Lanphier Objected
Lanphier objected to the change giving him only half credit for the shoot down of the Yamamoto bomber. He persuaded Brigadier General Michael J. Jackson, USAF, Ret, to petition Dr. Richard H. Kohn, Chief, Office of Air Force History, to have a determination made by the Office of Air Force History that he, Lanphier, should have 100% of the credit for the shoot down of Yamamoto.
Dr. Kohn convened a Victory Credit Board (VCB) of Review at the USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, AL, to reconsider the awarding of victory credits for the destruction of Admiral Yamamoto’s airplane on 18 April 1943. This Victory Credit Board of Review met on 22 March 1985 and Mr. R. Cargill Hall, Chief, Research Division, Office of Air Force History was the Recorder. There were 3 different versions of the Record of Proceedings as furnished by R. Cargill Hall, which are attached. While all of the Records of Proceedings are similar in their description of the engagement, the reader should pay attention to how the Bibliography of Reference, as studied by the VCB, increased as successive Records of Proceedings were written by R. Cargill Hall.
The conclusion reached by the VCB of Review includes these significant paragraphs:
“The evidence points to 1st Lt. Barber as the first to fire on Admiral Yamamoto’s lead bomber, setting it afire and causing a portion of the tail empennage to fly off. But the burning bomber, in the words of Admiral Ugaki, continued to fly under power just above the jungle, losing altitude. Barber’swingman, Captain Lanphier, once disengaged from the Zeros, next struck Yamamoto’s bomber broadside, severing a wing. The bomber turned over on its back and plummeted to earth. Barber, on looking back after his pass, saw the airplane fall and understandably presumed it to be the result of his attack.
During the heat of ensuing dogfights, 1st Lt. Holmes observed Admiral Ugaki’s Betty proceeding southeasterly near Moila Point. Holmes attacked the second bomber “setting it smoking in the left engine.” Barber “polished it off,”pieces of the bomber exploding outward from the impact of the 20mm cannon shells, some of them striking his fighter. Admiral Ugaki’s bomber, however, did not explode in the air as Barber supposed, but rather dove out of control into the sea.
Based on the guidelines established by XIII Fighter Command for the awarding of victory credits, credit for the destruction of both bombers is properly shared; the findings of the original USAF Historical Division victory credit team are judged to be accurate and confirmed; the official USAF shared credits will remain unaltered for this engagement.”
Click here to view the First Record of Proceedings