- 3 days ago
Why Captain William Shomo attacked 13 Japanese aircraft with just his wingman during WW2 — and what happened in those 6 minutes. This World War 2 story reveals how a reconnaissance pilot faced his first real dogfight.
January 11, 1945. Captain William A. Shomo, 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron commander, flying F-6D Mustang photo reconnaissance over northern Luzon, Philippines. Spotted 12 Japanese fighters escorting one bomber — 2,500 feet above. Standard doctrine: reconnaissance pilots avoid combat, complete mission, return safely. Every tactical manual said attacking 13 aircraft with 2 fighters was suicide. His commanders would call it reckless.
They were all wrong.
What Shomo understood that morning wasn't about following reconnaissance protocol. It was about using surprise and position in a way that contradicted everything fighter tactics taught. The Japanese mistook his Mustangs for friendly fighters — pilots waved, opened canopies. What followed in those 6 minutes would make him only the second American pilot to achieve such a feat in a single mission — and his wingman Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb would add his own victories to the tally.
This engagement proved reconnais
January 11, 1945. Captain William A. Shomo, 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron commander, flying F-6D Mustang photo reconnaissance over northern Luzon, Philippines. Spotted 12 Japanese fighters escorting one bomber — 2,500 feet above. Standard doctrine: reconnaissance pilots avoid combat, complete mission, return safely. Every tactical manual said attacking 13 aircraft with 2 fighters was suicide. His commanders would call it reckless.
They were all wrong.
What Shomo understood that morning wasn't about following reconnaissance protocol. It was about using surprise and position in a way that contradicted everything fighter tactics taught. The Japanese mistook his Mustangs for friendly fighters — pilots waved, opened canopies. What followed in those 6 minutes would make him only the second American pilot to achieve such a feat in a single mission — and his wingman Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb would add his own victories to the tally.
This engagement proved reconnais
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LearningTranscript
00:00At 7.32 on the morning of January 11, 1945, Captain William Shomo climbed into the cockpit of his F
00:08-6D Mustang at Mindoro Airstrip in the Philippines,
00:11watching the ground crew finish fueling his plane for what should have been another routine photo reconnaissance run over northern
00:18Luzon.
00:1926 years old, 203 combat missions, one aerial victory, the Japanese still had an estimated 300 fighters operating from airfields
00:30at Tugegarao, Apari, and Lawag in northern Luzon.
00:35Shomo had been flying combat missions since early 1943, 16 months in the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 16 months of
00:44moving from airstrip to airstrip along the New Guinea coast and then to Morotai.
00:4916 months of photographing enemy positions and strafing ground targets, 16 months in obsolete P-39-era Cobras and P
00:58-40 Warhawks that were too short-ranged to reach areas where Japanese fighters operated.
01:04The P-38 and P-47 squadrons got the aerial combat, the glory, the aces.
01:11Shomo got photos of empty beaches and wrecked supply dumps.
01:15Before the war, he had worked as an undertaker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
01:19He had attended the Cincinnati College of Embalming and the Pittsburgh School of Embalming.
01:24He knew how to prepare bodies for burial.
01:27Now, he was supposed to take pictures while other pilots became fighter aces.
01:31In December of 1944, his squadron finally received F-6D Mustangs, armed photoreconnaissance versions of the P-51.
01:41Longer range, better speed.
01:43The possibility of finally encountering enemy aircraft.
01:47On December 24th, Shomo took command of the squadron and moved it to Mindoro to support MacArthur's landing at Lengayan
01:55Gulf.
01:55He led his first combat mission in the new Mustang on January 9th, a low-level reconnaissance run to determine
02:02Japanese air strength in northern Luzon.
02:05As they approached the airfield at Tuguegarao, Shomo spotted something he had never seen during all his months of combat
02:11flying.
02:12An enemy aircraft.
02:14A VAL dive bomber turning onto final approach to land.
02:17Shomo closed a firing range.
02:20Six .50 caliber machine guns.
02:22One burst.
02:23The VAL went down in flames.
02:25First aerial victory.
02:27After 202 missions.
02:29After 16 months of waiting.
02:31One VAL bomber shot down while it was landing.
02:3424 hours later, Shomo was airborne again.
02:38Same mission.
02:39Check the Japanese airfields at Tuguegarao, Apari, and Lawag.
02:43Take photos.
02:44Strafe any targets of opportunity.
02:46His wingman was Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb.
02:49Two F6D Mustangs heading north on the deck.
02:52If you want to see how Shomo's first real air combat turned out, please hit that like button.
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03:02Back to Shomo.
03:04They were flying at 500 feet.
03:06Below radar coverage.
03:07Standard procedure for photo reconnaissance missions.
03:10The weather was clear.
03:12Visibility unlimited.
03:13Perfect conditions for photography.
03:15Perfect conditions for spotting enemy aircraft.
03:18At approximately 0900 hours, Shomo looked up.
03:212,000 feet above them.
03:23Flying south.
03:24Coming directly toward them.
03:26A formation of Japanese aircraft.
03:28Shomo counted them.
03:2912 fighters.
03:31All Kawasaki Ki-61 Tonys.
03:34Except one.
03:35A Nakajima Ki-44 Tojo.
03:3813 fighters total.
03:39Number.
03:40Not just fighters.
03:41They were escorting something.
03:43A twin-engine bomber.
03:44A Mitsubishi G-4M Betty.
03:4713 Japanese aircraft.
03:492 American Mustangs.
03:51The smart move was to stay low.
