In November of 2001 I flew down to Texas

and a paid a visit

to the most decorated Enlisted man

in the United States Navy during WWII.

 

Wilbur B. Webb

 

 

Wilbur's stay on board the Oklahoma was less than 24 hours and he escaped by going through a porthole during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Wilbur was determined to ultimately win his Navy wings as a Enlisted Pilot.

He received his wings as a first-class aviation pilot at Pensacola,

Florida on 13 July 1943.

 

W. B. "Spider" Webb participated in strike after strike and never having a personal air

victory until June 19, 1944 at Guam during the time of the famous

"Marianas Turkey Shoot"

 

Being assigned to the USS Hornet

on June 19, 1944 late in the afternoon a make-up strike was called by the Hornet CIC to some new targets at Agana Town, which previous strikes had not seen. Spider volunteered and was tail end Charlie of a high cover division of fighters.

The strike was led by the air group commander and it was planned to make a running rendezvous over Guam after hitting the Agana targets. The flight would cross the island and pass over the Orote Peninsula air strip and back to the Hornet. As the group passed over Orate Peninsula Spider spotted a downed pilot in a one man raft about 100 yards from the tip of Orate Peninsula. An OS2U from a Cruiser was also spotted on the water about 3 miles away (apparently picking up another downed pilot). Spider requested permission by radio to drop down and cover the man in the raft while his section leader went after the OS2U. With permission received Spider dropped down to about 100 feet and commenced circling the raft.

He lowered two dye markers from his life jacket and threw them close to the raft. It was getting late and there was a chance of not getting the pilot picked up before dark so Spider decided to try and throw him his life raft from under his parachute so he would have a spare. As this was taking place Spider glanced up to the ridge of the mountains which run down the island of Guam and saw a long line of aircraft heading for Orote airstrip. There appeared to be 40 to 50 aircraft and some them had their landing gear down. Spider thought it was strange because he knew there should be now more strikes that day. In a few seconds, however, the question was removed because as they banked toward Orote Airstrip Spider saw the big red meatballs on the sides of their aircraft.

 

He quickly buckled his harness up again, closed his canopy, and made his long remembered radio transmission.

"Any American fighter near Orote Peninsula, I have

forty Jap planes surrounded and need a little help"

He also called his section leader and told him that he was going in, that he did not think they had spotted him yet.

 

Spider, at this time, was less than 100 yards from the first division of 3 VALS and opened fire with his six fifties on the aircraft on the left, after a short burst the VAL exploded in an orange ball of flame. Moving behind the center VAL another short burst and the aircraft exploded at the left wing root and billowed into a mass of flame through the center section. Spider was so close to these aircraft that he had to kick the rudders to keep his wing guns on the fuselage area, but the Jap pilots began to cooperate by kicking their rudders so Spider just put the pipper on the fuselage area, they provided the movement. Skidding behind the VAL on the right squeezing the trigger the aircraft exploded at the right wing root and literally "came apart." The rear seat gunners of the VALS had already secured their guns in preparation for landing but as these aircraft began to explode obvious confusion began to reign.

 

 

The Zeeks at higher altitudes seemingly made no attempts to make runs on Spider and the ground gunners had difficulty in shooting because of their own planes. Spider maneuvered behind another division of three VALS and started firing on the left aircraft. By this time the rear seat gunners of the VALS had unsecured their guns. Only four of Spiders guns were working at this time but the fifties hit the rear seat gunner and pilot. An orange ball of flame covered the center section and the VAL nosed into the water. Sliding behind the center VAL he started firing.

 

This aircraft did not seem to want to burn. Spider said that if it had not exploded he would have run into it. It did explode, however, and many pieces of this VAL hit Spider's Hellcat. Spider had much trouble in staying slow and behind these VALS, he constantly was using flaps and power to prevent collisions. These first five planes were shot down at 30 to 100 feet behind and all below 1000 feet altitude.

 

 

By this time Spider's guns quit and he headed out of the fight but after pumping his gun chargers four guns started working again so he headed back into the fight. The flights had now broken formation in utter confusion so Spider picked out a VAL turning on final approach for landing and pressed the trigger. The aircraft burst into flames, nosed down and exploded as it hit the rock ledge on Orote Peninsula.

Pulling back up to about 300 feet, spider positioned behind two more VALS (still in formation), firing a short burst at the one on the left wing of the lead plane. The rear seat hood shattered and flames burst out at the left wing root, the aircraft nosed down but Spider had to pull up to miss the rocks again and did not see it go in.

With his guns having quit again, Spider headed out of the traffic pattern area and while pumping his hydraulic gun chargers with his foot noticed that the entire sky was like a movie. No matter where you looked there was either a burning plane or a parachute.

By this time the CAP's from other carriers plus a fighter sweep from the Hornet led by Bill Blair were in the area. (Spider says that's what kept him alive, because the American fighters kept the Zeeks busy at higher altitude).

Spider was able to get two guns working and picked up another VAL attempting to land. At about 200 feet Spider squeezed his trigger, the aircraft belched black smoke and pieces came flying from the front cockpit. The aircraft started a violent roll to the right but again Spider did not see this aircraft go in. The gun camera film on Spider's Hellcat jammed between the sixth and eighth aircraft he made runs on. He was officially credited with six victories and two probables on this flight.

For this action, Admiral Marc Mitscher recommended Spider for the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

It is interesting to note that when Spider returned to his carrier and landed, his landing gear had been shot out, his canopy had been shot off his F6F, his goggles had been shot off of his helmet, there were 147 bullet holes in his plane, yet Spider did not receive a scratch.

He says his plane was given a decent burial at sea after spare parts were removed.

 

(The late Wilbur Webb & myself)

In 1958, “Spider” was designated the most highly decorated enlisted man in the Navy during World War II.

He holds 27 awards including the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine Air Medals.