When 2 American Pilots Faced 60 Japanese Planes — They Set a Record That Still Stands

Name: When 2 American Pilots Faced 60 Japanese Planes — They Set a Record That Still Stands
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T14:12:13+00:00
Duration: 42 min 19 s
Channel: WW2 Dispatch

00:0060 japanese aircraft were closing on the american task force at 200 knots when commander david

00:06mccampbell dropped into the cockpit of his f6f hellcat on uss essex's flight deck at 9 50 on

00:13the morning of october 24 1944. 34 years old 19 combat sorties in the past four months 19 enemy

00:21aircraft destroyed the japanese strike force included 40 fighters and 20 bombers enough fire

00:28power to cripple three american carriers and sink a dozen support vessels essex steamed in the

00:33philippine sea 150 miles east of luzon four months earlier mccampbell had led air group 15 through the

00:41marianas turkey shoot where american pilots destroyed nearly 400 japanese aircraft in two days but that

00:48battle had involved hundreds of american fighters this morning essex had only seven hellcats ready

00:54for immediate launch the rest of the air group was either on patrol being refueled or undergoing

01:00maintenance below deck mccampbell's aircraft had been spotted on the catapult for a routine combat air

01:06patrol when the radar contact appeared no time to top off the fuel tanks his main tank read half full

01:13maybe 90 minutes of flight time if he was careful less if he had to fight lieutenant john connelly

01:19essex's fighter direction officer stood in the combat information center watching the radar scope

01:25the japanese formation was 22 miles out and closing fast he grabbed the radio handset and vectored

01:32mccampbell's division toward the threat mccampbell advanced his throttle the pratt and whitney r2800 engine

01:39coughed once then roared to life with 2100 horsepower shaking the airframe behind him ensign roy rushing

01:47started his own hellcat 23 years old fresh from flight school six months ago 41 combat missions

01:54three confirmed kills five more hellcats fired up in sequence seven fighters total against 60.

02:01the deck officer spun his hand faster and faster above his head mccampbell released his brakes

02:07the hellcat rolled forward gained speed then lifted off the bow and climbed west toward building cumulus

02:13clouds rushing followed 15 seconds later the other five pilots launched and formed up behind them

02:20but mccampbell and rushing were faster they pulled ahead of the formation climbing at maximum rate toward

02:26thirty thousand feet connelly's voice crackled in mccampbell's headset with updated vectors the japanese

02:32were now 18 miles out descending through 20 000 feet in a loose combat spread mccampbell had commanded air

02:39group 15 since february he knew his pilots he knew their aircraft and he knew the mathematics of air combat

02:47seven hellcats could not engage 60 japanese aircraft in a turning fight and survive they would be

02:53overwhelmed in minutes he keyed his radio and ordered the five trailing pilots to attack the

02:59bomber formation at lower altitude he and rushing would handle the fighter screen alone two hellcats

03:05against 40 fighters mccampbell is climbing toward 30 000 feet with half a tank of fuel if you want to

03:11find out what happens next a like goes a long way please subscribe so you don't miss the rest back

03:18to

03:18mccampbell two hellcats 40 japanese fighters mccampbell checked his fuel gauge the needle sat just above the

03:26half full mark he had perhaps 80 minutes before he would need to turn back 80 minutes to break up

03:32the

03:32largest japanese strike force he had seen since june he glanced right rushing held position off his wing

03:39steady and professional good they climbed through 28 000 feet the clouds opened up ahead and there

03:47spread across five miles of sky was the entire japanese formation zeros and oscars in tight v formations

03:54bombers tucked underneath all of them pointed straight at essex mccampbell eased his throttle forward

04:02and checked his six browning 50 caliber machine guns each gun held 400 rounds 2400 rounds total

04:09enough for maybe 30 seconds of sustained fire if he wasn't careful he had never faced odds like this

04:17not at marcus island not during the turkey shoot not ever the japanese hadn't seen them yet they were

04:24focused on the ships below already beginning their attack dive mccampbell nosed over and selected his first

04:31target mccampbell rolled inverted and pulled through into a 70 degree dive the airspeed indicator climbed past

