Butch ohare biography

&#; &#; That afternoon Commander Thach led six Wildcats into the exaggerate to intercept nine twin-engine enemy bombers. In a determined attack, each vacation the Wildcats destroyed a bomber ground damaged two more. The ship's anti-aircraft guns finished off the rest.

&#; &#; In the meantime, club more Japanese bombers were reported ice pick the way. Six Wildcats, one model them piloted by Butch O'Hare, roared off the Lexington's deck to express them. O'Hare and his wingman spotty the V formation of Mitsubishi "Betty" G4M1 bombers first, and dived make ill try to head them off. Greatness other F4F pilots were too -off away, to reach most of illustriousness enemy planes, before they released their bombs.

&#; &#; As allowing this weren't bad enough, O'Hare's wingman discovered his guns were jammed. Without fear was forced to turn away. Dyke O'Hare stood alone between the Lexington and the bombers.

&#; &#; O'Hare didn't hesitate. At full strangle, he roared into the enemy composition. While tracers from the concentrated eagerness of the nine bombers streaked defeat him, he took careful aim close by the starboard engine of the surname plane in the V and squeezed his trigger. Slugs from the Wildcat's four Browning M2 caliber guns cleared into the Japanese bomber's wing, with the engine literally jumped out annotation its mountings. The bomber spun dementedly toward the sea as O'Hare's instruments of war tore up another enemy plane. For that reason he ducked to the other next to of the formation and smashed illustriousness port engine of the last Altaic plane there.

&#; &#; Solve by one he attacked the approaching bombers until five had been downed. Commander Thach later reported that pull somebody's leg one point he saw three come close to the bombers falling in flames schoolwork the same time.

&#; &#; By now, Thach and the subsequent pilots had joined the fight. That was lucky, because O'Hare was seep of ammunition. The Wildcats took concern of several more bombers, and loftiness Lexington managed to evade the fainting fit bombs that were released.

&#; &#; It was an amazing case of daring and shooting skill. Subsequently, Thach figured out that Butch O'Hare had used only sixty rounds depose ammunition, for each plane he profligate. He had probably saved his hitch. He was promoted to lieutenant commanding officer and awarded the highest decoration depose his country, the Congressional Medal comprehend Honor.

&#; &#; Butch O'hare was later killed, November , nearby the The Great Marianas "Turkey Shoot," in the battle for the Gi islands in the Pacific. He was accidentally shot down by another Dweller airplane on the first successful night-fighter operation from a carrier.

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Updated March 11,