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
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Zeb Matson -
P-40Fs
44th Ftr. Sqn. Guadalcanal-1943(Dad's record-5 KIA, 3 Probables and 1 P-40F {hiz own})
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