In the midst of the atolls
Some fighter units in the Pacific, such as the 15th Fighter Group, had their combat careers interrupted by long periods without engaging the enemy. This unit, then designated the 15th Pursuit Group, was part of the defense of the Hawaiian Islands at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It operated a mix of P-36 and P-40B aircraft and consisted of the 45th, 46th, and 47th Pursuit Squadrons. Pilots from the 46th and 47th PS claimed ten confirmed kills, one probable, and two damaged Japanese aircraft. Among the few pilots from the 45th PS who managed to get airborne was Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, who would later become the most successful U.S. fighter ace in the European Theater. You can learn more about this tragic day in the article by Carl Molesworth in INFO Eduard magazine, 12/2021.
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Some fighter units in the Pacific, such as the
15th Fighter Group, had their combat careers
interrupted by long periods without engaging the
enemy. This unit, then designated the 15th Pursuit
Group, was part of the defense of the Hawaiian
Islands at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
It operated a mix of P-36 and P-40B aircraft and
consisted of the 45th, 46th, and 47th Pursuit
Squadrons. Pilots from the 46th and 47th PS
claimed ten confirmed kills, one probable, and two
damaged Japanese aircraft. Among the few pilots
from the 45th PS who managed to get airborne was
Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, who would later become
the most successful U.S. fighter ace in the European
Theater. You can learn more about this tragic day
in the article by Carl Molesworth in INFO Eduard
magazine, 12/2021.
For a long time, these were the only successes
of the unit, which meanwhile was redesignated the
15th FG. In March 1943, the 78th FS joined the unit
in Hawaii, along with the 6th NFS, which operated
P-70 night fighters based in Port Moresby, New
Guinea.
Training and routine patrols around Hawaii for
the P-40 pilots of the 45th FS ended in the autumn
of 1943. In September, the unit moved to Baker
Island, an uninhabited atoll near the equator in the
central Pacific, roughly halfway between Hawaii
and Australia.
At the end of November, they moved to Nanumea
Atoll, located south of the Gilbert Islands. In mid-
January 1944, the unit relocated again, this time
to Makin Atoll, and operated from there until the
end of March. Within range of this airfield were
IJN air bases in the western Pacific, such as the
Mili and Maloelap Atolls. These and other bases
became targets of air raids starting in November
1943, conducted by four-engine B-24 bombers,
twin-engine B-25s, and A-24 dive bombers. Fighter
cover, primarily for the medium and dive bombers,
was provided by P-39 and P-40 aircraft. Japanese
bases were also targeted by US Navy aircraft.
One such attack is depicted in the artwork
showing a P-40 piloted by 1st Lt. Arthur A. Bridge
of the 45th FS. Illustrator Gareth Hector captured
the scene during a raid on Mili Atoll, showing
the destruction of Zeros from Kōkūtai 281, which
participated in the defense of the atoll.
Opportunities for air combat in this area were
limited. IJN units were scattered across several
bases, which were heavily decimated by repeated
raids. For example, Mili Atoll became the target of
nearly a hundred air raids between November 1943
and April 1944. A rare opportunity for the 45th FS
to engage Japanese pilots occurred on January 26,
1944, during a raid on Maloelap Atoll. The Americans
dispatched nine B-25 Mitchell bombers escorted by
P-40Ns from the 45th FS.
On the Japanese side, an unexpectedly large
group of 25 Zeros from Kōkūtai 252 (formerly
the Genzan Kōkūtai fighter unit) was prepared to
intercept the attackers. The formation was led by
Lt (jg) Sumio Fukuda. Most of his unit already
operated in four-plane sections. Fukuda was an
experienced veteran with eleven kills. He had
served in the fighter unit of the aircraft carrier
Junyō during the Guadalcanal campaign, later
transferred to Kōkūtai 204 involved in the defense
of Rabaul, and even briefly acted as its interim
commander. In November 1943, he was transferred
to Kōkūtai 252, and under his command during the
battles in the Gilbert Islands, his pilots claimed
around fifty victories.
During the American raid on Maloelap, the
Japanese pilots correctly reported an encounter
with nine B-25s and thirteen P-40s, which they
attacked at an altitude of 3,000 meters. After the
battle, they claimed four P-40s shot down and one
B-25 probably destroyed. They lost four Zeroes and
their pilots in return.
The American escort was probably led by Maj.
Harry M. Thompson, who claimed one Zeke shot
down. After a very hectic battle, his colleagues
claimed eight more Zekes as definitely shot down
and one probably destroyed. They also claimed one
confirmed and one probable kill of a Kate bomber.
Apparently, the Americans suffered no losses in this
engagement.
For a long time, this was the 15th FG’s only
success in air combat. In 1944, the unit returned
to Hawaii to re-equip with the P-51D Mustang and
to train for long-range escort missions. From April
1945, it was deployed on Okinawa for the defense
of the island and to participate in raids on Japan.
During these, the aforementioned 1st Lt. Arthur
A. Bridge was credited with two half-kills of
Japanese fighters. In total, during World War
II, the 15th FG achieved 128 confirmed victories,
23 probable kills, and damaged 43 Japanese
aircraft in combat. Six of its pilots became aces.
Sumio Fukuda was killed on October 24, 1944,
during the Battle of Leyte Gulf as the commander
of Hikōtai 163, part of Kōkūtai 634. He was
posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Commander.
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Gareth Hector
In the midst of the atolls
INFO Eduard36
August 2025