04:39300 knots rushing stayed with him offset by 50 yards the first zero never saw them coming mccampbell centered

04:48the illuminated reticle on the enemy fighters fuselage and pressed the trigger six streams of 50 caliber

04:55rounds converged at 300 yards the zeroes wing route exploded pieces of aluminum and fabric tore away

05:03the aircraft snap rolled left and fell out of formation trailing black smoke five seconds one kill

05:12mccampbell pulled up hard trading speed for altitude the g-forces pressed him into a seat his vision narrowed at

05:19the edges

05:20then he was climbing again back toward 30 000 feet rushing fired on his target another zero erupted in

05:28flames and dropped away now the japanese formation reacted fighters broke left and right abandoning their

05:35tight v's pilots craned their necks searching for the attackers some dove others climbed the coordinated

05:44strike force dissolved into confusion mccampbell leveled off at 29 000 feet and surveyed the chaos below

05:52the japanese had altitude discipline problems some fighters were at 18 000 feet others had climbed to

05:5922 000 none of them were above 25 000 he had the high ground and he intended to keep it

06:06he rolled into another attack selected a zero at the top of the japanese formation

06:14dove the hellcat accelerated past 350 knots mccampbell fired a two-second burst the zero's engine cowling

06:22shattered coolant sprayed back across the canopy the fighter nosed over and began a slow spiral toward the

06:29ocean pull up climb regain altitude rushing hammered another oscar the japanese fighter came apart in

06:38midair both wings folding up simultaneously three minutes into the fight four kills 56 japanese aircraft

06:47still in the formation the enemy bombers broke away and dove toward the american task force that was

06:53someone else's problem now the five hellcats mccampbell had sent to intercept them would have to be

06:59enough his job was to keep these 40 fighters away from essex he checked his fuel the gauge had dropped

07:06noticeably maybe 70 minutes remaining a zero tried to climb after him mccampbell watched its struggle to

07:13gain altitude its engine gasping in the thin air the japanese fighter topped out at 26 000 feet then stalled

07:21and fell away mccampbell ignored it he was hunting formation leaders aircraft with experienced pilots who

07:28might reorganize the attack fourth attack another zero disintegrated under his guns fifth attack an oscar

07:36caught fire and spun into the clouds rushing stayed glued to his wing through every dive every climb every

07:43attack run the young ensign flew like he had been doing this for years smooth professional

07:51deadly 10 minutes into the engagement seven japanese fighters destroyed maybe eight mccampbell had lost

07:58count during the chaos of the third attack run the japanese formation had scattered across 20 miles of sky

08:05some pilots were still trying to reach the american ships others had given up and were heading back

08:10toward manila a few stayed and fought but they fought alone without coordination without support that was

08:17their mistake mccampbell selected his next target a zero flying straight and level at 24 000 feet probably

08:25low on fuel probably trying to conserve what was left he dove fired the zero's canopy exploded the fighter

08:34snap rolled and went down climbing again always climbing never giving up the altitude advantage rushing called out

08:42another kill his third or maybe his fourth the radio calls were getting confused now too much happening too

08:49fast 15 minutes into the fight mccampbell's fuel gauge read just above one quarter full his guns were getting

08:56noticeably lighter he had maybe fired 800 rounds 1600 remaining below him the japanese formation had stopped

09:04being a formation individual fighters twisted and turned trying to escape some dove for the deck others

09:12climbed desperately hopelessly toward the two hellcats that owned the sky above them mccampbell lined up another

09:19zero fired miss the japanese pilot had seen him coming and broken hard right good reaction mccampbell pulled up without

09:29pursuing not worth burning fuel in a turning fight he climbed back to 28 000 feet and scanned the sky

09:36rushing was

09:37still with him still fighting still killing and there five miles east was a formation of six japanese fighters

09:45that had somehow stayed together they were turning back toward the task force regrouping for another attack run

09:53mccampbell's fuel gauge showed 20 minutes until he would be forced to break off 20 minutes to finish this

10:00he rolled into another dive the six japanese fighters flew in a ragged line astern formation

10:07zeros experienced pilots they maintained discipline even after watching their squadron disintegrate around them

