Butch O'Hare

[JOMiller]

I'm looking for a photo taken the day Butch O'Hare
diwned the Japanese Bettys to save the LEX. Taken
from a screening ship it showed LEX from the front
with three splashes beside her. My memory is that
two were on one side and one on the other. I believe
it was originally a LIFE photo.

Help,
Owen

[Milmart Militaria]

Your not thinking of this image from the 8th May 1942 are you ?

USS Lexington (CV-2) photographed from a Japanese aircraft on 8 May after she had already been struck by bombs 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea Heavy black smoke from her stack and white smoke from her bow indicate that the view was taken just after those areas were hit by bombs. Destroyer in the lower left appears to be USS Phelps (DD-360). Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison's History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph (# NH 95579)

A Mitsubishi G4M torpedo bomber photographed from Lexington's flight deck on 20 February 1942 during an engagement with U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters from Fighting Squadron VF-3 defending the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) off Rabaul, New Britain, in February 1942 U.S. Navy - U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.161.009

[JOMiller]

Thanks for the note. Neither of those are the one to which I refer.
In fact the one of the Betty going down is from a series of four that
is going in the display I'm putting together. Anyone else???

Help,
Owen

[Mark Allen M]

We have a bit more to thank this Thanksgiving ... Thanks Butch for your service and sacrifice. Rest in Peace.

Lt Butch O'Hare

26 November 1943: At sunset, Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry O’Hare, United States Navy, Commander Air Group 6, took off from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) as part of an experimental three-plane night fighter team. Two Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighters of VF-2, piloted by O’Hara and Ensign Andy Skon, flew formation with a radar-equipped Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber, call sign “Tare 97,” flown by Lieutenant Commander Phil Phillips. O’Hara was flying his personal airplane, Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat Bu. No. 66168, marked with “00” on the sides of its fuselage, the traditional identification of an air group commander’s (“CAG”) airplane.

The Avenger’s radar operator would guide the two fighters to intercept the groups of Japanese Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” torpedo bombers that had been making nightly attacks against the ships of Task Force 50.2. The U.S. Navy task force was operating in the waters northeast of Tarawa, supporting Operation Galvanic. The night fighter team engaged several enemy bombers with the TBF’s pilot Phillips, credited with shooting down two G4Ms with his forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns. Butch O’Hare and Andy Skon, both fired on other enemy bombers with their Hellcats’ six machine guns.

At about 7:30 p.m., the TBF was flying below at about 1,200 feet (365 meters), staying below the cloud bases, while the two F6Fs rejoined the formation. The TBF’s gunner, Al Kernan, saw both Hellcats with O’Hara approaching to join the the Avenger’s right wing. When O’Hara was about 400 feet (120 meters) away, the gunner saw a third airplane appear above and behind the two fighters. The Japanese G4M opened fire on O’Hara’s fighter with it’s 7.7 mm nose-mounted machine gun. Kernan returned fire with the TBF’s turret-mounted .50-caliber machine gun. The G4M quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Butch O’Hare’s F6F was seen to turn out of the formation, passing to the left underneath Skon’s fighter. Skon called O’Hara by radio but there was no response. The CAG’s Hellcat went into a dive then disappeared into the darkness. Skon tried to follow O’Hare, but had to pull out at about 300 feet (90 meters) to avoid crashing into the ocean. Neither O’Hare or his airplane were ever seen again. He is believed to have gone into the water at 7:34 p.m., 26 miles (42 kilometers) north-northwest of the carrier Enterprise.

Lieutenant Commander Edward H. O’Hare was listed as Missing in Action. One year after his disappearance, the status was officially changed to Killed in Action. One of the best known fighter pilots in the United States Navy, he was a hero to the people of America. He had been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat during the early months of the war, nominated for a second Medal of Honor, and awarded the Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart. (Bryan R. Swopes, This day in Aviation)





On the ramp at NAS Kanehoe following some air-to-air motion picture work for the press














On the ramp at NAS Kanehoe Butch with his boss LCDR John S "Jimmy" Thach following some air-to-air motion picture work for the press












Butch and Jimmy at the O Club

[Mark Allen M]

One of the first and one of the last photos of Butch O'Hare as a US Naval Aviator




O'Hare and leading crew chief Williams Chief Willy beside a F6F-3 Hellcat talk things over at Wake, October 5, 1943.

[SaxMan]

Was O'Hare at the Battle of Midway with Jimmy Thatch in Fighting 3?

[Mark Allen M]

No, he was in the states on war bond tours and such during the Battle of Midway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_O'Hare

[JayGee]

Hey Owen - is this the image you were thinking of?



(from the Naval History and Heritage Command website - Coral Sea page - http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... g19100.jpg)

[Mark Allen M]

Actually no, I believe he's talking about perhaps this attack that happened on February 26, 1942 (a bit of miss-captioning with the video though)

https://archive.org/details/NPC-16170

[JayGee]

I've seen a better quality version on youtube or somewhere of parts of that video as well Mark - amazing shot of the Betty flying so close down the side of the ship like it was an airshow or something! Never saw a film of the Betty with the missing port engine (courtesy O'Hare) closing in on Lexington then dropping into the sea - amazing!

I still think the photo I posted might be what Owen is looking for but he'll know for sure - Mark I wanted to say thanks for all the great photos you find and post here - very much appreciated and please keep it up man!

Cheers,
John

[Mark Allen M]

Greetings John, he's interested in the February 1942 O'Hare timeframe. The Battle of the Coral Sea was in May 1942 where the USS Lexington CV-2 was lost. The grainy film I posted shows action that took place in February 1942. I've seen the YouTube video as well. Same grainy film. You may be thinking of Coral Sea film.

Thanks for the appreciation. Glad you like the threads. Happy Thanksgiving.

Mark

[old iron]

I read somewhere that O'Hare was a victim of friendly fire. Could the above be the "cleaned" version?

[JayGee]

Hey Mark:

I found the video I was thinking of - a Coral Sea/Midway video (but with clips from the Feb 1942 mixed in):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxLjtJRyE2g

At about 8:30 in (oddly in the Battle of Midway part of the video!) it shows a better quality resolution view of the Bettys attacking CV2 in Feb 42, the same as the grainy link you posted (It doesn't have Commander Ito's Betty crashing close aboard CV2). It also shows some aerial film of the cruiser Mikuma being pounded at Midway at the end.

I know the photo I posted is from May '42, not the Feb attack O'Hare was involved in - but the photo is very close to the description Owen is looking for so I thought it might be it. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well!

[JOMiller]

Thanks fellas! I appreciate all your legwork on my behalf.
I especially like the period LIFE photos of O'Hare. Truth is,
I had my print matted and framed without that shot. Seven
years is long enough to wait. It looks great! Now that I don't
need it, I'll probably run across it while looking for something
else.

[hang the expense]

O'Hare family history is almost as interesting. The man was every bit the Hero and I always loved the Wildcat because of him and the Marines at Guadalcanal.