I-USAAF Fighters eMkhankasweni wasePhilippine 1944-1945 ingxenye 2
Impi enkulu yasemoyeni phezu kwe-Leyte ngoDisemba 7, ngesikhathi sokufika kweMelika e-Ormoc Bay kanye nomzamo wasikhathi sinye wamaJapani wokuthumela enye i-convoy lapho, kwayiqeda amandla indiza yalaba bamuva. Ibutho lezempi lase-Ormoc elinamandla angu-15 lahoxa laya ezintabeni ezisenyakatho yesiqhingi, kodwa lalisabeka usongo lwangempela. Ekuseni ngo-December 000, izinkampani ezimbili ze-8th FG Ground Brigade zabulawa futhi zadutshulwa ngesikhathi zihlaselwa amasosha aseJapane.
Ezinsukwini ezimbili kamuva, ngomhla ziyi-10 kuZibandlela, i-348th FG (okwakuthi, ngokungafanele emaqenjini ezempi aseMelika, yayinamaqembu amane abekwe eceleni kunokuba amathathu) yaba nempinda, ibika ukuthi abantu abayi-11 babulawa ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa. Phakathi nokugada emini phezu kolwandle lwase-Ormoc Bay, abashayeli bezindiza balolu phiko babambe izimpi ezinhlanu ze-Ki-61 Tony kanye ne-A6M Zeke eyodwa, kanye namabhomu amane e-Ki-21 Sally kanye ne-Ki-46 Dinah ehlola ibhomu. ULieutenant James Curran uphathe iqembu lama-Thunderbolts amane ahlangane nama-Ki-61s. Lapho bebona isitha, abashayeli bezindiza baseJapane bazama ukuhamba - ngeshwa, ekwehleni, lapho kwenzeka umhlangano ne-P-47, owawunesivinini esikhulu sokudonsa, wayengenalo ithuba lokuphumelela. UCurran uyakhumbula: “Ngangidubula imizuzwana emibili. Ikhoni lomlilo eliphuma ezimbanjeni zami zadabula injini esokhethini layo, layihlukanisa ngokuphelele nendiza yonke.
Lokhu kwanda komsebenzi wamasosha asemoyeni aseJapan kwahlotshaniswa nomzamo wokuthumela enye i-convoy e-Leyte, eqokwe i-TA-9, eyasuka eManila ntambama ngalo lolo suku. Yayihlanganisa imikhumbi yezimpahla i-Mino Maru, i-Sorachi Maru ne-Tasmania Maru enamasosha ahamba ngezinyawo angu-4000, ukudla nezinhlamvu, kanye nemikhumbi ehlala phansi i-T.140 ne-T.159 enamathangi antantayo kanye namasosha asolwandle angu-400. Babephelezelwa ababhubhisi Yuzuki, Uzuki futhi Kiri, kanye abazingeli ngwenya Ch-17 futhi Ch-37.
Umphathi wohide wayalwa ukuba afike ePalompon, enyakatho ye-Ormoc. Lapho ekuseni zingu-11 kuZibandlela umkhumbi nabalwi bemikhumbi yempi behoxisa ukuhlasela kukaCorsair, yena, ehlulwa ubuqhawe, wanquma ukufohla e-Ormoc Bay - lapho amaMelika ayefike khona ezinsukwini ezine ngaphambili!