10:16mccampbell came at them from above and behind out of the sun the perfect bounce he selected the trailing

10:23aircraft and fired the zero's tail section separated from the fuselage the fighter tumbled end over end

10:30then broke apart the remaining five scattered too late rushing was already diving on the second aircraft

10:38his guns tore through the zero's wing root the fighter rolled inverted and fell away four left

10:45mccampbell climbed his arms ached from pulling g-forces his flight suit was soaked with sweat despite

10:52the freezing temperature at altitude he had been fighting for 20 minutes straight no breaks no rest just

10:59dive shoot climb repeat the four surviving zeros were running now heading west toward manila at full throttle

11:07staying low where the hellcats would burn fuel trying to catch them mccampbell let them go

11:13he scanned the sky for more threats nothing the japanese strike force had been destroyed some aircraft

11:20were burning on the water below others had limped back toward their bases with damaged engines

11:25or shot up airframes a few had escaped but the coordinated attack on essex was over mccampbell checked his fuel

11:33gauge

11:33the needle hovered near empty maybe 15 minutes of flight time remaining he needed to head back to

11:39the carrier immediately then his radio crackled connelly's voice from essex combat information center another

11:47formation inbound from the west smaller this time maybe 20 aircraft distance 40 miles mccampbell's fuel

11:55situation went from critical to impossible he did not have enough gas to intercept the new formation and make

12:02it back to essex not even close but if he turned back now those 20 japanese aircraft would reach the

12:10task force

12:11unopposed the five hellcats he had sent to intercept the bombers were probably already low on fuel and

12:17ammunition themselves there would be no one to stop the second wave he made his decision in three seconds

12:25he turned west and climbed rushing followed without hesitation they reached the second japanese formation

12:32at 26 000 feet 18 fighters escorting two bomber groups the japanese had learned from the first attack they flew

12:40higher tighter more defensive mccampbell attacked anyway dive fire climb another zero went down dive fire climb and

12:52oscar exploded his fuel gauge showed 10 minutes remaining maybe less russian called out over the radio his guns

13:00were empty all ammunition expended mccampbell acknowledged told him to stay close use his

13:07aircraft as a target draw fire keep the japanese fighters busy while mccampbell finished them

13:13rushing agreed he dove into the formation without firing a shot breaking up their defensive pattern forcing

13:21them to maneuver burning their fuel disrupting their attack the young ensign flew through a storm of

13:27japanese tracers somehow none of them hit mccampbell exploited the confusion another zero another oscar

13:35his gun camera clicked through frame after frame of enemy aircraft breaking apart under his fire

13:4230 minutes into the fight mccampbell had lost exact count of his kills seven for certain maybe eight

13:48possibly nine his ammunition counter showed less than 400 rounds remaining one good burst maybe two if he

13:56was disciplined the second japanese formation scattered just like the first no coordination

14:01no discipline just individual aircraft trying to survive mission accomplished the attack was broken

14:09essex was safe but now mccampbell faced a different problem his fuel gauge read empty the engine was

14:16running on fumes he was 80 miles from the carrier and he had no idea if he could make it

14:21back before

14:21the pratt and whitney quit he turned east rushing formed up on his wing neither of them spoke the philippine

14:29sea stretched out below them no landmarks no reference points just water mccampbell eased his throttle back

14:36to maximum range crews leaned out the mixture did everything possible to squeeze the last drops of fuel

14:43from his tanks the engine ran smooth for now he had maybe 10 minutes before it would start coughing mccampbell

14:51held his altitude at 12 000 feet high enough to glide toward the task force if his engine quit low

14:57enough

14:57to conserve what little fuel remained the engine temperature gauge climbed into the yellow zone

15:02normal for extended combat operations but mccampbell watched it carefully if it reached the red the

15:08engine would overheat and seize rushing flew loose formation off his right wing conserving fuel staying

15:15quiet on the radio 40 miles to essex maybe 12 minutes at current speed mccampbell's fuel gauge needle

15:22sat below the empty mark the gauge was not designed to measure nothing but nothing was what he had the

15:28pratt and whitney kept running smooth reliable burning fumes 30 miles out the task force appeared on the

