# "Savoirs of Guadalcanal"



## Th!rdeye (Jun 16, 2008)

Story behind this next composite. I didn't include it my other post of composites, because the story is so descriptive and gritty, i felt it could use its own thread. 

Please read the short story first. Composite is at bottom.

source for story The Cactus Air Force


> Blue flames licked from the burbling exhaust stacks of the three fighters as they waited at the end of the runway called Fighter One. Over-heating was a real problem for the Allison V-1710 V-12s and when the engine temp began to rise so did the anxiety of the pilots. Adding to their discomfort, the pilots were already sweating from the musty heat and humidity of the nearby jungle. With first light, the three Bell Airacobras were flashing down the runway - heading into the rising sun to attack minions of the Empire of the Rising Sun. The fighters would be participating in one of the bloodiest engagements of the battle for Bloody Ridge. It was 14 September 1942.
> 
> Not long before their takeoff roll, Capt. John A. Thompson had reported to the "Pagoda" for his briefing - Col. Merrit Edson's Raider Battalion was barely hanging on to an elevated perimeter ridge which defended the southern approach to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The Marines had survived two nights of vicious attacks by Maj. Gen. Kiyotake Kawaguchi's brigade as well as bombardment from both sea and air. The leathernecks had only about 300 men left in their ranks, all of them prepared to fight to the end or blend into the forest to continue with a guerrilla war.
> 
> ...


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## syscom3 (Jun 16, 2008)

Great story!


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## Wurger (Jun 17, 2008)

Yes it is.


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## v2 (Jun 17, 2008)

8)


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## GordyB (Sep 17, 2008)

Hi,

Very courageous stuff and very interesting

I've done alittle research into Airacobras that came down under, P-400's infact, and have listed combined, some that arrived Poppy and those that arrived the long way via Sumac, then to Poppy 

AP305/AP344/AP353/AP381/AP383/BW108/BW121/BW125/BW135/BW136/
BW137/BW138/BW139/BW143/BW145/BW146/BW147/BW148/BW151/BW154/BW156/BW157/BW158/BW159/BW160/BW162/BW165/BW167/BW173/BW175/BX136/BX137/BX138/BX149

If any one can match Group numbers with some, we'd appreciate the help, though my centre is on the 35th PG and later 8th FG

Best
Gordy


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## comiso90 (Sep 17, 2008)

It's amazing how at every turn fate can be decided by one warrior doing their job. Perhaps that one run DID save the entire Guadalcanal campaign but so did the Navy pilots that took out the transport ships.. what if ONE bomb didn't find it's mark?

Interesting stuff.. thanks for the post


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## petadel (Sep 24, 2008)

Dunno if this help,

It a copy of an old photo I found in the back museum in Port Moresby PNG.

No tail numbers just the letter and pilot.


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## syscom3 (Sep 24, 2008)

I believe thats the 8th FG, before their conversion to P38's.


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## Thorlifter (Sep 24, 2008)

Nice story 3rdeye.


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## Bary881 (May 1, 2020)

GordyB said:


> Hi,
> 
> Very courageous stuff and very interesting
> 
> ...



I've digging into the P-400's at Guadalcanal and can confirm a few that were in the 67th or, based on info I have found, are very likely 67th: BW146, BW151, BW155, BW156, BW157, BW165, BW166, BW167.

I'm just now doing research on P-400s with the 67th fighter squadron, and noticed this discussion while searching on the internet. Gordy has loads of info, and I wonder if you (Gordy), or anyone else, has what I'm looking for. I'm trying to get those serial numbers that were on Guadalcanal in Aug & Sept 1942- the initial 14, and their tail numbers (e.g. BW167 has #6 on the tail). Coupled with that, I'd like to know disposition/date. I know four planes were shot down on 30 Aug., and another lost when its engine died while aloft on 31 Aug. On 8 Sept. a plane was destroyed during an abortive take-off, possibly BW167. I do know that BW156 #12 was destroyed on the ground on 11 Sept. It would also be nice to know which ones were the nine shark-mouthed ones, and what the spinner colors were, but that's asking a lot!

Info I have: BW146 #20 "Whistlin' Britches", BW151 #13 "Hells Bell", BW155 possibly #22, BW156 #12 "Fancy Nancy", BW157 #13 from pair-a-dice section, BW166 #17 "Impatient Virgin" , and BW167 #6 (name unknown). But no disposition info except for Fancy Nancy. There is also a photo with Lt. Childress and #32, probably at Noumea, showing his shark-mouth artwork, but serial # is not visible.

Any help is very much appreciated!
Doug B.


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