03:53Stay undetected.
03:55Let them pass.
03:56Complete the photo mission.
03:57Go home.
03:59Nobody would question that decision.
04:01Shomo had waited 16 months for aerial combat.
04:04203 missions.
04:06Yesterday, he got one kill.
04:08A bomber caught landing.
04:09That was not fighter combat.
04:11That was target practice.
04:13Now, he had 13 enemy aircraft 2,000 feet above him.
04:17Real combat.
04:18Real odds.
04:19This was what he had joined the Army Air Forces to do.
04:22Shomo keyed his radio.
04:24Told Lipscomb they were attacking.
04:26Pulled his Mustang into a climbing turn.
04:28An Immelman.
04:29Up and over.
04:31Lipscomb stayed on his wing.
04:33The Japanese formation continued south.
04:35Steady course.
04:36Steady altitude.
04:38They had not seen the two Mustangs climbing below them.
04:41Shomo completed the Immelman and rolled out directly behind the enemy formation.
04:45Less than 40 yards separation.
04:47Point-blank range.
04:49The Japanese pilots still had not reacted.
04:52They thought the two Mustangs were friendly fighters joining the formation.
04:55Some of the Tony pilots opened their canopies.
04:58Waved.
04:59One pilot stood up in his cockpit and waved his arm.
05:03Shomo opened fire.
05:06The leader of the trailing element exploded first.
05:10Shomo's 6.50 caliber guns firing convergent patterns at less than 40 yards.
05:15The Tony disintegrated in midair.
05:17Pieces of wing and fuselage tumbling through the formation.
05:20Shomo shifted his aim to the wingman.
05:23Another burst.
05:24The second Tony caught fire and fell away, burning.
05:28Two kills in the first three seconds.
05:30The Japanese formation broke.
05:32Pilots realized they were under attack.
05:35Some tried to turn into the threat.
05:37Some tried to dive away.
05:38Some froze.
05:40The neat formation dissolved into chaos.
05:44Shomo attacked the second element from the left side.
05:47Closed to minimum range.
05:48Fired.
05:49The third Tony exploded and fell.
05:52Flames and smoke marking where it had been.
05:55Three kills in approximately 10 seconds.
05:57The remaining Japanese pilots were forming for a counterattack.
06:01Trying to use their numerical advantage.
06:03Trying to get organized.
06:05Shomo did not give them time.
06:07He moved to the opposite side of the formation.
06:10Hit a fourth Tony.
06:11It exploded and dropped out of the sky.
06:14Four fighters down.
06:16The Betty bomber was trying to escape.
06:18Diving away.
06:19Losing altitude.
06:21Attempting to get low where the terrain might offer some protection.
06:24Two Tony fighters stayed with it.
06:26Escort duty.
06:27Protecting the bomber even while their formation was being destroyed.
06:31Shomo rolled inverted and pulled through.
06:34A split S maneuver.
06:35Diving below the bomber.
06:37Coming up underneath it.
06:39The Betty's belly was unprotected.
06:40No defensive armament pointing down.
06:44Shomo fired a burst into the underside of the fuselage.
06:47The bomber caught fire immediately.
06:49The pilot was trying to control the burning aircraft.
06:52Trying to line up for a crash landing in a field below.
06:56Fifth kill.
06:57The bomber.
06:57Shomo pulled up in a tight vertical spiral to regain altitude.
07:02The Nakajima Tojo had locked onto his tail.
07:05The Japanese pilot was firing.
07:07Tracer rounds passing close.
07:09The Tojo was a fast interceptor.
07:12Good climb rate.
07:13Dangerous opponent.
07:14Shomo kept the spiral tight.
07:16The Mustang could out-turn the Tojo at low speeds.
07:19The Japanese pilot kept firing.
07:21Kept trying to get lead.
07:23The Tojo began to lose airspeed.
07:25The nose dropped.
07:26The fighter stalled.
07:28And slipped away into a cloud layer below.
07:30Below him.
07:31The Betty exploded.
07:33The crash landing had failed.
07:35The bomber erupted in flames as it hit the ground.
07:38Shomo was so close that his Mustang lurched from the blast wave.
07:42Debris from the Betty pelted his aircraft.
07:45Small impacts along the fuselage and wings.
07:47The two Tony escorts that had stayed with the bomber broke away.
07:51Flying low.
07:52Trying to escape.
07:54Shomo rolled into a dive.
07:55Came down behind them.
07:57They were on the deck now.
07:59Less than 300 feet.
08:00Flying flat out.
08:02Shomo caught the first one.
08:03A short burst.
08:05It crashed in flames.
08:06Sixth kill.
08:08The second Tony was still running.
08:10Shomo dived another 100 feet.
08:12Nearly at ground level now.
08:14Pulled lead.
08:15Fired.
08:16The seventh Tony went down burning.
08:19Seven kills.
08:20Six minutes of combat.
08:22Maybe less.
08:23The sky was clear except for smoke from burning wreckage on the ground.
08:27And Lipscomb's Mustang higher up.
08:29Shomo looked around.
08:31Checked his fuel.
08:32Checked his ammunition.
08:33Still had rounds left.
08:35Still had enough fuel to make it home.
08:37Lipscomb had been fighting his own battle during those six minutes.
08:41He had engaged the other Japanese fighters.
08:43Shomo had been too focused on his own targets to track what his wingman was doing.
08:48Now he could see three more smoke columns on the ground.
08:51Lipscomb had shot down three Tonys.
08:53Ten Japanese aircraft destroyed total.
