Real Aircraft Battles: Reports and Photos VPB-111: World War II Navy

There is no doubt that uncommon men became rare and valiant heroes in the face of exceptional and uncertain times. The stories included in this compilation are the true and real tales of actual battles that Navy combat aircraft participated in during World War II.

Rather than embellish these events or retell them, I have elected to let the original documents speak for themselves. This download document contains images of the original aircraft battle reports and engagement photos from Navy aircraft engaged in enemy action.

Every official detail about these battles is presented to you in high-resolution detailed images for you to read and bring back to life. Volume 1 of this series contains eleven missions of VPB-111 between 12-11-1945 and 6-16-1945.

Let me give you an example of just one story that is included:

Date: 1 June 1945

Location: Just West of Hong Kong

Planes: Navy Liberator and Privateer

Lieut. (jg) R. F. HEYLER, Al, USNR., piloting a Liberator search plane of this squadron, on 1 June participated in a coordinated search inspection and photographic mission of Singapore.

He was flying with Lieut. Comdr. H. F, MEARS, A3, USNR., Flight Officer of VPB106, a Privateer Squadron conducting simultaneous searches of Palawan.

The planes took off in order to reach Singapore about the time the morning haze and ground fog lifted and when visibility had improved to such an extent that photographic and visual reconnaissance was practicable.

They flew through the darkness all the way down, but in the area of Anambas Islands dawn arrived and the two planes were on parallel courses about 15 miles apart.

At this time they joined in a loose formation with Lieut. Comdr. MEARS slightly below, ahead, and to the left of Lieut, (jg) HEYLER.

They moved toward the Malay Coast and at that time closed to a tight formation in the same relative positions, Lieut. (jg) HEYLER put down his Radar Nacelle three-quarters of the way, in an effort to simulate a belly turret, (This ruse obviously worked as developments demonstrated).

The planes reached the coast near Cape Punggai at about 0915 Item. They moved across the land on a heading of about 310 degrees.

At about this time two Oscars were spotted some distance away, trailing out of range and making no effort to close. The planes had by then reached a position just west of Kong Long on the west side of the Johore River.

Heavy AA batteries located in the Navy Yard Area and on the moored Cruisers, opened fire. Twenty bursts were fired and virtually all were accurate as to altitude but none was accurate as to deflection, the closest bursting about 150 yards away.

It is possible that the trailing Oscars were giving information on the altitude of the search planes, then about 11000 feet.

This altitude was changed frequently, the planes losing or gaining 500 feet in close formation. Mo damage was done to either plane by this fire.

The pilots were in constant VHF communication, throughout the attacks and there was a complete understanding of tactics and maneuvers both before and during the run-in.

While the two trailing Oscars were out of range, two others appeared, likewise out of range, high and on the bow.

The Privateer and the Liberator closed their distance still more until the Liberator's port wing was above the starboard wing of the Privateer. All hands had been alerted and at their guns for 20 minutes.

The damaged engine immediately flamed with a gasoline fire, and the Privateer started to lose altitude. The Liberator kept its close interval and went into a glide to keep up with the crippled leader.