15:35horizon four carriers in a protective box formation destroyers and cruisers screening the flanks maybe 40

15:42ships total safety almost there then the first five inch shell exploded 200 yards off mccampbell's left wing

15:50the blast wave rocked his hellcat he snapped his head left and saw black puffs of anti-aircraft fire

15:56blooming around his aircraft more shells detonated closer this time the american task force was shooting

16:04at him mccampbell keyed his radio and transmitted his call sign friendly aircraft do not fire the shooting

16:12continued either they could not hear him or they did not believe him another shell burst directly ahead

16:18shrapnel peppered his windscreen a jagged hole appeared in his left wing he had survived 40 japanese

16:26fighters now his own navy was trying to kill him mccampbell shoved his stick forward and dove for the deck

16:32rushing followed they leveled off at 50 feet above the waves the destroyer's fire control radar lost them

16:39in the sea clutter the shooting stopped but now mccampbell had a new problem four american f6f

16:47hellcats were diving toward him from above combat air patrol fighters from one of the other carriers

16:53they had seen two aircraft being fired upon by the task force and assumed they were japanese the four

16:59hellcats opened fire at 800 yards tracers flashed past mccampbell's canopy he broke hard right rushed broke

17:07left the two of them jinked violently across the wave tops bleeding speed burning fuel they did not

17:14have the attacking pilots close to 400 yards point-blank range mccampbell could see the leading

17:20hellcats pilot clearly through his canopy young aggressive determined then the pilot's eyes went

17:27wide recognition he broke off the other three hellcats followed they had realized their mistake

17:34one second before they would have shot down the navy's ace of aces mccampbell pulled up and climbed

17:39back to 500 feet his hands shook on the stick not from fear from exhaustion he had been flying combat

17:47for 45 minutes straight rushing rejoined on his wing neither aircraft had been seriously damaged lucky

17:5510 miles to essex the task force grew larger mccampbell could see individual ships now essex in the center

18:02her flight deck should be clear by now landing pattern would be standard approach from a stern

18:08his engine coughed once missed a cylinder then ran smooth again five miles out mccampbell called essex

18:16tower and requested immediate landing clearance priority fuel emergency the tower responded negative

18:23deck fouled aircraft launching for combat air patrol stand by mccampbell looked at his fuel gauge still

18:30empty he looked at his engine temperature climbing toward red he had maybe three minutes before the

18:37engine would quit essex's flight deck was packed with hellcats spotted for launch deck crew scrambled

18:43to move them too slow mccampbell did not have time to wait he scanned the task force uss langley steamed

18:50two

18:51miles south of essex light carrier smaller deck but her deck was clear mccampbell banked left and headed for

18:58langley rushing stayed with him two miles became one mile his engine temperature hit red oil

19:04pressure began dropping one mile became half a mile the engine coughed again longer this time two

19:12cylinders misfired the hellcat shuttered langley's landing signal officer stood on his platform at the port side

19:18of the deck paddles ready he waved mccampbell into the landing pattern mccampbell turned downwind

19:25base leg final approach the hellcat descended toward langley's deck 500 feet 300 100 his engine died

19:36complete power loss the propeller windmilled uselessly the hellcat became a glider mccampbell held his nose

19:44attitude kept his speed up aimed for the deck 50 feet 30 20 the hellcat crossed langley stern and dropped

19:54onto the

19:54deck the arresting wire caught mccampbell's tail hook the hellcat slammed to a stop in less than 200 feet

20:01his head snapped forward against the gun sight his safety harness cut into his shoulders then silence

20:08no engine noise no propeller nothing the deck crew ran toward his aircraft standard procedure

20:15release the hook from the arresting wire taxi the aircraft forward clear the deck for the next landing

20:21the plane captain climbed onto the wing and signaled mccampbell to taxi forward mccampbell pushed his

20:27throttle to full power nothing happened the engine was completely dead not even enough fuel left in the

20:34lines to restart the deck crew looked at each other then they looked at mccampbell then they started

20:41pushing 12 men put their shoulders against the hellcat's wings and tail they shoved the aircraft forward

20:47manually releasing it from the arresting wire rolling it toward the forward deck park mccampbell sat in the

