Did LT Stanley W. “Swede” Vejtasa Actually Shoot Down Three Zeros While in an SBD Dauntless?

[Schweik]

I have the book I've just been too busy to look through it. Do you know what section that would be in?

 

[SaparotRob]

There's a very brief mention of Lt Vejtasa on page 250 of "The First Team", by Lundstrom, first paperback printing.
Scouting Five claimed 4 Zeros, 1 to Lt (jg) Vejtasa. "The Japanese, however, lost no fighters in this combat"

 

[SaparotRob]

I was scrolling through the posts of time. R Leonard posted, Jan 2013, that Lt (jg) Vejtasa had received his orders for fighter posting before the battle of the Coral Sea. A myth busted 7 1/2 years ago.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Just watched "Dog fights-long odds" again. The maneuver the Zeros were doing, scissor or rolling scissors, was it similar to the Thach weave?

It looks to me like the narration in the "Dogfights" video was a little loose with the scissors terminology. Right after using the term, the action depicts a turn overshoot entirely in the horizontal plane. The scissors as taught in the RAG squadron, IIRC, was as much a vertical maneuver as it was a turning one. In the days of Phantom vs MiG, the tighter turning aircraft would pull around the circumference of the combat "egg" while the higher energy bird would pull up, roll over the top of the egg, and drop in on the opponent's tail.
Cheers,
Wes

 

[babsie]

Nice narrative / watch on this on History Channel Series Dive Bombers World War ll Series 1 Episode 10. (on You Tube channel also).

 

[XBe02Drvr]

The idea that the SBD was some lumbering ox while unladen is likely nonsense: unladen, it would have a low wing loading and fairly high hp:wgt ratio.

With 1200 HP, an Ed Heineman (simplicate and add lightness) airframe, large high lift wings, Vne flaps, and with its bombload and half its fuel gone, the SBD was probably the single allied combat aircraft that could come closest to matching the Zero in a turning fight. It's only lack was the speed to bug out if necessary. And unlike true fighters, it had a well protected six. Too bad it's pilots lacked ACM training. A BP Defiant with teeth.