
- Hall led division against 9 zero biplanes w. floats. – shot down all but 1 which was a probable.
- Hall 2, Morgan 2, Shaw 3 & 1 probable ,Jones 2
- Garrison - shot down 2 zeros.
- DeFabio - shot down 1 zero.
- Thomas - shot down 4 zeros and 1 probable. [FN#3]
- Peck – had engine failure just after take-off – glided to water landing. Crash boat reached plane just as it was sinking. Peck failed to get out of plane. Reported as killed – operational. Body not recovered.
- Cloake – shot down 1 zero.
- Boag & McCleary – probables.
July 1.
- Weissenberger – x-ray chest negative. Rx heat & liniments.
- Garrison – fever, aches, etc. smear positive for P.V.( -?- ) [FN#4] placed on routine treatment 12 sick days.
July 2.
- Vedder – on Rendova patrol – engine failure – bailed out – Reported as missing but probably picked up.
July 3.
- Brown – While based at Russell Is. For the day.- had flat on take-off – ground looped – crashed – laceration, frontal, right – 4 sutures. Sick list – 3 days.
- Spoede – while in division returning from combat patrol in late evening – division ran into thunderhead and all planes were separated. No contacts with Spoede. Reported as missing.
- Cloake – ground loop – Russell Islands. No injuries.
July 4.
- Vedder reported picked up
July 5.
- Vedder returned uninjured.
July 6.
- Weissenberger returned to duty.
- Brown – returned to duty.
- Jones – tropical ulcer, no response to therapy – grounded – legs at rest.
July 7.
- Jones – no improvement – oral sulfathiazole started. – cellulitis of rt. leg.July 8 Jones - taken to MAG-12, has severe generalized dermatitis.July 9 Jones – evacuated to Base II Hospital.
July 10
- Harrison – returned to duty well.
July 11 Aerial battle over New Georgia.
- Boag – shot down 2 zeros and 2 probables – was shot down by zero. Bailed out with injuries to right hand – reported picked up at Segi. [FN#5]
- Weissenberger shot down 1 zero.
- Thomas – in combat – Rendova patrol – plane shot up – made water landing north of New Georgia – reported missing.
- McCleary shot down 1 probable – a smoker – also another probable.
- DeFabio shot down 1 zero.
July 12
- Boag – returned – compound fractures 3 & 4th fingers, rt., distal digit, severe lacerations – reduced under (-?-) [FN#6] – evacuated to Lion One Hospital following day.
July 13.
- Thomas returned uninjured. (unconfirmed rumor from New Georgia – of pilot picked up 1 mo. ago with neck wounds – 1 mo. after battle – died shortly after - probably Eckart.)
July 14.
- Garrison – returned to duty.
July 15. Intercepted a large bomber attack on New Georgia group.
- Votaw drawn flat.
- Cupp shot down 1 Betty and 1 zero.
- Hall shot down 1 Betty and 1 zero.
- Brown shot down one Betty (rec’d numerous holes in plane)
- Shaw shot down 1 Betty and 1 zero. Shot down another Betty but half credit claimed by P-40 pilot.
- Thomas shot down 1 Betty and 2 zeros.
- Morgan shot down 1 zero and 1 Betty.
- Vedder shot down 3 Bettys. [FN#7]
July 17. Aerial battle over Kahili as bomber escorts.
- Hodde – shot down 3 zeros. Missing after combat escort over Kahili. Later reported landed at Segi with injuries.
- Cupp shot down 2 zeros and 1 probable.
- Cupp and Brown together shot down 1 zero.
- Brown shot down 1 zero and 1 probable.
- Shaw shot down 3 zeros.
- Hall shot down a probable. [FN#8]
- Garrison – shot down in combat over Kahili - on return – broke division to make pass at zero. Was shot down, both wing tanks blazing – went straight in not seen to get out.
- Morgan shot down 3 zeros.
July 18 Aerial battle over Kahili in escorting bombers.
- Winnia – failed to return – missing in action – last seen in combat over Kahili.
- Shaw shot down 2 zeros.
- McCleary shot down one zero.
- Weissenberger shot down one zero
- Cupp shot down 1 zero.
- DeFabio shot down 1 zero.
- Hall shot down in combat glided to water landing about 5 miles off Choiseul. -seen to be strafed by zeros. Reported as missing. (later picked up by natives – returned to Guadalcanal 8-2-43. Later evacuated to Lion One Hospital with fractures of nose, front upper teeth, shrapnel wounds left wrist – evacuated to states.) Shot down 2 planes. [FN#9]
July 19.
