How a ‘Dauntless’ dive bomber became a WWII ace at Coral Sea

When one thinks of U.S. Navy plane provider operations within the months main as much as the Battle of Halfway, one identify that readily involves thoughts is Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare, the F4F-3 Wildcat pilot whose 5 aerial victories in protection of the provider Lexington on Feb. 20, 1942, made him each the Navy’s first World Battle II fighter ace and its first WWII aviator to obtain the Medal of Honor.

In the meantime, onerous on O’Hare’s heels in Lexington lore was a Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless group whose actions appeared simply as a lot dedicated to fighters as to dive bombers.

John Arthur Leppla was born in Lima, Ohio, on Might 7, 1916. After graduating from Purdue College, he enlisted within the Navy in September 1940, and went on to qualify as an aviator with an ensign’s fee. In 1941, he joined scout squadron VS-2, flying SBDs from the Lexington.

Leppla’s standard “back-seater,” Aviation Radioman third Class John Liska, was born in Coalville, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 28, 1922.

The primary indication that the 2 have been a pure group occurred on March 10, 1942, two days after a Japanese naval drive occupied Lae and Salamaua harbors in northern New Guinea, when the Lexington and Yorktown struck again within the first raid of the battle by two U.S. carriers.

The shock assault caught Japanese forces with out air assist aside from eight reconnaissance seaplanes, two of which tried to interact the U.S. bombers till they have been introduced down by Wildcat fighters.

The U.S. bombers sank quite a few Japanese ships, along with damaging a number of different vessels.

Of the 104 provider planes concerned within the raid, just one SBD from Leppla’s scout squadron VS-2 and its crew have been misplaced to antiaircraft hearth.

For his or her half within the raid, Leppla and Liska have been awarded the Navy Cross.

Battle of the Coral Sea

Two months later, in Might 1942, the Japanese launched Operation MO, an offensive to grab Port Moresby, New Guinea.

The invasion drive was escorted by the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kinugasa and Kako, and the sunshine provider Shoho. Fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku supplied cellular assist.

On Might 7, 1942, Shokaku’s and Zuikaku’s D3A1 dive bombers sank the U.S. destroyer Sims and so badly broken the fleet tanker Neosho that it was scuttled a couple of days later.

Elsewhere, nevertheless, the Lexington and Yorktown got down to intercept enemy threats. The carriers positioned Shoho and dispatched 53 SBDs, 22 TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers and 18 F4F-3s to remove it.

The Japanese mild provider’s hangar sheltered eight A6M2 Zeros, 4 A5M4 fighters and 6 B5N2 torpedo bombers, however it had just one Zero and two A5M4s within the air on fight air patrol when the Individuals attacked off Misima Island.

The primary Individuals on the scene have been SBDs of Leppla’s scout squadron VS-2, led by Lt. Cmdr. Robert Dixon. As they positioned themselves to dive from 12,500 toes, the primary echelon got here below assault. Dixon prolonged his dive brakes, inflicting enemy forces to overshoot. Two Zeros then went after an SBD crewed by Leppla and Liska, however Liska drove them off along with his .30-caliber machine gun.

As a 3rd Zero attacked the SBD in entrance of him, Leppla briefly rolled, fired and noticed the Japanese disengage. He then resumed his dive, registering a close to miss along with his 1,000-pound bomb.

Their squadron mates, Lt. j.g. William Edward Corridor and Seaman 1st Class John Moore, have been extra profitable in bombing the Japanese provider Shoho.

Though Shoho launched three extra fighters, it couldn’t cease U.S. plane from touchdown as many as 13 bombs and 7 torpedo hits in lower than one hour when it went down — the primary Japanese provider sunk within the battle.

Because the U.S. planes returned to their carriers, Dixon reported to the Lexington: “Scratch one flat high! Signed Bob.”

Three SBDs of VS-2 and one from Yorktown’s VS-5 have been shot down, whereas their crews claimed a complete of 5 Zeros and one A5M4, although the Japanese denied any air-to-air losses amongst their fighters.

Leppla was credited with taking pictures down two Japanese plane in 30 seconds, with two extra credited to his radioman, Liska. About midway alongside the 180-mile flight again to their provider, the 2 encountered a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft, which Leppla shot down.

The following day, on Might 8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea reached its crescendo.

Shortly earlier than 11 a.m., the Lexington’s radar detected Japanese forces from 64 miles out. With most of their Wildcats escorting the strike on the Japanese carriers, solely 17 remained to defend the American carriers, so their numbers have been supplemented with 18 accessible SBDs from the scouting squadrons, together with Leppla and Liska’s squadron mates, Corridor and Moore.

Japanese torpedo bombers had an escort of their very own, and three picked out Corridor’s aircraft. A 20mm spherical entered his cockpit, wounding Corridor in each ankles and almost severing his proper foot.