08:56Three had escaped into the clouds.
08:58Thirteen aircraft attacked.
09:00Ten destroyed.
09:01Three fled.
09:03Two American Mustangs against thirteen Japanese aircraft.
09:07Ten kills.
09:08No losses.
09:10Shomo turned south.
09:11Lipscomb formed up on his wing.
09:13The flight back to Mindoro would take approximately 40 minutes.
09:17Shomo had time to think about what had just happened.
09:20Seven aerial victories in one mission.
09:22That made him an ace.
09:24More than an ace.
09:25Most pilots spent months or years accumulating five kills.
09:29Shomo had done it in six minutes.
09:32After waiting 16 months for the opportunity.
09:35The ground crews at Mindoro knew the tradition.
09:38When a pilot scored an aerial victory,
09:41he celebrated with a barrel roll over the airfield before landing.
09:45A victory roll.
09:46One roll for each kill.
09:48Shomo was going to need seven rolls.
09:51The brass were going to think he had lost his mind.
09:54Nobody got seven kills in one mission.
09:56Nobody would believe it until they heard the full story.
10:00He still had 40 minutes to figure out how to explain
10:03what had just happened over northern Luzon.
10:07Shomo crossed the coastline at Lingayen Gulf at 10.47.
10:11Mindoro airstrip was 20 minutes ahead.
10:14He had used the flight time to review the combat in his mind.
10:17Every maneuver.
10:19Every shot.
10:20Every kill.
10:21The story had to be accurate.
10:23Had to be believable.
10:25Seven aerial victories in one mission sounded impossible.
10:29He could see the airstrip now.
10:31Two runways.
10:32Rows of aircraft.
10:34Support buildings.
10:35The 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron operations tent.
10:38Ground crews would be waiting.
10:40They always waited when missions were overdue,
10:43or when pilots were returning from combat.
10:45Shomo keyed his radio, called the tower, reported two F-6D Mustangs inbound.
10:52No damage.
10:53No casualties.
10:54Ten enemy aircraft destroyed.
10:56There was a pause.
10:58Then the tower asked him to repeat.
11:01Shomo repeated.
11:02Ten enemy aircraft destroyed.
11:04Seven by him.
11:06Three by Lieutenant Lipscomb.
11:08Another pause.
11:09Then, clear to land.
11:12Shomo was not landing yet.
11:14He had seven barrel rolls to perform first.
11:16He came in low over the field.
11:19Pulled the Mustang into a victory roll.
11:21The aircraft rotated smoothly.
11:24One complete rotation.
11:25The ground crews were already gathering.
11:28Watching.
11:29He leveled out and climbed again.
11:31Second barrel roll.
11:33Clean.
11:34Precise.
11:35The crowd on the ground was growing.
11:37More personnel coming out of tents and buildings.
11:40Third roll.
11:41Fourth roll.
11:43By now the entire airstrip knew something unusual was happening.
11:47Nobody did four victory rolls.
11:49Three was exceptional.
11:51Four meant something extraordinary had occurred.
11:54Fifth roll.
11:56Sixth roll.
11:57Officers were coming out of the operations buildings now.
12:00Senior staff.
12:01Colonels.
12:02Generals.
12:03Everyone wanted to see who was doing six victory rolls and why.
12:08Seventh roll.
12:09Shomo completed it and entered the landing pattern.
12:12Lipscomb was still holding overhead.
12:15Waiting his turn.
12:16He would do three rolls.
12:18Three kills.
12:19Impressive by any standard.
12:21Overshadowed completely by what Shomo had just done.
12:25Shomo touched down at 11.09.
12:27Local time.
12:29Two hours and 27 minutes after takeoff.
12:32Six of those minutes had changed everything.
12:35He taxied to the squadron area.
12:37Shut down the engine.
12:38Opened the canopy.
12:40The ground crew chief was already climbing onto the wing.
12:43Pointing at the gun camera.
12:45Asking questions.
12:46Demanding to know what happened.
12:49Shomo climbed out.
12:50His flight suit was soaked with sweat.
12:52The adrenaline was wearing off now.
12:54His hands were shaking slightly.
12:57Normal reaction after combat.
12:58After that much combat.
13:00The squadron intelligence officer arrived.
13:03Captain Shomo needed to debrief immediately.
13:06Report everything while the details were fresh.
13:09The gun camera film needed to be developed.
13:12The kills needed to be confirmed.
13:14Shomo spent the next three hours in debriefing.
13:17He described the mission from takeoff to landing.
13:20Every detail.
13:21The climb.
13:23The climb.
13:23The immelman turn.
13:24The first burst.
13:25Each subsequent kill.
13:27The tojo on his tail.
13:29The Betty exploding.
13:30Lipscomb's three kills.
13:32The flight home.
13:33All of it documented.
13:35All of it recorded.
13:36The gun camera film was developed by 1400 hours.
13:41The images confirmed everything.
13:43Clear footage of Japanese aircraft exploding.
13:46Breaking apart.
13:47Falling in flames.
13:49Seven distinct kills.
13:51All within six minutes.
13:53The film did not lie.
13:55Lipscomb's debriefing confirmed the same story from a different angle.
13:59Thirteen enemy aircraft.
14:01Two Mustangs.
14:02Attack initiated.
14:03Ten kills confirmed.
14:05Three escaped.
14:06By 1600 hours, the confirmation was official.
14:10Captain William Shomo.
14:12Seven aerial victories.
14:14One mission.
14:15Ace in a day.
