The First Team by John B. Lundstrom

Author:John B. Lundstrom [Lundstrom, John B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612511665
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Also at medium altitude, VF-42’s Duran Mattson (Brassfield’s wingman in “Wildcat Orange”) found himself tangling with the agile Zeros in similar peril and frustration. After diving away from the first Zero to jump on his tail, Mattson eluded his pursuer in the clouds and recovered with a zoom climb. As he broke into the sunlight above the cloud bank, he flew into the midst of several more Zeros. Turning into a head-on run with one Mitsubishi, he discovered another shooting up his tail. The only solution was to run for the clouds, and Mattson made it. Then, automatically, he made another zoom climb to regain altitude and realized as he emerged into the clear how stupid it was to climb right back into trouble. Luck was with him, for the sky was clear.

Joining on Mattson’s wing was another separated VF-42 wingman, Edgar Bassett from Flatley’s division. The two looked back in the direction of Task Force 17 and saw antiaircraft bursts and other evidence the Japanese were still around. Suddenly a shōtai of Zeros flew across their front, and the Japanese eagerly attacked. Mattson and Bassett both turned into their opponents to scissor. In his opposite attack, Mattson shot up one Zero, but as usual a second rode his tail. Again, Mattson had to dive away in order to brush the Zero off inside the clouds. Separating from him, Bassett also escaped the Zeros.

Inside the cloud, Mattson cleared his tail and maneuvered to make his zoom climb toward a different area. Back in the open and climbing, he spotted the Zeros, now below and moving away. Nosing over to gain speed, Mattson slowly overhauled the trailing Mitsubishi from above and behind. As he was about to shoot, his target noticed the Grumman stalking it from astern and reefed into a tight, climbing turn to the right. Mattson fired a snap burst, then used his diving speed to try to follow the twisting Zero into its tight, climbing spiral. Inevitably the F4F stalled out with the Zero still above and ready to swoop on its tail. Letting his nose drop, Mattson started to dive away. Beneath him he found another Japanese in good position to be attacked. As he scissored the Zero, it turned up into him for a head-on shot. Mattson fired and held the trigger until he dived past. He thought he inflicted mortal damage on this Zero, but had no time to confirm his victory. His original quarry was already close on his tail, and Mattson just headed on down toward the friendly refuge of the cloud layer.

Zooming out of the clouds once again, Mattson found the sky above him clear, but not far away another formation of Zeros leaving the area. Making an underneath-astern approach, he fired into the trailing Zero, then dived away swiftly. The Japanese did not follow. Mattson later acknowledged his debt to the clouds: “If it had been a clear day, I’m sure I would have quickly died.”15 He also felt most grateful to the “Grumman Iron Works” for providing him with a fighter that could really take it.

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