I-MacArthur's Grim Reapers Stormtroopers - Lae to Rabaul
Stormtroopers MacArthur "Grim Reapers"
Ngemva kokugqashuka kweMpi YasePacific ngo-December 1941, iningi lebutho lasemoyeni lase-US elalimi lapho lehlulwa ezimpini zasePhilippines naseJava. Ngaleso sikhathi, amayunithi amasha angeniswa ngokushesha esuka e-United States ukuze amise ukunwetshwa kweJapan ngase-Australia. Enye yalezi kwakuyiQembu Lokuhlasela Lesithathu, eligcine lizuze isiteketiso esizwakalayo se-"Grim Reapers".
Amasiko okwakhiwa kweqembu lesithathu lokuhlasela ahlehlela emuva ku-3. Esikhathini esiningi senkathi yezimpi, lalibizwa ngokuthi Iqembu Lesithathu Lokuhlasela, futhi nakuba laqanjwa kabusha ngokuthi "iqembu lamabhomu" ngo-1918, empeleni lahlala liyiqembu elihlaselayo. Amaqembu amathathu okwakhiwa (i-1939, 13th kanye ne-89th BS) aqeqeshwa endizeni ye-A-90 Havoc, neyesine (20th BS) ku-A-8 Banshee, inguqulo yezempi ye-US Navy SBD Dauntless dive bomber. Indiza.
Ezinxushunxushwini zamasonto okuqala empi, kwanqunywa ukuba kuphonswe iqembu lesi-3 lokuhlasela empini e-Pacific Ocean, kodwa ngaphandle kwezindiza eziningi (zonke i-A-20 zamiswa ezweni lapho kwakufanele zigadwe khona. ogwini lokufuna imikhumbi-ngwenya yezitha) futhi ngaphandle kwezikhulu eziphezulu (ezazizosetshenziswa ukwakha uphiko olusha). Ngakho lapho ikusasa Grim Reapers efika e-Australia ekupheleni February 1942, beza neshumi nambili kuphela A-24 kanye nabo, futhi isikhulu esiphezulu kwaba uLieutenant. Kuso leso sikhathi, indiza yabo yayalelwa uColonel John Davis, umkhuzi weqembu lamabhomu lama-27 elacekelwa phansi, elalahlekelwa ama-A-24 alo ezimpini zaseJava. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, u-Davis wathatha yonke i-3rd Assault Group, nezikhulu zakhe zithatha izikhundla zokulawula ezinhlakeni ezintathu (kulawamaqembu amane alolu phiko).
Izindaba ezimbi kakhulu zavela eNew Guinea. NgoMashi, amaJapane athatha izisekelo eLae naseSalamaua. Izintaba zaseStanley Owen kuphela ezawahlukanisa nePort Moresby, ibutho lokugcina lamaZwe Ahlangene enyakatho ye-Australia. UColonel Davis wahlanganisa wonke ama-A-24 eqenjini elilodwa (8th BS) wabaphonsa empini yeNew Guinea. I-3rd Assault Group yenza uhambo lwalo lokuqala ngo-Ephreli 1, 1942, indiza ama-A-24 ayisithupha, iphonsa amabhomu amahlanu endaweni yaseJapane eSalamaua.
Ngalo lolo suku, uColonel Davis wathola (ngokolunye uhlobo lwemicimbi, eyabiwe) ama-Mitchell B-25C amasha enzelwe izindiza zaseDashi, ahlomisa ngawo amaqembu amabili (13th and 90th BS). Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, ngo-April 6, 1942, wahola izindiza eziyisithupha ekuhlaseleni enkundleni yezindiza i-Gasmata ogwini oluseningizimu yeNew Britain. Eqinisweni, kwakuyi-rodie yokuqala emlandweni we-B-25. Njengoba ibanga ukusuka ePort Moresby ukuya endaweni okuhlosiwe lalingamamayela angu-800 (cishe amakhilomitha angu-1300) kuzo zombili izinhlangothi, izindiza zathatha amabhomu angamakhilogremu amane kuphela, kodwa zakwazi ukucekela phansi izindiza zamabhomu zaseJapane ezingu-30.