20:54cockpit exhausted while a dozen sailors pushed his fighter like a broken car rushing landed 30 seconds

21:01later his engine was still running barely he taxied forward under his own power and shut down next to

21:08mccampbell's aircraft mccampbell unstrapped and climbed out of his cockpit his legs almost gave out when he hit the

21:15deck he had been sitting in that cockpit for 93 minutes flying combat for 70 of them langley's air

21:23operations officer approached he wanted to know what had happened why two essex aircraft had landed on his

21:29carrier why one of them had arrived with a dead engine mccampbell told him shot down multiple japanese

21:36aircraft ran out of fuel essex deck was filed landed here instead how many aircraft did you shoot down the

21:44officer asked mccampbell was not sure he had lost count during the second engagement maybe seven

21:51possibly eight he would need to check his gun camera footage and compare notes with rushing an armorer

21:58climbed up to examine mccampbell's guns standard post-flight inspection check for jams count remaining

22:04ammunition clear any malfunctions the armorer opened the ammunition base in mccampbell's right wing

22:10all six browning 50 caliber machine guns each gun had held 400 rounds at takeoff 2400 rounds total the

22:18armorer checked each gun systematically left inboard empty left center empty left outboard empty right

22:28inboard empty right center empty right outboard two rounds remaining both rounds jammed in the feed

22:36mechanism the gun could not have fired them even if mccampbell had wanted to the armorer stared at the jammed

22:42rounds then he looked at mccampbell then back at the rounds two bullets out of 2400 mccampbell had

22:50fired 2398 rounds in 90 minutes of combat rushing walked over his own armorer had finished the count

22:58all six guns empty zero rounds remaining not even jams the two pilots stood on langley's flight deck in

23:06silence around them the task force steamed through calm seas overhead combat air patrol fighters circled

23:14protectively behind them smoke from burning japanese aircraft still rose from the horizon

23:21a langley intelligence officer appeared with a clipboard he needed to debrief both pilots confirm their

23:27kills filed the after action reports mccampbell and rushing sat down in the ready room and went

23:34through the engagement step by step first attack second attack third they compared their observations

23:42cross-checked their claims eliminated duplicates where both of them might have shot at the same aircraft

23:48the final count took 30 minutes to verify ensign roy rushing six confirmed kills three zeros two oscars

23:57one unidentified fighter commander david mccampbell nine confirmed kills seven zeros two oscars

24:07fifteen enemy aircraft destroyed in a single mission by two pilots against a formation of 60.

24:14the intelligence officer wrote down the numbers then he stopped writing and looked up at mccampbell

24:20nine kills in one mission that was a united states navy record no other pilot had ever achieved that in

24:27a single

24:28engagement mccampbell had also become the only american aviator to achieve ace in a day status twice once in

24:36june during the mariana's turkey shoot again today the intelligence officer asked if mccampbell wanted to add

24:43anything to the report any additional observations any tactical recommendations mccampbell thought about

24:49it he had been flying with air group 15 for eight months 137 combat missions total 34 confirmed kills

24:57including today's action he had seen dozens of air battles hundreds of dog fights but nothing like this

25:04two hellcats against 60 japanese aircraft both pilots survived zero american losses 15 enemy aircraft

25:13destroyed the attack completely disrupted it should not have worked the mathematics did not add up

25:20the fuel situation was impossible the ammunition was inadequate everything about the mission violated

25:26basic tactical doctrine but they had won anyway mccampbell signed the after-action report and handed it

25:33back to the intelligence officer then he asked when the next launch was scheduled air group 15 still

25:38had work to do the officer stared at him you just flew the most successful single combat mission in

25:44naval aviation history he said you landed with a dead engine and two bullets left you should be in sickbay

25:51not asking about the next launch mccampbell stood up his legs still felt weak his arms ate from pulling g

25:58-forces

25:58his ears rang from 90 minutes of engine noise and gunfire but essex was still at war the battle of

26:04late

26:05gulf was still raging japanese aircraft were still attacking american ships he needed to get back to

26:10his carrier mccampbell transferred back to essex by destroyer that afternoon rushing went with him the small