14:16Only the second American pilot to score seven or more confirmed kills in a single mission.
14:22Navy Commander David McCampbell had scored nine victories plus two probables back in October of 1944.
14:30Nobody else had come close.
14:32Word spread fast.
14:33By evening, pilots from other squadrons were coming by to hear the story directly, to see the pilot who had
14:40done the impossible, to ask questions about the tactics, the approach, the shooting.
14:45Shomo answered their questions, described the combat again, and again, each time the story sounded more unbelievable, each time it
14:55was completely true.
14:56He had flown 203 combat missions before that day.
15:00He had seen exactly two enemy aircraft from his cockpit during all those missions.
15:05One VAL bomber on January 10th.
15:08One VAL bomber on January 10th.
15:08Thirteen aircraft on January 11th.
15:12Fourteen total enemy aircraft sighted during the entire war.
15:16Eight destroyed.
15:17That was a kill ratio no other pilot could match.
15:2157% of all enemy aircraft he ever saw.
15:24Three months later, on April 1st, 1945, Major William Shomo stood on Luzon in front of Major General Ennis Whitehead
15:33and received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack against overwhelming odds and destroying seven enemy aircraft in one
15:40action.
15:40The citation called it extraordinary gallantry and intrepidity, unparalleled in the Southwest Pacific area.
15:48Shomo knew what it really was.
15:50Six minutes.
15:51After waiting 16 months.
15:55The story began long before January 11th.
15:58It began in August of 1941 when William Shomo enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program.
16:05He wanted to fly fighters.
16:06He wanted aerial combat.
16:08What he got was reconnaissance.
16:10The 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flew missions that other pilots considered secondary work.
16:16Photo reconnaissance.
16:17Ground attack.
16:19Strafing runs.
16:20Important work.
16:21Necessary work.
16:22Not the kind of work that made aces.
16:24In early 1943, the squadron deployed to New Guinea.
16:28They were equipped with P-39 Airacobras.
16:31The P-39 was an unusual aircraft.
16:34The engine was mounted behind the pilot.
16:36A 37mm cannon fired through the propeller hub.
16:39On paper, it looked formidable.
16:41In practice, it had problems.
16:43The primary problem was range.
16:45The P-39 could fly approximately 525 miles total range.
16:50That meant 260 miles out and 260 miles back with minimal reserves.
16:56The Japanese were operating from airfields beyond that radius.
16:59Rabaul.
17:28Rabaul.
17:29The pilots were becoming aces.
17:31Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Gerald Johnson.
17:34Names that would become famous.
17:37They flew aircraft with the range to reach Japanese airspace.
18:08They flew missions where aerial combat was expected.
18:09They flew aircraft with the range or the mission assignments that would put them in position
18:12to use those skills.
18:13By late 1944, the situation had not improved.
18:17The squadron moved to Moritai.
18:19MacArthur's drive toward the Philippines was accelerating.
18:22The reconnaissance missions became more important.
18:24More dangerous.
18:26Flying low over enemy territory.
18:28Photographing defenses.
18:29Marking targets for bomber strikes.
18:31Getting shot at by anti-aircraft guns.
18:34No aerial combat.
18:35Then in December, everything changed.
18:38The squadron received new aircraft.
18:40F-6D Mustangs.
18:42These were P-51D Mustangs modified for armed photo reconnaissance.
18:46Cameras mounted in the fuselage.
18:49Six .50 caliber machine guns retained.
18:51And most importantly, range.
18:53The F-6D could fly over 900 miles on internal fuel.
18:57With drop tanks over 1,400 miles.
19:00For the first time, Shomo had an aircraft that could reach
19:03Japanese airspace and return.
19:05For the first time, aerial combat was possible.
19:08On December 24th, Shomo took command of the squadron.
19:11He was now responsible for leading missions.
19:14Planning routes.
19:15Assigning targets.
19:16He moved the squadron to Mindoro on January 1, 1945.
19:21They were positioned to support the Lingayan Gulf landings.
19:24Finally in position.
19:25Finally with the right aircraft.
19:27Finally with a chance.
19:29January 9th was his first combat mission in the Mustang.
19:32It was also only his sixth flight in the aircraft type.
19:35He was learning the Mustang while leading combat missions.
19:38The aircraft handled beautifully.
19:40Faster than anything he had flown before.
19:42More responsive.
19:43Better visibility.
19:45Every advantage.
19:46The mission was simple.
19:47Fly north to Tugegarao.
19:49Photograph the Japanese airfield.
19:51Determine enemy strength.
19:53Look for aircraft on the ground.
19:55Take pictures.
19:56Return.
19:56They approached Tugegarao at low altitude.
19:59Shomo saw the airfield.
20:01Saw aircraft on the ground.
20:03Then saw movement.
20:05An aircraft in the air.
20:07A VAL dive bomber on final approach.
20:10Landing.
20:11Shomo had a choice.
20:13His mission was photo reconnaissance.
20:16He was supposed to take pictures and leave.
20:19Engaging an enemy aircraft was not part of the assigned mission.
20:23But he had waited two years for this moment.
20:26One enemy aircraft.
20:28Finally.
20:29He closed on the VAL.
20:31The Japanese pilot was focused on landing.
20:34Did not see the Mustang approaching from behind.
20:38Shomo opened fire at close range.
20:40The VAL caught fire and crashed short of the runway.
20:45One victory.
20:46First kill.
20:47After 202 missions.
20:50After 28 months of combat flying.
20:53That night, Shomo could not sleep.
