The story of Owen J. Baggett, the B-24 Copilot who shot down a Japanese Zero with his Colt .45 while hanging from his open parachute after he bailed out from his stricken Liberator

theaviationgeekclub.com ^ | Jan 22 2022 | Dario Leone

[ransomnote]

SNIP

On Mar. 31, 1943, the Pandaveswar based (northwest of Calcutta) 7th Bomb Group (BG)’s 9th Bomb Squadron was dispatched to destroy a railroad bridge at Pyinmana, about halfway between Rangoon and Mandalay and near two active enemy fighter bases. The formation was led by Col. Conrad F. Necrason, 7th BG commander. The B-24 on his right wing was piloted by 1st Lt. Lloyd Jensen whose copilot was 2d Lt. Owen J. Baggett. On that mission, Baggett was to earn a distinction believed to be unique in Air Force history.

Before reaching the target, the B-24s were attacked by Zero fighters.

Baggett’s plane was hit in the fuel tanks and caught fire, forcing the crew to bail out. As they descended with parachutes, the Zeroes continued to attack, killing two of the crew and wounding Baggett in the left arm.

Feigning death, Baggett watched as a curious Zero pilot approached him, performing an astonishing bit of aerobatics to get a closer look at the wounded American. At just the right moment, Baggett drew his service pistol, a Colt .45, and fired four shots, hitting the Japanese pilot in the head and causing the Zero to crash.

Baggett was captured and taken to a POW camp, where he was surprisingly received and feted as a hero by the Japanese camp commander, a colonel, for his fine shooting at the Zero. This is an example of the Japanese military’s peculiar Bushido code, which placed great emphasis on honor and valor in battle.

[ransomnote]

I woke this morning thinking of Owen John Bagget, the WWII American airman who, having bailed out of his B-24 Liberator and was descending via parachute, drew a hand gun and shot a passing enemy pilot. My mind traced over some of the stories recorded about the bravery, suffering and sacrifices of members of our military, and I am so humbled by those who have served our country with everything they...and then gave even more.

God bless our heroes, and keep their sacrifices evergreen in our hearts. Thank you for blessing us with such warriors.

[ComputerGuy]

Now that...is a War Story!

[vaskypilot]

Thank you for sharing!

[skyman]

Amazing!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Just awesome.

[Bob434]

[[shot down a Japanese Zero with his Colt .45 while hanging from his open parachute after he bailed out from his stricken Liberator]]

BUT other than that, how was your day?

[Bob434]

And yes, thanks for sharing, neat story!

[texas booster]

bttt

[Jane Long]

LOL ... had the same reaction.

Wow ... what a headline. What a story!!

[Scrambler Bob]

Now I am curuous. Was that a 1911, or a revolver? Govt. issue or personal?

I am guessing a Colt M1917.

[Bulwyf]

1911. Is it even a question? Heh

[gundog]

This is an example of the Japanese military’s peculiar Bushido code, which placed great emphasis on honor and valor in battle.

Not so much that they wouldn’t shoot defenseless aircrews hanging from parachutes, apparently.

[dfwgator]

Or conducting experiments in Unit 731.

[HYPOCRACY]

Great story!

[Pilsner]

Given the Zero was a Japanese Navy fighter, and that Burma was a Japanese Army operation, the chance that any American shot down a Zero at that place, on that date, is effectively, uh, zero.

An Oscar might have been shot down.

[Stosh]

From Wikipedia (for what that’s worth): “Before reaching their target, the 12 B-24s of 7th BG were intercepted by 13 Ki-43 fighters of 64 Sentai IJAAS.”

[Stosh]

Also from the Wiki people:

“The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (隼, “Peregrine falcon”), formal Japanese designation Army Type 1 Fighter (一式戦闘機, Ichi-shiki sentōki) is a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in World War II
.
The Allied reporting name was “Oscar”, but it was often called the “Army Zero” by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s counterpart to the Ki-43.”

Intersting

[Pilsner]

Yep. Oscars.

Allied personnel tended to identify any radial engined Japanese fighter as a Zero, just like Allied personnel in Europe tended to identify every German tank as a Tiger.

[Stosh]

Nice call. I’m always pleased when I learn stuff on FR.

[SaveFerris]

Wow