- Requested of Fighter Command to ease duty on pilots – no relief in sight for 10 days.
- (Major Weissenberger and Livingood)
July 20.
- Examined for promotions to Captain:
- McCleary
- Treffer.
July 21
- Vedder shot down one zero. [FN#10]
- Hodde returned – has penetrating 7.7 wound in left calf. 7.7 intact.
July 22.
- Hodde evacuated to Base Hospital #3. – later to New Zealand.
July 26
- Treffer – fever –malaise- aches- repeated smears negative grounded.Kahili mission today.
- All pilots grounded - after completion of mission Combat fatigue
- Schneider’s performed on pilots. [FN#11]
July 28
- VMF 124 arrived to relieve 213.
July 29
- Squadron via SCAT from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santos.
- (ALL pilots still grounded until examination after Sidney trip).
Footnotes - 2nd Combat Tour
1. Events 2nd Combat Tour start on page 101 and continue through page 111.
2. DD was the Navy designation for Destroyer.
3. In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with the number “19” in it with this day’s entry, apparently noting nineteen planes shot down.
4. The “P.V.” is probably “Plasmodium vivax”: one of the malaria parasites that infect humans and is the most prevalent. Short inscription following “P.V.” not discernable.
5. Segi Point is on New Georgia Island on the coast closest to Vangunu Island.
6. Handwriting not clear enough to offer a probable estimation.
7. In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with the number “15 ½” in it with this day’s entry, apparently noting fifteen planes with a half credit for another plane shot down.
8. In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with the number “13” in it with this day’s entry, apparently noting thirteen planes shot down.
9. In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with the number “8” in it with this day’s entry, apparently noting eight planes shot down.
10. In the extreme left hand margin of the page a box with the number “1" in it with this day’s entry.
11. The Schneider Test was for cardiovascular fitness.
From the left: Ed Shaw, Charles C. Winnia(back row), Robert W. Votaw(back row), Dr. William Livingood, John L Morgan(back row), Herman H. Spoede , Unknown(back), Unknown, Gordon V. Hodde, George C. DeFabio, Foy R. Garison, Unknown, James N. Cupp , Gregory J. Weissenberger, and Milton N. Vedder. The second tour soon would take a toll on those in this picture: Winnia, Votaw, Spoede, and Garison, as well as Milton Peck who is not identified in the picture.
July 29.
Boag rejoined squadron from Lion One Hospital
Still grounded. – bi-monthly dressings by Dr. Rogers.
August 3, 1943.
Treffer had increased symptoms.
Nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice, - evacuated
to Lion One Hospital as Jaundice, Acute [FN#2] , Infections.
August 16. Resumed training. [FN#3]
Old pilots
Wiessenberger
Cloake Cupp McCleary Brown |
Shaw
Defabio Thomas Morgan Vedder |
Glascock
McEvory Dailey Foxworth Avery Ffoukes |
Topping
Handschy Bennett Stewart Roberts Brubaker |
Bowers
Groom Toomey |
Major Weissenberger detached – to Hdq. MAG 11 - G-4 officer. (Fitness Report (4/1/43 to 8/22/43) sent in by Major Weissenberger)
August 22
Major Anderson becomes C.O.
August 23
Promotions:
To Major: Cloake
To Capt: Brow
To 1st Lt.:
Handschy
Bennett Stewart |
Roberts
Brubaker Bowers* (Dr. Rheims) |
Groom
Toomey |
Joined - Huidekoper
August 26.
Joined - Walter J. Anderson
August 28.
Detached - McEvoy to Hd. Sq. MAG 11.
September 3.
1st. Lt. Walter J. Anderson killed in crash, near Bomber #1 Espiritu Santos. Seen in steep dive, pulled up sharply into clouds and then crashed straight into shallow water. No identification possible from body. Multiple Extreme Injuries. Identification by operational data. Cause: apparently blacked out and lost control of craft after pulling out of power dive. Burial – Lion One Cemetery.
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Footnotes Interim - 2nd and 3rd Combat Tours
1. Interim Note on page 112 of Log.
2. The handwriting is a bit unclear but “Acute” is the best estimation.3. This entry prior to the 3rd Combat tour is on page 13 of Log.