Concept

Pug Southerland

Résumé

James Julien "Pug" Southerland II (October 28, 1911 – October 12, 1949) was a United States Navy fighter pilot during World War II. He was an ace, having been credited with five victories (some accounts say seven), flying Grumman F4F Wildcats. He was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross twice, and the Purple Heart. Born in Narberth, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Southerland graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1936. Rear Admiral David Richardson, who served with him, said Southerland gained the nickname "Pug" because he was such a pugnacious boxer at the academy. Southerland became an aviator and meant to make the Navy his career. At the beginning of the Battle of Guadalcanal, August 7, 1942, American forces shelled Guadalcanal and neighboring Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Soon after the attack began, 27 Japanese bombers and an escort of 17 fighters took off from Rabaul, Japan's stronghold and strategic base in the South Pacific. Their mission was to bomb the ships that were supporting the American attack. Lieutenant Southerland commanded a group of eight American Wildcats aboard the as a part of VF-5. Due to planning errors and the loss of planes to a recent training exercise, this was the only fighter cover available to patrol the landing area. Southerland (flying Wildcat F-12) and his flight took off to intercept the Japanese bombers before they could reach the American ships. Southerland shot down the first Japanese aircraft of the Guadalcanal campaign, a G4M1 "Betty" bomber of the 4th Kōkūtai, under the command of PO2c Tomotsu Sato. After shooting down a second bomber, Southerland was engaged in a dogfight with an A6M2 "Zero", piloted by PO3c Ichirobei Yamazaki of the Tainan Kōkūtai. He lined up the Zero in his sights, only to find his guns would not fire, having either jammed or run out of ammunition. Although he was now defenseless, Southerland had to stay in the fight. Two more Zeros engaged him, as PO2c Enji Kakimoto and PO3c Kazushi Uto joined Yamazaki's assault, but he successfully outmaneuvered all three of them.

Source officielle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pug_Southerland

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