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The US pilot who shot and killed a Japanese pilot mid fall with his pistol, 1943
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The US pilot who shot and killed a Japanese pilot mid fall with his pistol, 1943
Despite what you think, this is a real story and it is even more unbelievable and badass than you think. Owen J Baggett was a US pilot, who was flying a B-24 bomber to destroy a bridge in Burma, however his plane and squadron was attacked by at least 13 Japanese Ki-43 Hayabusa fighter planes and a fight in the sky took Place
Bagget's B-24 was heavily damaged due to it's big size and slower speeds. The fuel tank of the B-24 was shot and the aircraft went on fire.... Read story
Bagget and his crew just jumped out with a few mere seconds to spare before the B-24 blew up. Little did he know, Bagget would make history in just a few minutes.
While falling in the air, Baggett deployed his parachute. Roughed up and parachuting through an aerial battle, Baggett continued his decent through the fight but remembered a disturbing fact. Japanese planes had a tendency to shoot or crash into US pilots parachuting to the ground, which is very looked down upon in aerial warfare. Baggett then decided to play dead, however one Mitsubishi A6M fighter plane decided to see if Baggett was really dead by flying into him.
Seeing the plane flying towards him and understanding the likely outcome of the situation, Baggett decided to have one final stand against his enemy and drew his M1911 pistol. He aimed and fired 4 shots. Baggett and those around him watched in awe as the plane approached Baggett closer and closer until it stalled and dipped past him and crashed into the ground below. Baggett had actually shot and killed the pilot, who was discovered below with a bullet wound in his forehead.
It was also discovered that the canopy was open, meaning there was no glass protecting the Japanese pilot which meant the .45 calibre bullets had little resistance to go against. Baggett is the only person known person to have pulled this off in world military history. He was captured on the ground and was a POW but lived and was freed in 1945
The M1911 pistol is still used by American forces today for it's high accuracy, long range and stopping power.
Photographer: US air force
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