L/C Henry "Mat" Matson
Mon May 07, 2007 12:15 pm
Mat Matson's son Zeb posted some pics and info on his dad's overflight missions while flying RB-57s in the off-topics section. Mat graduated with flight class 42G Luke Field Aug 1942 and flew P-40Fs in the 44th FS on Guadalcanal with 5 kills. He downed triple ace PO3 Endo on June 7, 1943 but collided with the flaming wreckage and bailed out wounded to be rescued by a PT Boat near the Russell Islands. Japanese accounts have Endo valiently ramming Mat's P-40 but he said that was hogwash has the stories in the US papers about his acting Japanese to avoid being straffed in his chute. This was the same combat when Corsair pilot Sam logan had his footcut off by a Zero and Gil Percy of VMF-112 had his chute failed and he survived a 7000' fall into the ocean.
2Lt Henry Matson in his P-40F Ftr 2 Airstrip Guadalcanal Feb. 1943
Mat with his burns bandaged after downing PO Endo on June 7, 1943.
2Lt Henry Matson in his P-40F Ftr 2 Airstrip Guadalcanal Feb. 1943
Mat with his burns bandaged after downing PO Endo on June 7, 1943.
Tue May 08, 2007 7:00 pm
Yuppers, that's my Popasan. A footnote concerning fighter combat in tha skies over tha Slot.
1st. Those P-40 F Jocks that ran up Ace totals preferred a "head-on" approach to tha enemy, in my Pop's words..."We figured with 6 point 50s configured to fill a 25 ft diameter circle 75 to 100 yards in front vs 2-7.92 mm guns, we had 'em outnumbered."
2nd. As to what happened that day...My Pop's story waz.....
Westy waz supposed to take 3 "rookies" (just arrived from Pearl) up for a familiarization CAP, but had a toothache. At that time, due to tha constant sorties, tha skies over Quadal were divided up into quadrants of 3 usually, hopefully 4 at 15,000, 20,000 and 30,000 ft altitudes, usually Army highest due to tha Packard built Merlins...Army, Navy, Marines. Tha time of day for rookie flights waz usually early afternoons, slowest time of tha day.
My Pop said..."We were on our outward bound leg when I spotted a 'Gaggle' of Zekes coming down tha Slot at 20,000 ft. (Pilot's notes- my Pop said that he never saw Nip ftrs flying in formation, just bombers in either an arrowhead or wing abreast.) I called out Tally-Ho, gave my position and heading, nosed over into a dive and got one on tha first pass, pulled back on tha stick, climbed up and Immelmanned an dove back into tha gaggle for another pass----looked around and suddenly felt very alone, I waz tha only plane with white stars amongst all those meatballs. Snapped my head back around front and saw gunflashes from a Zeke coming headon...started firing...guess I was too intense on tha flashes, because I suddenly realized that I didn't leave myself enough room to avoid tha other airplane. All I remember waz my prop chopping thru his cockpit (we sorta hit noses alongside), an explosion, fire and me spitting pulverized glass out of my mouth.... don't remember how I got out of tha airplane, popped tha chute and started drifting down. Tha Japanese had a habit of shooting our pilots in their chutes, but since I waz burnt black, I don't think they could tell whether I waz a Japanese or an American. (Some newspaper guy said I made a big Japanese smile, BS....my face waz burnt as were my hands...I hurt, popped two morphines and floated down to tha water. Don't remember how I got into my dinghy, got picked up by a PT Boat.
Tha other 3 pilots, according to my Dad, claimed they never heard his Tallyho and thought he had engine trouble and missed tha fight. My Dad figgured they must not have liked tha odds...30 plus Zekes to 4 P-40s.
I'll dig up some of tha newspaper stories and scan them for yall, they made a Hero out of that crash. My Dad changed his nickname to Mat after that...they knew him as Hank....Headon Hank iz what they were calling him, and it embarrassed my Pop...fighter pilots are supposed to bring their areoplanes back, his words.
I think these are short-tailed Fs. Can't tell for sure.
zeb
1st. Those P-40 F Jocks that ran up Ace totals preferred a "head-on" approach to tha enemy, in my Pop's words..."We figured with 6 point 50s configured to fill a 25 ft diameter circle 75 to 100 yards in front vs 2-7.92 mm guns, we had 'em outnumbered."
2nd. As to what happened that day...My Pop's story waz.....
Westy waz supposed to take 3 "rookies" (just arrived from Pearl) up for a familiarization CAP, but had a toothache. At that time, due to tha constant sorties, tha skies over Quadal were divided up into quadrants of 3 usually, hopefully 4 at 15,000, 20,000 and 30,000 ft altitudes, usually Army highest due to tha Packard built Merlins...Army, Navy, Marines. Tha time of day for rookie flights waz usually early afternoons, slowest time of tha day.
My Pop said..."We were on our outward bound leg when I spotted a 'Gaggle' of Zekes coming down tha Slot at 20,000 ft. (Pilot's notes- my Pop said that he never saw Nip ftrs flying in formation, just bombers in either an arrowhead or wing abreast.) I called out Tally-Ho, gave my position and heading, nosed over into a dive and got one on tha first pass, pulled back on tha stick, climbed up and Immelmanned an dove back into tha gaggle for another pass----looked around and suddenly felt very alone, I waz tha only plane with white stars amongst all those meatballs. Snapped my head back around front and saw gunflashes from a Zeke coming headon...started firing...guess I was too intense on tha flashes, because I suddenly realized that I didn't leave myself enough room to avoid tha other airplane. All I remember waz my prop chopping thru his cockpit (we sorta hit noses alongside), an explosion, fire and me spitting pulverized glass out of my mouth.... don't remember how I got out of tha airplane, popped tha chute and started drifting down. Tha Japanese had a habit of shooting our pilots in their chutes, but since I waz burnt black, I don't think they could tell whether I waz a Japanese or an American. (Some newspaper guy said I made a big Japanese smile, BS....my face waz burnt as were my hands...I hurt, popped two morphines and floated down to tha water. Don't remember how I got into my dinghy, got picked up by a PT Boat.
Tha other 3 pilots, according to my Dad, claimed they never heard his Tallyho and thought he had engine trouble and missed tha fight. My Dad figgured they must not have liked tha odds...30 plus Zekes to 4 P-40s.
I'll dig up some of tha newspaper stories and scan them for yall, they made a Hero out of that crash. My Dad changed his nickname to Mat after that...they knew him as Hank....Headon Hank iz what they were calling him, and it embarrassed my Pop...fighter pilots are supposed to bring their areoplanes back, his words.
I think these are short-tailed Fs. Can't tell for sure.
zeb
Tue May 08, 2007 7:15 pm
Hi Zeb,
I had no idea you were on the forum. Every pilot that flew a mission in a P-40 is a hero to me.
I had no idea you were on the forum. Every pilot that flew a mission in a P-40 is a hero to me.
Wed May 09, 2007 10:09 am
Great story!
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Super pictures, Jack!
Z
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Super pictures, Jack!
Z
Wed May 09, 2007 7:18 pm
zebm1 wrote:I think these are short-tailed Fs. Can't tell for sure.
Yep, they're all short-tail Fs... serial number from front to rear are:
41-14078 (not 100% sure that it's '078')
41-14180
41-14181
41-13660
Good stuff guys...
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