Did Wirraway Shoot Down An Oscar Or A Zero?

[Luig]

Does anyone know the answer to this question: Did a Wirraway from No.4 Squadron shoot down a Zero or an Oscar as described below? References to the Oscar shoot down would be welcome. Thanks.

http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11025.asp

4 Squadron RAAF
"On 26 December the squadron also gained distinction when Pilot Officer J. Archer shot down a Zero while on a tactical reconnaissance mission over a Japanese shipwreck off Gona. This was a unique victory for a Wirraway and earned Archer the American Silver Star."
&
"4 Squadron was reformed at Richmond in New South Wales on 17 June 1940, flying Wirraway and later Boomerang aircraft. Stationed at Canberra between 29 September 1940 and 19 May 1942 the unit trained in army cooperation tactics."

RETORT:
"Don't tell the RAAF but it was actually an Oscar they attacked. One WAS missing that day. No Zeros were lost in the area at the time."

MORE:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/ww2-allied/wirraway.htm

"Popondetta, Papua, 1942-12-12. Two RAAF Wirraway aircraft stand on the grass shortly after landing close together at Popondetta airstrip. Before Wirraway A2-103 (left) had come to a complete stop, its pilot, Pilot Officer (PO) J. S. Archer, had leapt from the aircraft and run across to the Control Tent where he had found the Control Officer talking to NX34655 Captain Alan Oliver Watson, Dental Officer with the 2/4th Field Ambulance. Puffing hard, PO Archer exclaimed excitedly, 'Sir, sir, I think I've shot down a Zero!' To this the Control Officer replied, 'Don't be silly, Archer, Wirraways can't shoot down Zeros.' 'Well, sir,' continued Archer, 'I went in to look at the wreck off Gona and I saw this thing in front of me and it had red spots on it, so I gave it a burst and it appeared to fall into the sea.' Within a few minutes, a dozen telephone calls from observers all around the Gona area confirmed Archer's story. While on a tactical reconnaissance mission over the Japanese ship wrecked in the sea off Gona, Archer and his observer, Sergeant J.F. Coulston, had sighted the Zero 1,000 feet below. After diving on the Japanese aircraft, they had fired a long burst into it with the Wirraway's two Vickers .303 machine guns, causing the Zero to crash into the sea. Archer was later awarded the DFC for his exploit."

[darren.crick]

I am sure the AWM tells a story of a Zero...

and our entry...

Served with 4 Sqn. On 26/12/42. The aircraft shot down a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero at Rabual Papua New Guinea. The crew were P/OFF John S. Archer and SGT J. L. Coulston. On the 16/04/44 at 1300 A20-80 while being taxied collided with stationary Wirraway A20-103. Located at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT.

and below an image I took of it at the AWM. see markings...

This all doesnt confirm Oscar or Zero... I'll leave that to the smarter people.

Attached Image

[darren.crick]

and closeup of the markings...

Attached Image

[Luig]

Thanks, there is a discusion on the AMI modelling site about this shootdown. I'll post some comments here because I think one has to join the forum to see the posts? Not sure on that point.

"Just to shore up my credentials for Phil...I was in my former life the assistant Unit Historian at 77SQN and 75SQN.....and in front of me is a pile of copied Form A.106(A)s (Combat Fighter Reports) from the air battles fought over New Guinea during 1942. These reports were written immediately following an air combat and were the work of the unit INTELLO and the pilot involved.......and here is why "Official RAAF records" are often flawed. They are more often than not based on what has been recorded in the A.106(A)s and A50s (Unit History Reports).

Every one of the reports on my desk lists the "Type" of enemy aircraft as "Zero". Of course we now know that the enemy operated large numbers of "Zeros" (or to be correct...Zekes), Hamps, Oscars and Hiens over New Guinea and that many were lost to the guns of Australian fighters...but only Zeros ever appear to have been shot down. The answer is very simple....if it was a fighter and it had red "meatballs" painted on it it was refered to by aircrew generically as a "Zero"....at least it was in 75 & 77SQNs during the early period of the war in New Guniea.

An interesting "Technical Narrative" has been stuck to the back of one of the reports by FltLt Coker of 75SQN after a scrap over Milne Bay on 24/08/42....it reads:

"....2 Enemy A/C. with square wing tips similar to M.E.109E. but they were radial engine machines. Don't think they were Focke Wulf(sic) 190's either"

Post WWII records indicate that some of the "Zeros" encountered over Milne Bay on this day were actually Hamps. But as far as "Official" RAAF records are concerned they were and still are all "Zeros".

As far as Archer and his "Zero" claim is concerned; I feel that as "Zero" is what was officially recorded at the time on all documents generated by 4SQN then that is what was written into the RAAF's Official history...
..and yes I do recall reading that Japanese records indicate it was actually an Oscar and I don't doubt that an Oscar is what was shot down........FINI
Cheers Browny"
&
Before that:

"Yes folks it was an Oscar that was shotdown by Archer in A20-103, not a Zero (none were lost that day in the area).

I have seen full details of the incident in the past (Japanese pilots name, unit etc). Of course finding something on the net for those who want to see it in writing is not easy.

From the well respected Pacific Wrecks site I will point you to the following entry on 26th Dec, note it is an OSCAR not a Zero.

'http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/png/oro/buna/timeline.html'

Yes all those RAAF OFFICIAL websites are incorrect in ststing that it was a Zero. It was claimed as such at the time. So what, ANY single engined Japanese type shot at was inevitably claimed as a Zero."

To me it was interesting to see the official record challenged (Oscar not Zero shot down). And now suprising to see the historian account looking at all the Zeros supposedly shot down. Very odd. Please join in the discusion on AMI if you have anything to add. Thanks.

http://www.aussiemodeller.com/pages/discussiongroup/forum.html