Khonamanjalo, amayunithi ombani angena empini. ULieutenant John Purdy we-475 FG undize ama-P-38 amane ukuyovala isikebhe esindizayo se-PBY Catalina eqhuba umkhankaso wokusesha phezu koLwandle i-Visayas (umthamo wamanzi amancane uma kuqhathaniswa atholakala enkabeni yePhilippines, phakathi kweziqhingi zaseMasbate enyakatho, eLeyte. empumalanga, iCebu neNegros eningizimu nePanay entshonalanga). Endleleni bahlangane ne-TA-9 convoy. U-Pardee wayala izisebenzi ze-Catalina ukuthi zicashe emafwini futhi ziye ngasezimpini zaseJapane ezazizungeza uhide lwemikhumbi:
Njengoba ngisondela, ngabona izimpi zaseJapane zanda. Ngilinganisela ukuthi kunama-20 kuye kwangama-30 awo, atholakala ezindaweni ezihlukene zokuphakama kusuka ku-500 kuya ku-7000 wamafidi. Abashayeli babo bezindiza kufanele ukuthi basibonile, kodwa - ngokumangazayo - abazange basinake, bavele bavala amarenki abo kancane. Ngokungangabazeki babejutshwe ukuvikela uhide lwezimoto ngazo zonke izindlela. Babengafuni ukulwa nezindiza ezine. Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi basithatha njengesiheho ukuze sibahunge basuke emikhunjini. Baqaphe ukuhlasela kwamabhomu; ama-fighters awakwazanga ukubangela umonakalo omkhulu ku-convoy.
Lapho sesifinyelele ibanga elingamamitha angu-22 000 6700, ngaqalaza. Kwakungekho lutho olusolisayo phezulu. Ngezansi ngabona iqembu lamasosha aseJapane. Bengikwazi ukungalingani kwamandla - bengingazimisele ukuhlanganisa ama-fighters angama-20-30 - kodwa ngibone ukuthi singahlasela ngokuphepha ikhava yabo ephezulu. Uma kushisa, singavele sibaleke siye ekhaya—ukuhlasela okunamandla kwasinika isivinini esanele sokubalekela kubo. Ngenza isiqiniseko sokuthi wonke umuntu uyakuqonda engifuna ukukwenza. Kwadingeka sinamathele ndawonye futhi sime ukuze ngemva kokuhlasela sikwazi ukuqhubeka nokundiza siqonde esisekelweni.
Ngatshela abashayeli bami ukuthi bakhethe ithagethi futhi batshuze ngemva kokuhlasela futhi bahlanganyele nabanye abangaphesheya kwesakhiwo samaJapane. Ngaphinde ngabheka indawo esizungezile ukuze ngiqinisekise ukuthi siphephile futhi saqala ukwehla. Siqondise labo abaphezulu kakhulu. Baqala ukuvika amaroli, begijima macala onke; akekho kubo owazama ukulwa.
Ngafika ngemuva kuka-Oscar ngadubula kancane. Waphonseka kwesokudla, walayitha usikilidi, waqondisa indiza yakhe isikhashana, wabe esegijima ezansi nengxenye yomphongolo. Kamuva ngabika njengomonakalo. Ngokushesha ngabona omunye u-Oscar phambi kwami. Njengoba inama-degree angu-80, ngadubula ibanga elingamayadi angu-200 lapho iphenduka i-crest yayo futhi iphenduka ibe umqansa. Ngabona ama-hit spikes amaningi. Ngamlandela ngehla. Wawela olwandle amakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka eBantayan Island.
Esikhathini esithile esidlule saphawula ukuthi abashayeli bezindiza baseJapane esasilwa nabo baya bencipha. Lokhu sikuxoxile eqenjini lethu. Ngaba nombono wokuthi labo esabahlasela ngalolo suku babephakathi kwabantu abancane kunabo bonke engangingakaze ngihlangane nabo. Lapho sidlula kulayini wabo, ngabona ukuthi sasiphephe ngokuphelele ngasohlangothini lwabo. Ngiskene isibhakabhaka ukuze ngibone ukuthi wonke ama-P-38 ethu aphume ephila. Saqala ukuhamba siyindilinga, sathola ukuphakama futhi siqapha njalo indawo esizungezile. Lapho nginomuzwa wokuthi konke sekulawulekile, ngasakaza ngomsakazo, “Asikwenze futhi!”