26:17warship pulled alongside the carrier both pilots climbed a rope ladder to essex's deck while the two

26:23ships steamed in formation at 15 knots essex's flight deck was controlled chaos aircraft landed

26:30aircraft launched deck crews refueled and rearmed fighters between missions the battle was not over

26:37mccampbell reported to the air group ready room his squadron commanders were already there

26:41they had heard about the morning mission word traveled fast through the task force

26:46two pilots 60 japanese aircraft 15 kills the other pilots wanted details mccampbell gave them the

26:54tactical summary altitude advantage boom and zoom attacks never gave up the high ground kept the japanese

27:01defensive and scattered but there was no time for extended debriefing the japanese were launching

27:06another strike radar had picked up a formation approaching from the southwest smaller than the

27:12morning attack maybe 30 aircraft air group 15 scrambled again different pilots this time mccampbell

27:20stayed on the ground his hellcat was still on langley with a dead engine even if it had been available

27:25he had been flying combat for most of the day he needed rest the afternoon strike was intercepted 40

27:32miles from the task force american fighters destroyed 18 japanese aircraft the survivors turned back essex remained

27:40untouched that evening mccampbell sat in the ward room with his intelligence officer and reviewed the day's

27:46combat reports air group 15 had flown 112 sorties on october 24th they had destroyed 41 japanese aircraft

27:55lost two hellcats both pilots recovered the five fighters mccampbell had sent to intercept the morning bomber

28:02formation had succeeded they shot down 11 bombers before any reached the task force the remaining bombers

28:09scattered and jettisoned their ordnance into empty ocean zero american ships damaged zero ships sunk

28:17the japanese had failed completely but mccampbell knew this was just the first day the battle of late gulf

28:24involved the entire japanese combined fleet four separate task forces 64 major warships hundreds of

28:32aircraft this was japan's last major offensive operation in the pacific war the japanese were not trying to

28:39win a tactical victory they were trying to destroy the american invasion force at late sink the transports

28:45killed the troops on the beach forced the united states to negotiate a conditional peace operation

28:52shogo victory operation the plan called for coordinated attacks from multiple directions surface fleet from the

28:59north surface fleet from the south aircraft from land bases in the philippines simultaneous assaults that

29:06would overwhelm american defenses through sheer weight of numbers mccampbell had disrupted one part of that

29:12plan his morning intercept had prevented 60 japanese aircraft from reaching essex and the other carriers

29:19those carriers had then launched strikes against japanese surface forces in the sibuyin sea american dive

29:25bombers had crippled the super battleship musashi japanese admiral kurita's center force had been forced to

29:31withdraw temporarily but the battle would continue tomorrow and the day after and the day after that

29:37essex's captain called mccampbell to the bridge that evening he wanted to personally thank him for the

29:42morning mission then he told mccampbell something else admiral halsey had recommended mccampbell for the

29:48medal of honor the recommendation covered two actions the marianas turkey shoot in june where mccampbell had shot

29:55down seven aircraft and today's mission nine kills the combination of both actions demonstrated

30:01extraordinary heroism and leadership the medal would need to be approved by the secretary of the navy

30:06then by congress then by the president the process would take months but the recommendation was in

30:13mccampbell acknowledged the information without reaction he did not fly combat missions for metals

30:18he flew them because air group 15 needed leadership because essex needed protection because the invasion

30:25force at late needed air superiority the captain dismissed him mccampbell returned to the ready room

30:31his replacement hellcat had been transferred from langley and was spotted on the flight deck for

30:36tomorrow's morning launch fully fueled fully armed ready mccampbell checked the weather forecast clear skies

30:44predicted for october 25th good visibility light winds perfect conditions for air combat he wrote a brief

30:50letter to his family in alabama could not tell them details censorship regulations prohibited specific

30:56information about combat operations but he told them he was safe air group 15 was performing well the war in

31:03the pacific was progressing then he went to his quarters and slept for six hours at 0 5 30 on

31:10october 25th general

31:12quarters sounded throughout essex japanese surface forces had been detected approaching from multiple

31:17directions the battle was resuming mccampbell strapped into his hellcat and waited for launch orders the

