Think this story is true??????
- Thread starter Torch
- Start date
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Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
If it is actually true, WOW!!!! What a shot.
WOW! Impressive shot if true but no doubt hard to prove.
Bucksnort101
2nd Lieutenant
Hard to prove or dis-prove this story. I guess only three people know for sure, Mr. Bagget, the Zero pilot, and the Lord above.
Intersting story though...
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
The only thing I would question is the statement:
"A Zero approached within a few feet of Baggett at near stall speeds. The pilot opened the canopy for a better look at his victim."
Within a few feet????????
"A Zero approached within a few feet of Baggett at near stall speeds. The pilot opened the canopy for a better look at his victim."
Within a few feet????????
RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
I've heard a lot of strange stories that come out of various wars. It wouldn't surprise me if this were true, just gotta lead the effer a little more if he's in a plane buzzing you!
HookerTF160
Airman
It seems a little contrived with the plane crashing, body thrown clear.....bullet to the head. You never know though.
He saw the aircraft spin and crash as I understand it. But he was apparently captured on landing, I can't see the Japanese telling him, or anybody, the other details of the crash.
The Japanese would never tie the two events together. Who would reccondize a bullet wound from all the other traumatic injuries on a body thrown from a crashing aircraft, other than a pathologists.
Stranger things have happened though.
The Japanese would never tie the two events together. Who would reccondize a bullet wound from all the other traumatic injuries on a body thrown from a crashing aircraft, other than a pathologists.
Stranger things have happened though.
B-17engineer
Colonel
Like this story
"A Storch [a German observation plane] was the victim of the last dog fight on the Western Front and another was fittingly downed by a direct Allied counterpart of the Storch - a Piper L-4 Grasshopper-from the L-4's crew directing their pistol fire at it. The pilot and co-pilot of the L-4, Lts. Duane Francis and Bill Martin, opened fire on the Storch with their .45 caliber pistols, forcing the German air crew to land and surrender. The involved Storch was the only aircraft known to have been downed by handgun fire in the entire war"
"A Storch [a German observation plane] was the victim of the last dog fight on the Western Front and another was fittingly downed by a direct Allied counterpart of the Storch - a Piper L-4 Grasshopper-from the L-4's crew directing their pistol fire at it. The pilot and co-pilot of the L-4, Lts. Duane Francis and Bill Martin, opened fire on the Storch with their .45 caliber pistols, forcing the German air crew to land and surrender. The involved Storch was the only aircraft known to have been downed by handgun fire in the entire war"
bobbysocks
Chief Master Sergeant
a lot of goofy things happen in war. so could be true. IIRC ( read this book eons ago ) tex hill of the flying tigers bailed out one time and was being buzzed by a jap pilot. he pulled out his pistol and fired but i dont think he took the plane down...but he survived the confrontation.
RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
One of the Flying Tigers (Hill, perhaps?) reportedly either ran out of ammo, or his guns jammed while chasing a bomber...he was so pissed at the thought of the plane getting away that he pulled even with the bomber's cockpit, and rammed his wingtip through the glass, killing the pilot. Bomber crashed, he nursed his P40 back to base missing 2 feet of wingtip. I'm wanting to say I read this in Boyington's book, and Boyington was well known for enjoying the sauce, especially before a mission, so take that with a grain of salt. Good story, though!
