The B-24 Gunner Who Shot Down a Zero With a Pistol

On March 31, 1944, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator broke apart over Burma under attack from Japanese fighters. Twelve American airmen drifted downward in parachutes. Three Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters circled the debris field and began firing on the descending crew.

Second Lieutenant Owen J. Baggett, a 23 year old waist gunner from Graham, Texas, had already been wounded by shrapnel. He hung at 15,000 feet with a Colt M1911 pistol on his hip.

A Desperate Calculation

Baggett understood the Zero’s strengths – and weaknesses. It lacked armor protection and self sealing fuel tanks, a tradeoff that favored maneuverability over durability. His M1911 held eight rounds of .45 ACP.

The Zero throttled back and slid alongside his parachute at close distance, canopy open for visibility. When the aircraft drifted within roughly 30 feet, Baggett drew his pistol and fired. One round struck the pilot in the head. The Zero rolled into a dive and crashed into the jungle below.

Capture and Survival

Two Zeros continued attacking other parachutes. Five Americans reached the ground alive. Baggett evaded capture for five days before collapsing from infection and malaria. Japanese forces transferred him to Rangoon Central Prison, where he endured beatings, isolation, and starvation. He remained a prisoner until British forces liberated Rangoon in May 1945.

After the war, his claim of shooting down a Zero while descending by parachute was recorded but left unconfirmed. No wreckage was recovered, and no witnesses survived the moment.

Confirmation Decades Later

In 1982, researchers examining Japanese records found that a Zero from the 64th Sentai failed to return from a March 31 mission. The pilot, Lieutenant Shigeyoshi Kuro, had broken formation to attack parachutists. Investigators documented a small caliber gunshot wound to the head and no evidence of ground combat in the area.

The records matched Baggett’s report. The United States Air Force officially credited him with a confirmed aerial victory. It remains the only verified instance of an airman shooting down an enemy aircraft with a pistol while descending by parachute.

Baggett returned to Texas after the war, received the Purple Heart for his wounds, and lived quietly until his death in 2006.