31:24flight deck crew spotted his aircraft on the number two catapult engine start systems check canopy closed the

31:32launch officer gave the signal mccampbell's hellcat rolled forward and lifted off essex's bow another combat

31:38mission another day defending the task force below him the largest naval battle in modern history

31:45continued the battle of leite gulf lasted four days october 23rd through 26th 1944 four separate major

31:54engagements across 500 miles of ocean the largest naval battle in history when it ended the japanese

32:01combined fleet had ceased to exist as an effective fighting force four aircraft carriers sunk three

32:07battleships sunk ten cruisers sunk eleven destroyers sunk thousands of sailors dead the american invasion

32:15of late proceeded without major opposition mccampbell flew combat missions on all four days air group 15

32:22operated continuously strikes against japanese surface forces combat air patrol over the task force search and

32:29rescue operations for downed pilots on october 26th mccampbell led a strike against retreating japanese

32:36warships in the sibuyen sea his pilot sank a light cruiser and damaged two destroyers no american aircraft

32:42lost by the time essex withdrew from philippine waters in early november air group 15 had been in continuous

32:49combat operations for seven months they had fought in the marianas at iwo jima over formosa at late gulf

32:57the statistics were remarkable air group 15 had destroyed more enemy aircraft than any other carrier

33:03air group in the pacific war 315 japanese aircraft shot down in aerial combat 348 destroyed on the ground 663

33:13total mccampbell personally accounted for 34 of those aerial victories more than any other united states navy

33:21pilot in history the ace of aces he had achieved that record in eight months of combat 142 missions

33:29more than 400 hours of flight time over enemy territory and he had survived many top aces did not

33:37major richard bong the highest scoring american ace with 40 victories would die in a p-80 test flight

33:43accident in august 1945. major thomas maguire second highest with 38 victories would be killed in action

33:50over the philippines in january 1945. mccampbell lived he brought his skills and his experience home

33:58essex returned to the united states in december 1944. the carrier needed extensive maintenance the crew

34:05needed rest air group 15 had earned it mccampbell flew his last combat mission on november 8th 1944

34:13a routine patrol over luzon no enemy contact he landed on essex's deck knowing his war was over on january

34:2210th 1945 president franklin roosevelt presented mccampbell with the medal of honor at a ceremony in the

34:28white house the citation covered both the marianas turkey shoot and the october 24th mission at late gulf

34:35two actions 16 enemy aircraft destroyed extraordinary heroism in the face of overwhelming odds

34:42roosevelt's hands shook as he read the citation the president was dying he would be dead within

34:48three months but he understood what mccampbell and pilots like him had accomplished they had won air

34:54superiority over the pacific they had made victory possible mccampbell's mother attended the ceremony

35:00she pinned the medal of honor on her son's uniform he stood at attention in his dress blues 35 years

35:07old

35:07commander united states navy the highest scoring naval aviator in american history the medal came with

35:15other awards the navy cross the silver star the legion of merit the distinguished flying cross the air

35:22medal mccampbell's uniform could barely hold all the ribbons but the war continued without him essex

35:29returned to combat in february 1945 different air group different pilots mccampbell remained stateside on

35:36training duty he never flew combat again the navy had invested too much in his experience and

35:42knowledge to risk him in combat operations he became an instructor he trained the next generation

35:48of fighter pilots he passed on the tactics that had made him the ace of aces after the war ended

35:54mccampbell

35:55remained in the navy he commanded carrier air groups he served on staff assignments he helped develop

36:01jet aircraft tactics during the transition from propeller fighters to jets he retired in july 1964

36:08with the rank of captain 31 years of service from ensign to captain from the great depression delays in

36:15commissioning to retirement during the height of the cold war mccampbell lived quietly after retirement

36:21he settled in florida he gave occasional interviews he attended reunions with other air group 15

36:27veterans but he avoided publicity he had done his duty that was enough the record he set on october 24

36:341944 remained unbroken nine enemy aircraft destroyed in a single mission no other united states navy

36:43pilot has matched it in more than 80 years the hellcat he flew that day no longer exists scrapped after

36:49the

36:49war melted down turned into refrigerators and automobiles during the post-war industrial boom but the gun