Okwesibili, ngangigxile kuma-Oscar ambalwa. Umkhuzi wamasosha wagxumela eceleni ngaphambi kokuba adubule, ngakho ngabamba uphiko lwakhe. Ngasondela ngaphakathi kwamayadi angu-50 futhi ngadubula ukuqhuma okufushane nge-engeli engu-10 degree. Futhi kulokhu ngibone izingoma ezishisa izikhotha eziningi. Ngalandela u-Oscar ngehla ngentaba waze wayophahlazeka cishe amakhilomitha amahlanu enyakatho-mpumalanga yeBantayan.
Sasingathatha isikhathi eside ukuwabhubhisa, kodwa ngaqala ukwesaba ukuthi sasingeke sibe nophethiloli owanele. Nginqume ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokubuyela e-base. Sadubula phansi abahlanu; Ngibabone bewela olwandle belandelana. Akekho kithi owalimala. Angicabangi ukuthi ukhona owake wasidubula.
Phakathi nesigaba sokuqala sohambo lwethu, okungukuthi, kwaze kwaba yilapho ngibuyisela i-PBY, sandizela ngophethiloli osuka emathangeni. Ngemva kokubona isitha, samphindisela emuva futhi sashintshela emathangini amakhulu phakathi nempi. Ngemva kwempi, saqala ukuthela uphethiloli emathangini engxenyeni engaphandle yamaphiko, okwakufanele ngabe yanele thina kulo lonke uhambo lokubuya. Okwasala emathangini amakhulu kwakuzosetshenziswa njengendawo yokulondoloza.
Njengoba sibuyela emuva, kungazelelwe ngabona ukuthi izinzwa zazibonisa ukuthi amathangi ami ngaphandle kwamaphiko ayengenalutho. Ngaba nenkinga enkulu. Ngishayele abangaphansi kwami ucingo emsakazweni. Bonke babeshintshana bebika ukuthi bahambe kahle. Ngakhumbula ukuthi lapho sithola i-P-38L-5 yethu, abashayeli bezindiza babika ukuthi kuvuza uphethiloli emathangini angaphandle. Yayimuncwa ngembobo encane, eyayisetshenziselwa ukulinganisa ukucindezela ethangini lapho lithululwa. Lesi simo senzeka lapho ukugeleza komoya phezu kwephiko kudala ingcindezi yokumunca uphethiloli ethangini. Yilokhu obekufanele kwenzeke kimi - uphethiloli ovela ezingxenyeni ezingaphandle zamaphiko zahamba "umoya". Ngaba nenkohliso yokuthi ngizoqala ukusebenzisa indlela yokonga uphethiloli, kodwa endleleni sahlangabezana nesiphepho futhi kwadingeka sikugweme.
Ngaphandle kokukhetha, uLieutenant. UPardee wakhetha indawo yesihlabathi esogwini lwaseCabugan Grande Island futhi wehlela emanzini angashoni. Ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa baqhamuke abomdabu, bamthatha ngesikebhe sabo bamusa esigodini esiseduze bamupha ukudla kwasebukhosini. Lapho eqeda ukwenza idili, isikebhe esindizayo sase simlindile ogwini lwesiqhingi, wabe esebuyela endaweni yakhe. Amasosha amabili awadubula ngalolo suku kwaba ukunqoba kwakhe kwesine nesesihlanu. Ekupheleni kosuku, i-475th FG yabika okunye ukunqoba okubili kokuyisikhombisa sekuphelele.
Abashayeli bezindiza be-FG yama-49 benza ama-shootdowns amane (ama-fighters kuphela), abakhokha ngawo ngemizwelo emikhulu. Ekuseni, ukwakheka kwama-P-38 amane abambe iqhaza ekulweni nama-fighters avikela i-convoy. UCaptain Robert Aschenbrener ubambe iKi-44 Tojo, eyaqhuma ngemuva kokushaywa. Izingcezu zensimbi bezingqongqoza endizeni engu-2/L. U-Harold Strom uyi-winger ye-Aschenbrener. Injini ethintekile yesokudla yavutha. UStrom wayesezogxuma ngeparachute lapho ilangabi licisha ngokuzumayo, livumela umbani owonakele ukuthi ufinyelele esikhumulweni sezindiza saseTacloban.
