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Info EDUARD 11/2012, Page 23
Info EDUARD 11/2012, Page 24
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Info Eduard - November 2012
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Info Eduard - November 2012
HISTORY
His rst operational assignment was the 70 th
Fighter Squadron (35 th FG) in California, equi-
pped with the Bell P-39 Airacobra. The unit still
had to wait about a year to enter combat after
the attack on Pearl. The unit was moved to Gua-
dalcanal after a stay on Fiji, and by this time, Lt.
Rex Barber had accumulated over 400 hours of
ying time. At this time, his 70 th FS fell under
the command of the 347 th Fighter Group, and
besides the P-39, also took delivery of the twin
engined P-38 Lightning. The main role of the 70
Munda, on the island of New Georgia together
with his wingman 1stLt. William Daggit. They
cruised in over the target at 9,000 feet. Abo-
ve them, at 13,000 feet, they spotted patrolling
Zekes, while below at 1,000 feet, bombers initi-
ating landing procedures.
There were three twin-engined G3M ‘Nells’ of
the Kokutai 701 that were coming in from Vuna-
kanau aireld in Rabaul to pick up ghter pilots
of the Kokutai 252, and deliver them to the air
base at Kahili. (known as Buin to the Japanese)
on the south shore of Bougainville. Their escort
included nine Zeros and the formation arrived
at Munda at 1045h. While Daggit initiated a
manouevre to attract the escort aircraft, Barber
began his assault on the lead bomber in his Ai-
racobra, carrying the name ‘Diablo’. During his
attack, he realized that in the heat of the mo-
ment, he had neglected to jettison his drop tank,
a situation that was immediately remedied. His
rst burst lit up one of the engines of the bomber,
which ended up in the drink some 30 meters from
shore. Of the crew commanded by Lt. (JG) Kei-
zo Kondo, all survived, although three suffered
injuries. He than attempted to join a formation
of aircraft that he deemed to be Marine Corps
Corsairs, but on realizing that they were in fact
Zekes, set a quick course for home. The news of
the kill reached home before Barber did. Good
news traveled fast thanks to an Australian spo-
tter on Rendova, who reported that an American
ghter dropped a bomb on a Japanese bomber
at Munda. What he actually saw was the jettiso-
ned drop tank. If any of you happen to have the
needed scuba gear and the required experien-
ce, the wreck lies on the bottom of the ocean, but
is relatively intact.
At the beginning of 1943, Barber was transfe-
rred to the 339 th Fighter Squadron, and began
ying the P-38G Lightning. He literally made the
transition by himself. Later, he confessed that it
was over the rst ten or fteen ights that he
began to recognize the ight controls and how
to feather the props when needed. It wasn’t until
after he left Guadalcanal in May, 1943, when
he received formal training on the P-38! Beco-
ming one of the most successful pilots in the 339
th FS is a testament to his piloting skills.
At the same time as familiarizing themselves with
their large ghters, the pilots were also honing
their combat skills to best ght their Japanese
opponents. These difcult times also presented
some very difcult lessons. Their foes were made
up of combat hardened veterans of the Kokutai
204, 252 and 253 ying Zekes, and from the
Kokutai 802 ying the oat equipped version,
the Rufe. Over the 13 th and 14 th of Febru-
ary, the 339 th FS wrote off eight aircraft and
lost three pilots. Especially the 14 th of February
would prove to be tragic for the Americans over
Kahili. The actual gures were the loss of ten
American (including Marine Corps units) and two
Japanese Zeros lost. The event has been remem-
bered as the ‘Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre’.
Barber almost ended up on the wrong side of
the statistics sheet himself, when on March 29 th,
1943, he attacked oat equipped aircraft at
Shortland base. On the return ight, the Ame-
ricans spotted Type 28 sub chaser. Under the
leadership of Capt. Thomas Lanphier, the ve
Lightnings conducted four sweeps just fty feet
over the water. It almost cost Rex Barber his life,
causing him to fall into what is known as ‘tar-
get xation’, a pretty self-explanatory term. He
snapped out of it, but did damage a wingtip,
losing about three feet of it. The Japanese ship
was listing and on re, but Barber was somewhat
more interested in not having to ditch in shark
infested waters.
One of the greatest combats to occur in the area
of Guadalcanal took place during the Japane-
se Operation ‘I’ on April 7 th, 1943. Targets on
Guadalcanal were to be attacked by 67 bom-
bers accompanied by 157 ghters. The Ameri-
cans countered with 76 aircraft, including a do-
zen Lightnings. Rex Barber was in one of them,
and over the course of the battle, was able to
shoot down a pair of Zekes, likely belonging to
the Kokutai 253. The Japanese wrote off twelve
ghters and nine bombers, while the Americans
lost seven aircraft and a number of ones that su-
ffered damage of one form or another. Barber’s
339 th FS came out the other side unscathed.
The greatest milestone of Barber’s career came
on the aforementioned April 18 th, 1943. The
Airacobras, probably from 347th FG, standing in a eld
at Guadalcanal receive quick repairs to battle damage.
There was no shortage of useful vehicles at Guadalcanal
making life of ground crew bit easier. T. Sgt. Leo A. Hopp
operates the Fighter Group´s pride, a Cletrac airplane mover.
Somewhat surprising photo depicting crew of Chinese American
Composite Wing´s B-25 Mitchell. On the left is smiling Rex T.
Barber, while on the right seat is co-pilot Lt. Y. C. Yi.
Airplane own by Rex. T Barber during dramatic mission on March 29, 1943. Standing from the left: Lt. Col. Henry Vicellio,
Lt. Col. Tyler, Lt. E.H. Anglin, capt. Thomas G. Lanphier, Lt. E. E. Stratton, Maj. Gen. N. F. Twining, Maj. John W. Mitchell (commander
of 339th FS) and Lt. Rex T. Barber. The photo was taken after April 18, 1943.
th FS P-39s was to attack ground and surface
targets, but the opportunity did present itself
from time to time to test their aerial combat skills
against the Japanese.
Rex Barber was presented with such an oppor-
tunity on December 28 th, 1942, during a re-
connaissance ight over an enemy aireld at
Info EDUARD 11/2012, Page 25

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