When Kamikazes Faced The Grim Reapers

October 26th, 1942. Aboard the USS Enterprise, the wail of alarms cuts through the ship. Pilots sprint toward their F4F Wildcats as the call to arms thunders across the flight deck. At the head of the Grim Reapers squadron is Lieutenant Stanley “Swede” Vejtasa, leading his men into the storm.

The Japanese are closing in on the American fleet, and it will fall to Vejtasa and his Wildcats to shield the ships from destruction. As the clash unfolds, they hurl themselves into combat against wave after wave of enemy aircraft. But the Japanese aviators press their assault with ruthless determination and deadly tactics.

On October 26, 1942, alarms blared aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. A squadron of pilots rushes for their F4F Wildcats as lead lieutenant Stanley “Swede” Vejtasa leads his men into formation. He was the leader of the 8-plane Wildcat squadron known as the Grim Reapers. Below him, 21 ships dot the ocean; hundreds, if not thousands, of lives depend on their performance.

A group of enemy planes appears on the horizon, setting their sights on the USS Hornet. The sky becomes alight with anti-aircraft fire. Vejtasa and his men are horrified to see explosions of multiple bombs detonating on the flight deck. He pounces on the dive bombers as they turn away for home.

Then, a second wave of enemy planes comes flying in towards the carrier. Vejtasa turns to intercept, opening fire and taking a bomber out of the sky. Bombs slam into the Hornet as the rest of the Wildcats engage with enemy planes, firing their guns. Despite their efforts, a lone plane escapes, aiming straight for the USS Hornet’s Island.

Vejtasa turns away from the Hornet and regroups. From a distance, four Aichi “Val” dive-bombers are spotted through the clouds. Vejtasa doesn’t hesitate for one second and opens fire with his machine guns. The Japanese planes are thrown into disarray. With a couple of enemy planes down, the rest dive for safety, the rest of Vejtasa’s squadron hot on their heels.

Vejtasa searches the sky for another Val when his wingmen spot Torpedo bombers. Vejtasa and his wingman approach an absolute maximum speed and pull the trigger on the B5N Kate bombers. The Japanese aircraft scattered as both men split up chasing after their prey. The Kates dive for an escape, but the Americans’ speed advantage is insurmountable.

However, he spots what he feared. A formation of 8 B5N Kate bombers completely unbothered, heading straight for the squadron’s aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. Meanwhile, the flak of the Enterprise meets the Kates, black explosions materializing all around them, clouds of shrapnel tearing them into pieces. He knows that flak wouldn’t be enough. He plunges into the enemy, the air thick with Allied flak. The Kates spot him as they try to evade in different directions. He follows a selected target as the enemy rushes to escape. He opens fire, striking the enemy on the wing as flames erupt from the bomber.

He then searches for the rest of the torpedo bombers and finally, his squadron returns. Vejtasa took down two more planes in the turkey shoot, saving their ships.

Just when he thought it was over, he spots a lone Kate bomber.  Vejtasa checks his ammunition. While it’s low, it may be enough. He gives chase, pulling up from behind and below, and with the shot lined up in front of him, he pulls the trigger. Despite multiple hits, the enemy plane doesn’t go down. The bomber turns itself on the Enterprise, and  Vejtasa was filled with horror. Running out of options, he decides to slice off its tail with his propeller! While he approaches, ready to strike, the Kate turns upside down and dives straight down. He sees the ball of flame as the Kate dives straight to the USS Smith.

Out of ammunition,  he was finallu forced to land his Wildcat. Thanks to the efforts of his squadron, their home carrier is still largely unscathed. He would become an Ace in a Day, and his actions were believed to have saved the lives of many men. He would go on to survive the war and start a long and illustrious career with the Navy.