[Zuben Elgenubi]

The manoeuvre finished the Japanese [plane] but caused Lt Conger's plane to stall and spin. He tried to right his craft, but was forced to jump at about 300 feet. He found himself swimming near another Japanese shot down by another marine pilot.

A launch was rushed out from shore to pick up Lt Conger. He crawled in, and the launch then went to pick up the Japanese. The latter, however, did not want to be saved. Still in the water, he pulled his pistol, pointed it at Lt Conger and pulled the trigger. The pistol did not fire. The Japanese then pointed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger but again the gun missed fire.

Before the Japanese could do anything more, the coxswain of the boat hit him over the head with the boathook and hauled him in. He is now a prisoner.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Just another day at the office for Lt. Conger. (In case you don’t get the reference, ZE’s post above is excerpted from the page 2 story “Marine Flier Rams Guadalcanal Foe”)