Nonetheless, Corridor stayed within the struggle, firing at any opponent that handed earlier than his sights.

Noticing Corridor’s plight, Leppla and Liska intervened, with the 2 claiming 4 Zeros within the course of.

In actuality, Japanese forces misplaced one fighter whose pilot ditched. The SBDs, nevertheless, have been credited with downing a Japanese D3A dive bomber and 5 B5N torpedo bombers.

Though the Battle of the Coral Sea resulted in a tactical victory for Japan, the U.S. had turned again a serious Japanese invasion try. Furthermore, whereas Shokaku underwent repairs and Zuikaku changed its airplane and aircrew losses, Yorktown’s injury was repaired in time to affix within the decisive U.S. victory at Halfway on June 4, 1942.

After finding out the air-to-air claims at Coral Sea, Corridor was credited with one enemy aircraft, whereas Leppla was credited with a Zero and a floatplane destroyed and two Zeros broken on Might 7, adopted by two Zeros downed and one broken on the eighth. Liska was credited with three Zeros.

Their excellent efficiency resulted in a gold star in lieu of a second Navy Cross for Leppla and Liska. On Nov. 21, 1942, Corridor was awarded the Medal of Honor.

‘Dauntless’ ace

Leppla’s bellicose perspective led to his being retrained as a fighter pilot. He then rejoined the battle with fighter squadron VF-10 on the provider Enterprise within the Solomon Islands. Additionally aboard, now with VS-10, was Liska with Lt. j.g. Martin Carmody as his pilot.

Whereas en path to intercept one other Japanese provider activity drive threatening U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal, Leppla skilled below VF-10′s commander, Lt. Cmdr. James Flatley Jr., whose expertise at Halfway led to a change in fighter techniques, from the three-plane formation to the “fluid 4.”

On Oct. 26, 1942, Air Group 10 received to place its months of coaching into observe when the Enterprise and its sister ship, the provider Hornet, confronted the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku and lightweight carriers Zuiho and Junyo off the Santa Cruz Islands.

As U.S. forces headed towards the Japanese fleet, U.S. plane handed Japanese planes en path to assault their activity drive.

Lt. Saneyasu Hidaka, main 9 of Zuiho’s Zeros to escort Japanese torpedo and dive bombers, let the primary wave of Individuals move, however was unable to withstand attacking the second.

Within the ensuing dogfight, Hidaka and his pilots claimed 14 Individuals. In truth, they downed two U.S. planes and badly broken a 3rd.

Flatley deviated from his escort activity solely lengthy sufficient to choose off a close-by Zero. Belatedly coming into the fray, Leppla, flying an F4F, and his wingman, Ens. Albert Mead, have been credited with three Zeros and positively received one.

Nevertheless, Leppla and Mead quickly received into an aerial duel with Hidaka throughout which Leppla signaled that solely one among his six machine weapons was functioning.

Mead was shocked Leppla didn’t assume a beam protection place, however he caught along with his wingman, who he famous “appeared to fly straight forward and I don’t consider fired a shot. I shot for each of us and consider I received three.”

At that time, Leppla had in all probability been wounded or killed, whereas one other Zero’s hearth disabled Mead’s motor. As he descended, Mead noticed Leppla’s Wildcat nonetheless flying degree.

Two of Enterprise’s SBDs reached the Japanese fleet and broken Zuiho, whereas Hornet’s Dauntless dive bombers scored hits that put Shokaku out of motion for months. On the identical time, nevertheless, Japanese assault planes reached the American activity drive, and within the ensuing melee, seven D3As dive-bombed Hornet, dropping three planes however scoring three hits.

Though the Hornet finally sank and the Enterprise was broken, Japanese forces didn’t observe up their tactical victory at Coral Sea. In the meantime, the U.S. hurriedly repaired the Enterprise — its solely remaining operational provider — to get again to Guadalcanal, the place it continued enjoying an important position.

Leppla was really helpful for a 3rd Navy Cross for his final mission however solely acquired a Letter of Commendation.

Mead credited him with one of many three Zeros he’d claimed, making Leppla the closest factor to an SBD Dauntless ace. Though his physique was by no means recovered, he’s remembered by a cenotaph in Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.

Liska survived the battle and lived his closing years in Manteca, California. He died on Aug. 12, 2011.

Sources consulted for this report embody “Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Items in World Battle II” by Ikuhiko Hata and Yasuho Izawa; “The First Crew: Pacific Naval Air Fight from Pearl Harbor to Halfway” by John B. Lundstrom; “Duel: SBD Dauntless vs. A6M Zero-Sen” by Donald Nijboer; and “Stars & Bars: A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace” by Frank Olynyk.