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Trying to recall a pilots name and thought this would be the place.

He was flying cap in 1942 in an SBD dive bomber, yes they were short on fighters and they were watching for torpedo plances, and got into a fight with three zeros. He shot down two of them and survived the collison with the third who tried to ram him and found out the SBD was allot tougher then the more fragile Zero.

Stanley W. Vejtasa (Swede).
Good story about him on The History Channel show "Dogfights". That show is good.

ORIGINAL: JJB647

Stanley W. Vejtasa (Swede).
Good story about him on The History Channel show "Dogfights". That show is good.

Yes, the "DogFight" show on Swede was excellent!

TOMLABEL

He later transitioned over to F4F's and flew with VF-10 "The Grim Reapers" with James Flatley. From digging around in my books, his other big day was during the Battle of Santa Cruz when he splashed 7 bombers in one day while Capping the new USS Yorktown CV-10. He later went on to command the USS Constellation CV-64. He retired as a Captain in the 60's after 16yrs of active duty service.

I saw the show also but couldnt remember the name.  Chronic pain + pain killers = poor memory at times.
 
 
From the way it came across it was almost as if the SBD was just as manuverable as the Zero.  He didnt have the speed but the the airframe on the SBD let him do some brutal 9g turns.

ORIGINAL: YankeeAirRat

He later transitioned over to F4F's and flew with VF-10 "The Grim Reapers" with James Flatley. From digging around in my books, his other big day was during the Battle of Santa Cruz when he splashed 7 bombers in one day while Capping the new USS Yorktown CV-10. He later went on to command the USS Constellation CV-64. He retired as a Captain in the 60's after 16yrs of active duty service.

Sure that wasn't another battle? The Battle of Santa Cruz was in October of 1942 and CV-10 wasn't commissioned yet. There were quite a few aces in a day during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

I believe there was another early war Dauntless pilot who shot down 3 Japanese. His rear gunner also got three. They were heavily publicized at the time. The pilot was transferred to fighters, but was killed soon after. I can't recall the name though. Maybe I'm confusing stories.

Bill

http://www.acepilots.com/usn_aces.html#Swede

He was flying off Enterprise during Santa Cruz. 2 Vals and 5 Kates in one day.

ORIGINAL: JJB647

http://www.acepilots.com/usn_aces.html#Swede

He was flying off Enterprise during Santa Cruz. 2 Vals and 5 Kates in one day.

That makes more sense. I believe Air Group 10 was aboard the Enterprise at Santa Cruz, which is where the confusion may have come in.

Bill