20:55He kept thinking about the next mission.
20:58What if he saw more enemy aircraft?
21:01What if the opportunity came again?
21:03What if he finally got the aerial combat he had been waiting for
21:07since 1941?
21:0924 hours later, he got his answer.
21:14The mission on January 11th started as routine.
21:17Photo reconnaissance over northern Luzon.
21:20Check three airfields.
21:21Tugegarao.
21:22Apari.
21:23LOAG.
21:24Document Japanese air strength.
21:26Return with intelligence for the upcoming ground operations.
21:29Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb was 23 years old.
21:32He had joined the squadron in late 1944.
21:34Experienced pilot.
21:37Good formation flyer.
21:38This was his first mission where aerial combat was a realistic possibility.
21:42He was flying as Shomo's wingman.
21:44His job was to stay in position.
21:46Protect Shomo's blind spots.
21:48Engage any threats that appeared.
21:50Neither pilot expected to find 13 enemy aircraft in one formation.
21:54The Japanese were withdrawing strength from northern Luzon in January of 1945.
22:00American forces had landed at Lingean Gulf on January 9th.
22:04The invasion was succeeding.
22:05Japanese commanders were pulling aircraft back to Formosa, consolidating forces, preparing for the defense of the home islands.
22:13That Betty bomber Shomo encountered was likely carrying important personnel or critical cargo.
22:1813 fighter escorts for one bomber meant high value.
22:22The Japanese did not waste that many fighters on routine transport missions.
22:26Something or someone aboard that Betty was important enough to justify a massive escort.
22:31The fighters were a mix of types.
22:3311 Kawasaki Ki-61 Tonys.
22:361 Nakajima Ki-44 Tojo.
22:39The Tony was Japan's answer to American fighters like the P-38 and P-47.
22:45Inline liquid-cooled engine.
22:47Similar to German fighters.
22:49Top speed around 360 mph at altitude.
22:53Armed with two 12.7mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon.
22:58Decent aircraft.
22:59Not exceptional.
23:00The Tojo was faster.
23:02Interceptor design.
23:03Top speed around 375 mph.
23:07Better climb rate than the Tony.
23:09Armed with four 12.7mm machine guns or two 20mm cannon, depending on variant.
23:15Designed to climb fast and hit hard.
23:17The F6D Mustang Shomo was flying, had advantages.
23:21Top speed around 437 mph.
23:25Faster than either Japanese type.
23:27Better dive performance.
23:296 .50 caliber machine guns with combined firepower that could destroy a fighter with a one or two second burst.
23:36But technical specifications meant nothing if the pilot did not use them correctly.
23:41Speed advantage was irrelevant if the enemy saw you first and got into firing position.
23:47Firepower meant nothing if you could not get close enough to use it.
23:50The Mustang gave Shomo tools.
23:52The tactical situation on January 11 favored Shomo in several ways.
24:00First, altitude.
24:01The Japanese formation was at 2,500 feet.
24:05Shomo was at 500 feet.
24:07He could climb into a perfect attack position while remaining unseen.
24:11The Japanese pilots were looking ahead and above, not below.
24:15Second, surprise.
24:18The F6D Mustang was new to the theater.
24:21Most Japanese pilots had not encountered Mustangs yet.
24:24They were familiar with P-38s and P-47s.
24:27When they saw two fighters climbing toward their formation, they assumed friendly aircraft.
24:33Tony's.
24:33Coming to join the escort.
24:35That assumption gave Shomo several crucial seconds.
24:38Enough time to get into point-blank range before the Japanese realized their mistake.
24:44Third, training.
24:45Shomo had spent three years preparing for aerial combat.
24:49He had studied tactics, practiced gunnery, analyzed gun camera footage from successful pilots.
24:55He knew how to lead a target, how to estimate range, how to manage ammunition, how to keep situational
25:02awareness during high-speed maneuvering.
25:04He had the theoretical knowledge.
25:06He had never applied it in actual combat until January 10th.
25:10One kill against a landing bomber did not count as real experience.
25:14January 11th would be different.
25:16This would be combat against alert fighters, against trained pilots, against aircraft that
25:22could fight back.
25:23Lipscomb had less experience, newer to the squadron, fewer total flight hours in combat, but he understood
25:30his role, stay with the leader, cover his attacks, engage targets of opportunity, do not break
25:36formation unless necessary.
25:38The flight north to the target area took approximately 50 minutes, standard altitude, 500 feet, below
25:46radar, flying over water and then over the northern coast of Luzon.
25:50Weather was perfect, clear skies, unlimited visibility, good conditions for photography, also good conditions
25:58for spotting enemy aircraft at distance.
26:01At approximately 0900 hours, Shomo saw them, high above, formation of aircraft heading south.
26:09He counted quickly.
26:1013 total.
26:14He had two choices.
26:16Continue the mission, avoid contact, complete the photo reconnaissance and return safely,
26:22or attack.
26:24Risk everything for the possibility of aerial combat.
26:27After waiting three years, the choice was obvious.
26:32Shomo keyed his radio, told Lipscomb they were engaging.
26:36He did not wait for acknowledgement.
26:38He pulled the Mustang into a climbing turn, an Immelman maneuver, up and over, gaining altitude
26:45while reversing direction, textbook tactical approach.
26:48Lipscomb followed.
26:50The two Mustangs climbed from 500 feet toward the Japanese formation at 2,500 feet.
26:572,000 feet of vertical separation, closing rapidly.