Phakathi nomkhankaso owawuseJava (February 1942), uDavis wahlangana nendoda okuthiwa uPaul Gunn, indoda yenganekwane. Owake waba umakhenikha wase-US Navy, umshayeli wendiza kanye nomfundisi wendiza wayeneminyaka engu-42 lapho kugqashuka iMpi YasePacific emthola ePhilippines, lapho ayesebenza khona njengomshayeli wendiza ezimele. Amasosha ase-US ngokushesha ashaqa ezintathu i-C-45 Beechcraft ayeyindize futhi yambeka ezinhlwini zabo njengokapteni. Emasontweni alandelayo, u-Gunn, owaziwa ngelikaPappy ngenxa yeminyaka yakhe, wenza izindiza ezinesibindi nge-Beechcraft engahlomile, ekhipha amasosha ePhilippines. Lapho indiza yokulwa yaseJapane imdubula phezu kweMindanao, yafika e-Del Monte Airfield, lapho, ngosizo lweqembu lomakhenikha, yalungisa khona ibhomu elalilimele i-B-17 alisebenzise ukubayisa e-Australia.
ukukhululwa ekuthunjweni.
Lapho uDavis eba umkhuzi weqembu lesithathu lokuhlasela, uGunn wenza umzamo wokwandisa amandla okulwa endiza i-A-3 Havoc, lapho iqembu lesine lalolu phiko, i-20th BS, lahlonywa kabusha. UDonald Hall, owayengumholi weqembu ngaleso sikhathi, uyakhumbula: “Indiza yethu yayihlome izibhamu ezine eziqondile ezingamamilimitha angu-89, ngakho sasinamandla amancane uma kuqhathaniswa. Kodwa-ke, umkhawulo onzima kakhulu kulesi sigaba kwakuwuhlu olufushane lwe-A-0,3. Isimo sishintshe kakhulu ngesikhathi kufakwa ithangi likaphethiloli elingu-7,62 gallon phambi kwendawo eqhunyiswa kuyo ibhomu. Ukuze anxephezele ukuncishiswa komthamo wamabhomu okubangelwa ithangi likaphethiloli elibathathela indawo, u-"Pappy" Gunn waguqula i-A-20 yaba indiza yokuhlasela yeqiniso, wafaka nezibhamu ezingama-intshi ezingu-450 emakhaleni. . indiza, endaweni lapho oshaya amagoli ejwayele ukuhlala khona. Ngakho-ke i-streifer yokuqala yadalwa, njengoba lolu hlobo lwendiza lwalubizwa ngesiNgisi (kusuka egameni elithi strafe - ukudubula). Esikhathini sokuqala, u-Gunn uthuthukise izibhamu ze-A-20 ezikhishwe ezihlahleni ze-P-12,7 ezinciphile.
Ngaphambi kokuthi i-A-20 iye empini, ngo-April 12-13, 1942, "uPappy" Gunn wabamba iqhaza ohambweni lwe-BS lwe-13 nolwe-90 oluya ePhilippines. Esebenza esuka e-Mindanao, ama-Mitchell ayishumi avela kuzo zombili izigcawu aqhumise ngamabhomu imikhumbi yezimpahla yase-Japan echwebeni lase-Cebu izinsuku ezimbili (ezimbili zacwila) ngaphambi kokuphoqeleka ukuthi bahlehle. Ekugcineni, uGeneral George Kenny - umkhuzi omusha we-US 5th Air Force - ehlatshwe umxhwele yizinguquko ezenziwa uGunn endizeni yeqembu lokuhlasela lesi-3, wamqokela endlunkulu yakhe.
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uMitchelle 13th kanye ne-90th BS, ngemva kokubuya ePhilippines waya e-Charters Towers enyakatho ye-Australia, wahlasela izisekelo zaseJapane eNew Guinea ezinyangeni ezizayo (ukufaka amafutha ePort Moresby endleleni). Womabili la maqembu alahlekelwe kakhulu - owokuqala ngomhlaka-24 Ephreli. Ngalolu suku, abasebenzi abathathu be-BS yama-90 balibangisa e-Port Moresby, lapho bekumele bateleke khona e-Lae ngakusasa. Sebefike ogwini lwaseNew Guinea, balahlekelwa indlela. Lapho kuhwalala, lapho bephelelwa uphethiloli, baphonsa amabhomu abo olwandle base beluqhumisa eduze kwaseMariawate. Amanye amabhomu abhajwe endaweni yamabhomu e-Nitemare Tojo eqhutshwa u-3rd Lieutenant. UWilliam Barker kanye nendiza yaqhuma ngokushesha nje lapho ishayisa amanzi. Abasebenzi bezinye izimoto ezimbili (“Chattanooga Choo Choo” kanye “no-Salvo Sadie”) babuyela e-Chartres Towers ngenyanga elandelayo ngemva kohambo olude. Kamuva, izindiza ezimbalwa zeqembu labahlaseli abangu-XNUMX kanye nezisebenzi zazo zalahleka ngesikhathi sezindiza zokuhlola zodwa ngaphesheya kwezintaba zaseStanley Owen, zaphahlazeka ehlathini ngenxa yesimo sezulu esibi kakhulu noma ukuba yizisulu zezitha zezitha.
