“Button,” Espiritu Santo

Of fifty Jap fighters and dive bombers making a raid on Cactus the other day, 27 were shot down, plus 5 probables, as against our losses of five fighters, of which 3 of the pilots were recovered. Got what odds! Plane losses 5 for one; pilot losses 15 for one!

Charlie Bassett, with the Stewart Island sector ran into three Mitsubishi 01s in formation today. It was not far from the Stewarts that he saw them and ducked down toward the water. They passed on by fairly close, either not seeing him, or not wishing to engage him, although the latter seems improbable.

One of the damnedest things I’ve ever heard of happened up at Cactus a few days ago during a melee between Zeros and our fighters. A plane (probably an F4F) got on the wrong end of a Zero and got the hell shot out of it. The pilot crawled out of his plane and took to his parachute. The Jap, who, it seems, had expanded all his ammunition, saw the chute open, and started for it. As the American pilot floated down towards the water, the Jap pulled his Zero up under him and, hanging on his prop, trying to kill the American kid with his propeller! He only succeeded however in chopping off one leg at the ankle and a part of the other foot. As the Zero dropped out for another try he was shot down by one of our fighters. This incredible story illustrates very well the fanaticism of these Japs. Incidentally, the American kid lived and is in a hospital near here.