27:01The Mustang climbed at approximately 3,000 feet per minute at combat power, less than a
27:07minute to reach attack altitude.
27:09The Japanese formation maintained course and speed, flying south, heading away from the
27:14American fighters climbing behind them.
27:16No evasive action, no indication they had spotted the threat.
27:21Shomo completed the Immelman and rolled out behind the enemy formation.
27:25He was now at their 6 o'clock position, directly astern, the most vulnerable position for any
27:32formation.
27:32He closed the distance rapidly.
27:35The Mustang was faster than the Tonys in level flight.
27:38He had overtake speed.
27:40At less than 40 yards range, he opened fire.
27:43The convergence point for his .650 caliber machine guns was set for approximately 300 yards.
27:49At 40 yards, all six gun streams were still spreading slightly.
27:54But at that range, accuracy was nearly guaranteed.
27:58The combined firepower was devastating.
28:01The first Tony exploded instantly.
28:03The pilot never knew what happened.
28:06One moment, he was flying formation.
28:08The next moment, his aircraft was disintegrating around him.
28:12The wreckage tumbled through the formation.
28:14Other pilots saw it.
28:16Realized they were under attack.
28:18Shomo shifted aim.
28:20Second Tony.
28:21Same result.
28:23Explosion.
28:24Debris.
28:25The aircraft ceased to exist as a functional machine within two seconds of being hit.
28:30Now the formation broke.
28:32Pilots reacted.
28:34Some turned left.
28:35Some turned right.
28:36Some dived.
28:37Some climbed.
28:39The neat escort formation dissolved into individual aircraft, taking individual evasive actions.
28:45No coordination, no tactical response, just survival instinct.
28:50Shomo had trained for this moment.
28:52He knew what happened when formations broke under attack.
28:56Chaos favored the attacker, if the attacker stayed calm.
29:00Maintained awareness.
29:01Picked targets methodically.
29:03He went after the second element.
29:05Came in from the left side.
29:07The Tony pilot saw him coming.
29:09Started to turn.
29:11Too late.
29:12Shomo fired.
29:13The aircraft exploded.
29:15Three kills.
29:16The remaining Japanese pilots were trying to form some kind of defensive response.
29:21They had numbers.
29:2313 against 2.
29:24If they could coordinate, get organized, use their numerical advantage, they could overwhelm
29:30the American fighters.
29:32Shomo did not give them time.
29:33He moved to the opposite side of the disintegrating formation.
29:37Found another target.
29:39Fired.
29:40Fourth Tony destroyed.
29:41The Betty bomber was diving away.
29:44Losing altitude fast.
29:46Trying to escape while the fighters engaged the Americans.
29:49Two Tonys stayed with it.
29:51Loyal escort.
29:52Protecting the bomber even while their own formation was being annihilated.
29:56Shomo inverted and pulled through into a split S.
30:00Rolled upside down.
30:01Pulled the nose down toward the ground.
30:03A diving attack.
30:05He came out below the Betty.
30:07Underneath.
30:08Where the defensive guns could not reach.
30:10The Betty had guns in the tail.
30:12Guns in the nose.
30:14Guns in the top turret.
30:15No belly guns.
30:17He pulled up into a steep climb directly below the bomber.
30:20Closed to minimum range.
30:22Fired into the underside.
30:24The Betty caught fire.
30:26The pilot tried to control it.
30:28Tried to set up for an emergency landing.
30:30The bomber was still flyable, but burning.
30:33Fifth kill confirmed.
30:35Shomo pulled up and climbed.
30:36The Tojo was on him immediately.
30:39The Japanese pilot had seen what Shomo was doing.
30:42Had maneuvered into position.
30:43Now he was firing.
30:45Tracer rounds streaking past the Mustang's canopy.
30:49Shomo pulled hard into a vertical spiral.
30:52Tight turn.
30:53Maximum g-force.
30:54The Mustang could handle it.
30:56The airframe was strong.
30:58He pulled tighter.
30:59The Tojo tried to follow.
31:01Tried to keep firing.
31:02But the tight turn bled airspeed.
31:04The Tojo began to slow.
31:07The nose dropped.
31:09The fighter stalled and fell away into clouds below.
31:13Shomo checked his position.
31:14The Betty hit the ground and exploded.
31:17Massive fireball.
31:19The two escort Tonys broke away from the wreckage.
31:23Flying low.
31:24Maximum speed.
31:25Trying to escape.
31:27Shomo rolled into a dive.
31:29Went after them.
31:30Caught the first one at 300 feet altitude.
31:33Short burst.
31:34It crashed.
31:35Sixth kill.
31:37He stayed in the dive.
31:38Went lower.
31:39Nearly at ground level.
31:41Caught the second escaping Tony.
31:43Fired.
31:44It went down burning.
31:45Seventh kill.
31:47Six minutes had elapsed since the initial attack.
31:50Maybe less.
31:52The combat had moved across approximately 15 miles of terrain.
31:56Started at 2,500 feet.
31:59Ended at ground level.
32:01Seven Japanese aircraft destroyed.
32:03Wreckage scattered across northern Luzon.
32:07Shomo pulled up and looked for Lipscomb.
32:09Found him higher up.
32:10Still engaged.
32:11Still fighting.
32:13Three more smoke columns on the ground marked Lipscomb's kills.
32:16Ten total.
32:17Three escaped.
32:19The mission was complete.
32:21The aerial combat was over.
32:23Now they had to get home.
32:26Shomo checked his fuel gauge.
32:28He had enough to make Mindoro with reserves.