36:56camera footage survived grainy black and white film showing japanese fighters exploding under mccampbell's

37:02guns frame after frame of combat evidence of what happened that morning over the philippine sea

37:08mccampbell died on june 30th 1996 86 years old he was buried at arlington national cemetery with full military

37:17honors the navy named a destroyer after him uss mccampbell ddg-85 arleigh burke class commissioned in

37:262002 still in active service the ship's motto relentless in battle the same words that describe the man

37:35the mission mccampbell and rushing flew on october 24 1944 has been studied at every naval aviation school since

37:42the tactics the decision making the fuel management the altitude discipline everything they did that

37:49morning violated standard doctrine two fighters should never engage 60 partially fueled aircraft

37:56should not intercept distant targets pilots low on ammunition should break off and return to base

38:02but mccampbell understood something that doctrine writers did not

38:05sometimes the mathematics of war are simple if those 60 japanese aircraft reached essex the carrier

38:13would be damaged or sunk hundreds of sailors would die the task force would lose air cover the invasion

38:20at late would be endangered so he stopped them with one wingman with half a tank of fuel with 2400

38:28rounds of ammunition that became two rounds before he landed the mission worked because mccampbell never gave up

38:35the altitude advantage he controlled the engagement from beginning to end he forced the japanese to fight his fight

38:42on his terms at his chosen altitude and because ensign roy rushing 23 years old followed him into impossible odds

38:50without hesitation rushing survived the war he returned to civilian life he became an engineer he raised a family

38:59he lived quietly in texas until his death in 2007 63 years after the mission that made him famous

39:07the six japanese fighters rushing destroyed that day represented his total combat victories he never achieved

39:13ace status in the traditional sense five kills minimum but on october 24th he shot down six aircraft in 90

39:21minutes

39:21and helped disrupt an attack that could have changed the course of the battle of late gulf that should be

39:27enough for

39:28any pilot's legacy the f6f hellcat proved itself that day as well grumman had designed the aircraft

39:34specifically to counter the japanese zero more armor more firepower more speed in a dive the hellcat

39:42sacrificed maneuverability for survivability mccampbell's aircraft took him through 90 minutes of combat

39:48brought him back to the carrier on empty tanks survived friendly fire landed on a strange deck with a dead

39:55engine

39:56the hellcat did everything grumman promised it would do the navy built more than 12 000 hellcats during

40:02world war ii they shot down 5 000 japanese aircraft a kill ratio of 19 to 1 the most successful

40:10fighter

40:11aircraft in naval aviation history but only one hellcat pilot ever shot down nine enemy aircraft in a single

40:18mission the record stands 81 years later unbroken likely unbreakable modern air combat is different

40:28beyond visual range missiles radar guided weapons fights decided at distances measured in miles not yards

40:35no pilot will ever again climb to 30 000 feet in a propeller fighter and engage 60 enemy aircraft in

40:41a

40:41turning dogfight that lasts 90 minutes that era is gone those men are gone mccampbell rushing the pilots of

40:50air group 15 the sailors of uss essex all of them did their duty and went home and lived their

40:57lives and

40:58eventually died but what they accomplished remains two pilots against 60 aircraft 15 kills zero losses a

41:07mission that should have failed but succeeded because two men refused to accept the mathematics

41:13mccampbell landed with two bullets and an engine that had already quit rushing followed him through

41:18every dive with empty guns that actually happened and almost nobody knows about it one like changes that

41:26it pushes this story into feeds where someone will see it for the first time

41:31please hit that button subscribe and turn on notifications we dig through declassified records

41:37and combat reports to find stories exactly like this one men who did something extraordinary and then

41:43just went home and never talked about it tell us in the comments where you are watching from united

41:49states united kingdom canada australia somewhere else entirely we have viewers on every continent and every

41:57one of you matters if someone in your family served in the pacific in europe anywhere tell us about them

42:04drop a name drop a unit just let us know you are here david mccampbell and roy rushing did their

42:11part

42:1181 years ago watching this video leaving that comment that is how you do yours thank you for being here

When 2 American Pilots Faced 60 Japanese Planes — They Set a Record That Still Stands

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