CDR Butch O'Hare, Naval Ace

[mockingbird812]

I am passing thru Chicago on my way back to Phoenix this a.m. and I hope I never take for granted the terrific monument to one of this nation's favorite son's that I invariably pass by as I scoot from one terminal to the next. CDR O'Hare's story is incredulous. Good on you Butch!


P.S. Terrific USO at O'Hare btw!

[jeff morocco]

Sam, next time you're coming thru chicago, allow yourself an extra day and come visit !!! rockford to phoenix is real cheap too. im about 20 minutes from the airport.

[COPO 70 RS/Z28]

On February 20, 1942, Butch O'Hare demonstrated in real life, and when it counted most, the fighting skills he had mastered. The carrier Lexington had been assigned the dangerous task of penetrating enemy-held waters north of New Ireland. From there her planes were to make a strike at Japanese shipping in the harbor at Rabaul. Unfortunately, while still 400 miles from Rabaul, the Lexington was discovered by a giant four-engine Kawanishi flying boat. Lieutenant Commander John Thach, skipper of the Lexington's Wildcat fighters, shot down the Japanese "Snooper," but not before it had radioed the carrier's position. That afternoon Commander Thach led six Wildcats into the air to intercept nine twin-engine enemy bombers. In a determined attack each of the Wildcats destroyed a bomber and damaged two more. The ship's anti-aircraft guns finished off the rest. In the meantime, nine more Japanese bombers were reported on the way. Six Wildcats, one of them piloted by Butch O'Hare, roared off the Lexington's deck to stop them. O'Hare and his wingman spotted the V formation of bombers first and dived to try to head them off. The other F4F pilots were too far away to reach most of the enemy planes before they released their bombs. As if this weren't bad enough, O'Hare's wingman discovered his guns were jammed. He was forced to turn away. Butch O'Hare stood alone between the Lexington and the bombers.

O'Hare didn't hesitate. Full throttle, he roared into the enemy formation. While tracers from the concentrated fire of the nine bombers streaked around him, he took careful aim at the starboard engine of the last plane in the V and squeezed his trigger. Slugs from the Wildcats six .50-caliber guns ripped into the Japanese bomber's wing and the engine literally jumped out of its mountings. The bomber spun crazily toward the sea as O'Hare's guns tore up another enemy plane. Then he ducked to the other side of the formation and smashed the port engine of the last Japanese plane there.

One by one he attacked the oncoming bombers until five had been downed. Commander Thach later reported that at one point he saw three of the bombers falling in flames at the same time. By now Thach and the other pilots had joined the fight. This was lucky because O'Hare was out of ammunition. The Wildcats took care of several more bombers and Lexington managed to evade the few bombs that were released. It was an amazing example of daring and shooting skill. Afterward Thach figured out that Butch O'Hare had used only sixty rounds of ammunition for each plane he destroyed. He had probably saved his ship. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and awarded the highest decoration of his country, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

[427TJ]

I believe he was killed by friendly fire while while flying an F6F Hellcat during a night attack on Japanese bombers.

I am currently reading the 1962 book "The Big E" about the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier CV-6. Incredible accounts of the battles the E participated in and very well written. Available through Amazon. (I'm reading my dad's 1962 hardbound second edition.)

[COPO 70 RS/Z28]

There is still a lot of controversy about the incident, I doubt anyone will ever really know, but it looks that way.

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]

I am currently reading the 1962 book "The Big E" about the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier CV-6. Incredible accounts of the battles the E participated in and very well written. Available through Amazon. (I'm reading my dad's 1962 hardbound second edition.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I love seeing these postings and am always amazed at how many of us are here are into this stuff!.

A month or so ago I finished this book on the RCAF Bomber 6-Group called 'Reap the Whirlwind'...it was great!.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reap-Whirlwi.../dp/0947554351

Next to read is 'Behind enemy lines'...the story of Jim Moffat of the RCAF 427 Squadron..
Jim is alive today and I'm hoping to get in on one of his informal meetings he gives where he talks of his experiences..
http://essencebookstore.com/index.ph...roducts_id=917


We are the fortunate generation and owe so much to all these Vets!!!

~ Pete

[427TJ]

Pete, my dad was a WWII history buff and I got my interest from him. I remember watching the English series "The World at War" back in the early '70s and I now have it on DVD, as well as the 1953 "Victory at Sea" DVD set (less than 10 bucks!). One of the World at War episodes is titled "Whirlwind" and it begins with a magnificent shot of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster in full flight. I think it was Churchill who said that the Germans had chosen to sow the wind and so shall reap the whirlwind. The fire-bombing of Hamburg and Dresden and other German cities followed. Reading "The Big E" has gotten my interest in Pacific war history re-ignited and I have been locating WWII battle sites in the Pacific island chains on Google Earth. I even found one of the the bases used by the VMF-214 "Black Sheep" marine fighter squadron on Vella LaVella island--the runway is still visible! (They called it "Vella LaCava" on the 1976 TV show. They also called Espiritu Santo "Espritus Marcus." Marcus is a small island we re-took from the Japanese in early '42.) As a kid I loved the names of the Pacific islands: New Britain, New Georgia, New Caledonia, Santa Cruz, New Hebrides, New Ireland, the Solomans, the Caroline Islands, etc. The names sounded magical and conjured images of island paradises but in reality the battles there were terrible blood baths. My dad used to play his "Victory at Sea" record soundtrack and I still love to listen to that music. My dad even built me a 1/72 scale aircraft carrier--nothing fancy, just a place for me to land my 1/72 navy planes (Hellcats, Wildcats, Dauntlesses, etc.). Anyway, WWII history has fascinated me since childhood. Try locating battle sites and old bases on Google Earth--it's addicting! East Anglia in England is still FULL of now-unused WWII 8th Air Force bases, 9th AF bases, and many of the RAF bases. Just start surfing over the area and they start popping up. I probably placed 100 yellow push-pin locators on bases in East Anglia alone. Yeah, geeky but still fun and more importantly, fascinating. Something to do when it's too cold to be in the garage.