32:31The combat had consumed ammunition, but relatively little fuel.
32:35The entire engagement lasted six minutes.
32:38High intensity.
32:40Short duration.
32:41The Mustang's fuel tanks were still more than half full.
32:45He scanned the sky one more time.
32:47No additional enemy aircraft.
32:49The three Tonys that escaped had disappeared into cloud cover.
32:52They were not coming back.
32:54They were running for Formosa, or another Japanese-held airfield.
32:58Running to report what had happened.
33:01Thirteen aircraft.
33:03Ten destroyed.
33:04Three survived.
33:06Lipscomb formed up on Shomo's wing.
33:08The two Mustangs turned south.
33:10Flight time to Mindoro would be approximately 40 minutes.
33:14Time to process what had just occurred.
33:17In six minutes, Shomo had accomplished what most fighter pilots never achieved in entire combat careers.
33:23Seven confirmed aerial victories.
33:26The definition of a fighter ace was five confirmed kills.
33:30Shomo had exceeded that by two.
33:32In one mission.
33:33In six minutes.
33:35Only one other American pilot had scored more victories in a single mission.
33:40Navy Commander David McCampbell.
33:42October 24, 1944.
33:46Nine confirmed kills, plus two probables, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
33:51McCampbell was already a legend.
33:53Multiple aces in the Navy knew his record.
33:56Shomo had come close to matching it.
33:58But McCampbell had accumulated previous victories before that mission.
34:02He had experience.
34:03Combat proven tactics.
34:05Confidence built through dozens of engagements.
34:08Shomo had one previous kill.
34:10A VAL bomber caught landing.
34:12His combat on January 11th was essentially his first real air-to-air engagement against alert armed fighters.
34:19The gun camera footage would tell the complete story.
34:23The gun camera footage would tell the complete story.
34:23Every kill recorded.
34:24Every maneuver documented.
34:26The film would be analyzed by intelligence officers.
34:29By tactics instructors.
34:31By other pilots looking to learn.
34:33Six minutes of combat that would be studied for years.
34:36After landing and debriefing, word spread beyond the 82nd Squadron, beyond Mindoro, radio messages went to 5th Air Force Headquarters,
34:45to General Kenny's staff, to MacArthur's command.
34:48Captain William Shomo had destroyed seven enemy aircraft in one mission.
34:54Confirmation pending gun camera review.
34:57If confirmed, this was exceptional.
35:00By January 12th, the confirmation was official.
35:04Seven kills.
35:04Lipscomb's three kills also confirmed.
35:07The mission report went into permanent records.
35:10Shomo's name went onto the list of American aces.
35:14Not just an ace.
35:15An ace achieved in one day.
35:18The recognition came fast.
35:20Within weeks, recommendations for the Medal of Honor were drafted, submitted, approved.
35:26The medal was America's highest military decoration.
35:29Reserved for actions above and beyond normal duty.
35:32Actions that demonstrated extraordinary gallantry under extreme circumstances.
35:37Attacking 13 enemy aircraft with only two fighters qualified as extreme circumstances.
35:43Destroying seven of them qualified as extraordinary gallantry.
35:47The Medal of Honor was appropriate.
35:49On April 3rd, 1945, Major General Ennis Whitehead presented the medal on Luzon.
35:56Shomo had been promoted to major on April 1st.
35:59The ceremony was brief.
36:01Military formality.
36:02The citation read aloud.
36:04The medal presented.
36:05Photographs taken.
36:07Shomo continued flying combat missions after January 11th.
36:10He flew additional reconnaissance missions over Japanese-held territory.
36:14He encountered enemy aircraft only one more time during the war.
36:18Saw four Japanese fighters at distance.
36:21Did not engage.
36:22Wrong tactical situation.
36:24Wrong mission parameters.
36:25His final combat statistics were unusual.
36:29203 missions before January 11th.
36:3214 total enemy aircraft sighted during entire war.
36:36Eight destroyed.
36:3757% kill ratio.
36:39No other pilot in the Pacific theater had that percentage.
36:43The F-6D Mustang he flew on January 11th was named Snooks 5.
36:48All of Shomo's aircraft carried that name.
36:51Snooks.
36:52Plus the appropriate number.
36:54A reference to his civilian profession.
36:56His background.
36:57His identity before the war.
36:59Snooks 5 was later lost.
37:01Another pilot flying it on a different mission.
37:04Aircraft destroyed.
37:06Pilot survived.
37:07Shomo's next Mustang was briefly named Snooks 6.
37:10He changed it.
37:12The new name was the Flying Undertaker.
37:15Recognition of what he had done.
37:18Who he was.
37:19His previous profession combined with his combat record.
37:23The war ended in August of 1945.
37:26Shomo stayed in the military.
37:28The Army Air Forces became the United States Air Force in 1947.
37:33He transitioned to the new service.
37:35Continued flying.
37:36Continued serving.
37:38He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on February 20th, 1951.
37:42Retired in 1968 after 27 years of military service.
37:47Returned to Pennsylvania.
37:49Returned to civilian life.
37:51In interviews years later, reporters asked him about January 11th, 1945.
37:56About the six minutes that made him famous.
37:59About seven kills in one mission.
38:01Shomo's answers were consistent.
38:03He emphasized luck.
38:05Timing.
38:06The right circumstances.
38:08He did not claim to be exceptional.
38:10Did not claim superior skill.
38:12Just the pilot who got the opportunity and took it.
38:16But other pilots who studied the gun camera footage saw something different.
