Nevertheless, they were engaged by Japanese airplanes in violent aerial battles.

Japanese airplanes withdrew shortly after the battle began, so that the Allies succeeded in getting direct hits on the transporters.

One states the guns were installed in a special concrete mount and used successfully against Japanese airplanes until destroyed by gunfire.

"When the country was experiencing a crisis in the South Pacific, it needed a plane that could take on the fast Japanese airplanes," he said.

This happened because the Japanese airplanes were getting old and their pilots had little training, compared to the more modern and better trained American forces.

He flew 56 missions and was credited with shooting down six Japanese airplanes.

Once, a Japanese airplane dropped 3 bombs directly on the Silversides.

Not so many Japanese airplanes were left in the sky now.

No warning shouts of approaching Japanese airplanes came from the loudspeakers.

On the afternoon of the 20th, two Japanese airplanes attacked her, dropping several bombs but scoring no hits.