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The following excerpt was found in an out of print book titled, RISE OF THE KAMIKAZE SPIRIT. It provides an overview of an American B-24 that was rammed over Yap by a Japanese pilot by the name of Kanno. The B-24 was likely rammed in August 1944 therefore it could be referring to the loss of the Don A. Anthony crew on 10 August 1944.
Yap Island Mission Loss—10 August 1944http://www.missingaircrew.com/yap/mac/10aug1944.asp
RISE OF THE KAMIKAZE SPIRIT
He there engaged in combat with an American B-24 and, after several ineffective gunning passes, decided to ram the stalwart bomber. Figuring that the usual head-on ramming attack might prove fatal only to his own fighter plane, Kanno decided to destroy the big plane by shearing off its rudder with his propeller. He knew that in an approach from the rear he stood little chance of success against the bomber’s concentrated gun power, and that his plane would probably be shot down before there was any chance to ram. He resolved, accordingly, to strike at the rudder by way of a head-on approach. The difficulty of this maneuver lay in keeping clear of his target’s propellers and yet getting close enough to shear off its rudder.
His first and second passes failed, but he managed both times to pull clear of the B-24’s deadly gunfire. On the third try he came in still closer, following straight down the body of the bomber, until his propeller gnawed into the huge plane’s rudder with a shuddering crash. The shock of the impact caused Kanno to black out momentarily, and when he regained consciousness he found his plane in a tight spin which compressed him into a corner of the cockpit. Still stunned, he responded automatically and pushed forward on the control lever while pressing slowly, ever so slowly, on the foot pedal until his plane pulled out of the spin and regained level flight. He watched the B-24 crash into the sea and then managed to bring his badly damaged plane back to Yap.
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