38:20They saw precise shooting.
38:22Perfect deflection angles.
38:24Efficient ammunition use.
38:26Situational awareness.
38:28Tactical intelligence.
38:30Those things were not luck.
38:32Those things were skill applied under maximum pressure.
38:35January 11th, 1945 demonstrated what happened when three years of frustrated waiting combined with six minutes of perfect opportunity.
38:45Shomo had been ready.
38:46When the moment came, he executed flawlessly.
38:49That execution saved American lives.
38:53Ten fewer Japanese aircraft meant ten fewer threats to American bombers, to transport aircraft, to reconnaissance missions.
39:00Every enemy aircraft destroyed was one less weapon pointed at American forces.
39:06Shomo died on June 25th, 1990, 72 years old, buried in St. Clair Cemetery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
39:15The Medal of Honor went with him.
39:17The recognition.
39:18The record.
39:19But the lesson remained.
39:22The lesson was simple.
39:24Preparation matters.
39:26Three years of training.
39:28Three years of studying tactics.
39:31Three years of frustrated waiting while other pilots became aces.
39:35All of that preparation meant nothing until the moment arrived.
39:39But when the moment arrived, the preparation made the difference between success and failure.
39:44Between seven kills and getting shot down.
39:47Shomo understood something that many pilots never learned.
39:51Aerial combat was not about bravery alone.
39:54It was about skill applied correctly.
39:57About recognizing the tactical situation.
39:59About using every advantage.
40:02Speed.
40:03Position.
40:04Surprise.
40:05Firepower.
40:06The Mustang gave him the tools.
40:08His training told him how to use them.
40:10His decision to attack gave him the opportunity.
40:13Lieutenant Paul Lipscomb received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on January 11th.
40:19Three confirmed kills.
40:21Aggressive engagement against overwhelming odds.
40:24Support for his squadron commander during the attack.
40:27Lipscomb's three victories brought his total combat score to three.
40:31He survived the war.
40:32Returned home.
40:33His name appears in military records alongside Shomos.
40:37Two pilots.
40:38Thirteen enemy aircraft.
40:40Ten destroyed.
40:41The three Japanese pilots who escaped carried the story back to their commanders.
40:46Thirteen aircraft attacked by two American fighters.
40:49Ten destroyed in six minutes.
40:51The report was difficult to believe.
40:54But the evidence was undeniable.
40:56Ten aircraft missing.
40:57Ten crews lost.
40:59Only three returned.
41:01Japanese air strength in the Philippines was already weakening by January of 1945.
41:06American air superiority was established.
41:08Missions like Shomos accelerated the process.
41:12Every Japanese aircraft destroyed reduced their capability to resist.
41:16Reduced their ability to attack American forces.
41:19Reduced the duration of the war.
41:21Individual actions mattered.
41:23One pilot.
41:24One mission.
41:26Seven aircraft destroyed.
41:27The cumulative effect of hundreds of missions like this across the Pacific theater created the conditions for American victory.
41:35No single mission won the war.
41:37But every successful mission contributed.
41:40The Medal of Honor citation for William Shomo emphasized his decision to attack despite overwhelming odds.
41:46Thirteen to two.
41:48Most tactical doctrine would call that suicide.
41:51Most pilots would avoid engagement.
41:54Complete the assigned mission.
41:55Return safely.
41:57No criticism for that choice.
41:59Shomo chose differently.
42:01He had waited three years for aerial combat.
42:03The opportunity appeared.
42:05He took it.
42:06The citation called it gallantry and intrepidity.
42:10Accurate description.
42:11It was also calculated risk based on tactical advantage.
42:16Altitude.
42:17Surprise.
42:18Position.
42:19Speed.
42:20Firepower.
42:21All favored the attack if executed correctly.
42:24The execution was flawless.
42:26Seven aircraft destroyed.
42:28Zero damage to his Mustang.
42:30Zero casualties on the American side.
42:33Perfect tactical outcome.
42:34The kind of outcome that becomes legend.
42:37Years after the war, military historians analyzed the combat.
42:41They studied the gun camera footage.
42:43Reviewed the tactical decisions.
42:45Examined the results.
42:47Their conclusion was consistent.
42:49Shomo's attack on January 11, 1945, represented one of the most successful fighter engagements in the Pacific War.
42:57Measured by kills per minute.
42:59By efficiency.
43:00By tactical execution.
43:01The story spread beyond military circles.
43:04January 11 became known among aviation enthusiasts.
43:08Among historians.
43:09Among people interested in World War II.
43:12The pilot who waited three years and then became an ace in six minutes.
43:16The undertaker who destroyed seven Japanese aircraft in one mission.
43:21Shomo rarely spoke about it publicly.
43:23When he did, he remained humble.
43:25Deflected praise.
43:27Emphasized the role of his wingman.
43:29The capability of the aircraft.
43:30The training he received.
43:32The luck of being in the right position at the right time.
43:35Other pilots who knew him disagreed with the luck assessment.
43:38They had seen us flying.
43:40His gunnery scores.
43:41His tactical knowledge.
43:42They knew the difference between luck and skill.
43:46January 11th was skill.
43:49The name Snooks appeared on six different aircraft during Shomo's career.
43:53The final aircraft.
43:54The flying undertaker.
43:56That name told the complete story.
43:59His civilian profession.
44:00His military achievement.
44:02The combination of both identities into one legend.
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44:23Stories about pilots who saved lives with six minutes of perfect execution.
44:28Real people.
44:29Real heroism.
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