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WW2 Marine Ruby Six



 
 
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Old December 31st 04, 12:35 AM
Greasy Rider
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Default WW2 Marine Ruby Six

Received this a couple of days ago in an e-mail. Thought I'd share it
with the group:




CORSAIR action off Okinawa


Klingman's fight with the enemy:



On May 10th, one of the most unique fighter interceptions of WWII took
place. Captain Ken Reusser, callsign Ruby 6, was on patrol with 3
other Checkerboarders over the island of Okinawa. The following
excerpt is from an article published in the May '95 edition of
Leatherneck. The author is Ray Schanamann, 1st Lt, VMF-312.



The pilots started their climb to altitude, prepared for another
routine patrol. Instead, they received a transmission from "Handyman",
the Air Defense Control Center. "Ruby 6, this is Handyman, over."



"Handyman, Ruby 6, go ahead."



"Ruby 6, Handyman, We have a bogey approaching on course one eight
zero, angels 25 (altitude 25,000 feet). Climb to angels 25, steer 270
buster (full speed), over."



"Handyman, Roger, course 270 angels 25, out."



The flight dropped their belly tanks, test fired their guns, put their
props in full low pitch, and firewalled their throttles. Klingman
remembered, "We could see the vapor trails as the bogey made two
complete circles over the harbor."



The Marines had a good idea about the plane they were pursuing. For
several days that week their squadron and others took turns trying to
intercept a plane that followed the same flight plan. Intelligence
believed the plane was on photo reconnaissance of the ships in the
harbor, for use in planning kamikaze raids. The previous intercept
attempts failed because the intruder, aware of the chase planes, kept
climbing as he headed for home. With his initial altitude advantage he
easily outran his pursuers. This time the Marines tried to close while
climbing at their best speed.



Captain Reusser said, "We were turning inside him to try and join up,
but we were so far below him we had little chance of reaching him. I
just pulled the nose up and held the trigger down, no aim, no
accuracy, just trying to loop it up there. I saw a couple of glints,
but I remember I didn't think anything of it at the time. He leveled
off and headed back toward Japan."



The division kept climbing and stayed on the bogey's tail even though
it didn't seem possible to overhaul him. Captain Jim Cox's plane fell
back until he was about a thousand feet below the others-he couldn't
coax another knot of speed out of the battle-weary Corsair. Reusser
ordered Cox and 1st Lt. Frank Watson to return to orbit over Point Nan
while he and Klingman continued the pursuit.



Now they were at 38,000 feet, the service ceiling for the Corsair. The
bogey was still about a mile ahead, and the chase continued. Because
of the thin air and limited power, maneuvers had to be limited to
small, careful changes in direction or altitude; otherwise a stall or
spin would result with small chance of recovery. At such an altitude
bailing out would have meant freezing to death. "As we got closer, Ken
was firing, and I guess the bogey was firing at us. I had a few small
bullet holes in the plane. My plane had no gun heaters and the guns
were frozen, but I was pretty eager to get me a Jap plane. My plane
was faster because it was a brand new so I went on ahead of Ken at max
speed and streamlined as much as I could." "We closed on the bogey
until I was 20 or 30 feet behind him-I couldn't get any closer to him
due to his prop wash. It held me back and kept me from running into
him. I had to slowly climb above the airplane, and then I nosed over
and ran into his tail with my prop. I only had enough extra speed to
chew off some of his rudder and elevator before being blown away (from
Nick's prop wash) Since he was still flying, I climbed above him for a
second run. I nosed down and I pulled out too soon and only got some
of his rudder and part of the top of the rear canopy. At this time I
remember seeing the rear seat gunner frantically looking around and
trying to operate his machine gun. I imagine at this altitude he was
probably freezing to death. I realized that a third wasn't necessary,
but I was even more determined so I climbed above him for my third run
and chopped the right side of his elevator, and we both went into a
spin. This run did the most damage to my plane, but I recovered after
losing only about 1,000 feet. Ken was along side then, and we both
observed the enemy plane in a spin with both wings coming off at about
15,000 feet."



Reusser had a bird's-eye view when Klingman first passes were made and
related. "The Japanese gunner pounded on his machine gun to free it
up, but it was frozen solid and so was mine. When Bob came down on the
canopy with his prop, he tore the gun away from the mount and hit the
gunner. His plane was full of bullet holes and shrapnel holes from
fragments of the Nick." Klingman had his kill but they were hundreds
of miles from base and his plane shook and vibrated with the stick
jumping in a large circle. Close to home at about 10,00 feet Bob ran
out of fuel but felt he could still reach the strip even though Ken
suggested he bail. Pilots stood quietly at the upwind end of the
runway. They watched the Corsair plunge silently in a steep glide: no
engine roar, the prop windmilling slowly.



"Don't stretch the glide: don't be short.: they said almost
prayerfully. At the last possible second, Klingman raised the
Corsair's nose and the plane slammed into the ground and bounced the
few remaining feet onto the airstrip. Watchers gasped as they saw the
planes condition. The tips of all three blades jutted outward with 6
inches missing from each end and the blades pierced by bullets; each
wing contained large holes, and pieces of the Nick were in the
cowling. After extensive tests and a new propeller, the F4U Corsair
Bob Klingman used in the downing of the Japanese Nick was returned to
service! Bob Klingman and Ken Reusser both received the Navy Cross for
their actions.


 




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