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Elements of the assemblage
of Allied aircraft that sortied from Guadalcanal during the war
are seen here in a cooperative effort to eradicate a nocturnal
pest known as "Louie the Louse". Such aircraft, whether
US Navy USMC, or USAAF were referred to collectively as the Cactus
Air Force, particularly during the period between August and
December of 1942.
Here, we see a P-38 flown
by 13th USAAF Lt. Rex T. Barber, 347th Fighter Group, 339th Fighter
Squadron and an F-4U-1 Corsair flown by USMC pilot, Lt. Eben
"Ben" Dale, VMF-124, as they attack a group of Japanese
Navy floatplanes at anchor in the Faisi-Poporang seaplane anchorage
located in the Shortland Island Group, Northern Solomons. The
targets of this March 29, 1943 early-morning raid had been launching
night-harassment missions to the Henderson Field area of Guadalcanal
(Allied code name: CACTUS) on a nightly basis, keeping the Allied
personnel assigned to the Island awake, and thus degrading their
combat effectiveness. Although the raid was a success with no
losses, Barber was fortunate to return, having lost three feet
of his left wingtip on the radio antenna mast of a Japanese Navy
destroyer-escorttype patrol craft which he had subsequently strafed
on the return flight to CACTUS. After April, 1943 the Cactus
Air Force was referred to as AirSols. - Signed and numbered by
the artist. |