Pappy Gunn’s WWII Innovations: Stolen Bombers to B‑25 Strafer

Paul Irvin Gunn, known as "Pappy" Gunn, was a legendary figure in military aviation, particularly during World War II. His story is one of rebellious ingenuity, fierce determination, and a relentless drive to save his family.

Early Life and Naval Career

Pappy Gunn was a fighter pilot between World War I and World War II, part of the "Top Hatters" who pioneered carrier landings. He was a flight fanatic and an incredible pilot. During his time in the Navy, he grew tired of constant dental issues. Frustrated with repeated root canals, he demanded that a Navy dentist pull all his teeth and give him dentures. When the Navy refused, he sought a civilian dentist and paid to have all his teeth extracted.

Life in the Philippines and the Outbreak of WWII

After retiring from the Navy in his 40s, Pappy moved to the Philippines, a place he had fallen in love with during his service. He bought a plane and became a pilot there, enjoying life with his wife and two children.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Pappy, with 20 years of Navy experience, immediately understood the implications: an attack on Pearl Harbor meant the Japanese intended to attack everywhere else with impunity, including the Philippines. He tried to get his family off the island but couldn't. American forces in the Philippines were scrambling, commandeering all available planes, military or civilian.

Pappy was assured that Malta, where his family was located, was defended. He was ordered to fly his personal plane, carrying General MacArthur's right-hand man, to Australia. While en route, MacArthur declared Malta an "open city," essentially surrendering it to the Japanese to prevent carpet bombing. Pappy's wife and children were subsequently captured.

Recommissioning and Rescue Attempts

Enraged by the capture of his family, Pappy Gunn was recommissioned into the military. He immediately began commandeering planes, attempting multiple rescue missions to the Philippines, all of which failed. He repeatedly returned to Australia, undeterred.

The Stolen Dutch Bombers

One day, at an airstrip, Pappy noticed a fleet of nine to twelve brand-new B-25 Mitchell bombers belonging to the Dutch. He questioned why the Dutch had new American planes when the U.S. was struggling to get its own. Discovering the Dutch didn't have immediate plans for them, Pappy, fed up with bureaucracy, gathered a group of pilots, forged documents, and stole the entire fleet of medium bombers, flying them back to an American airfield.

Upon their return, they discovered the bomb sights were missing, likely stored by the Dutch supply sergeant. Pappy flew back, confronted the supply sergeant at gunpoint, and retrieved the bomb sights.

Revolutionary Aviation Tactics and Modifications

Pappy continued flying missions, but he realized that high-altitude bombing from tens of thousands of feet was ineffective against small, moving naval targets. He believed they needed to fly low and drop bombs directly onto the targets. However, this required cover.

Being a genius mechanic and engineer, Pappy took A-20 Havoc light bombers and mounted six .50 caliber machine guns in their noses. This was a complex engineering feat, considering aerodynamics, weight distribution, and the significant weight loss from expended ammunition. He figured it out, creating a fleet of these modified planes.

He then developed a new tactic: the A-20s would strafe the decks of enemy ships to suppress anti-aircraft fire, allowing the B-25 Mitchells to fly low and drop bombs with precision. He later realized he could further enhance the B-25s by adding guns to them as well, enabling them to strafe targets themselves.

The Pinky Incident

During this intense period of developing and flying these modified planes, Pappy broke his pinky finger. It kept re-breaking and hindering his work. He went to a medic, demanding it be cut off. When the medic refused, they went to a surgeon, who also declined, citing ethical reasons. Pappy then pulled out his 1911 pistol and gave the surgeon an ultimatum: cut off his pinky or clean it off the wall. The surgeon complied, and Pappy had his pinky removed to continue his work.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea

Pappy's innovations culminated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. The Japanese were attempting to reinforce New Guinea with an entire division of infantry, transported on eight troop carriers escorted by destroyers. Pappy's fleet of A-20s and B-25s was deployed to stop them.

When the Japanese navy saw the low-flying A-20s, they mistook them for torpedo bombers, a technology they were unaware Pappy had essentially "Mad Maxed" into existence. Naval doctrine for torpedo bombers was to turn the ship into the attacking planes to minimize the broadside target area. This maneuver, however, perfectly aligned the Japanese ships for Pappy's strafing A-20s.

The A-20s strafed the decks, clearing the anti-aircraft guns and scattering the infantry. The B-25s then came in, skip-bombing directly into the sides of the troop carriers, sinking all eight at once. This decisive victory effectively won New Guinea and significantly altered the course of the Pacific War. Footage of this battle was captured by combat cameramen flying in Pappy's planes.

The B-25 Strafer and Further Innovations

General Kenney, who was running the air war for the Pacific theater, was immensely impressed by the effectiveness of Pappy's modified B-25s. He ordered the mass production of these "B-25 strafers." However, when Pappy's drawings were sent to engineers in America, they declared it wouldn't work. Pappy was sent back to the U.S. to demonstrate his modifications, which he did successfully. The B-25 strafer became an official variant, mass-produced based on his on-the-fly engineering.

Initially, Pappy had managed to fit eight .50 caliber machine guns into the B-25's nose. The engineers, with their resources, managed to fit twelve. Not to be outdone, Pappy then designed a new variant: four .50 caliber machine guns in the nose, plus a 75-mm cannon from a Sherman tank. This audacious modification also became an official variant of the B-25.

Reunion and Legacy

Pappy Gunn was eventually wounded on a mission and hospitalized. While recovering, Malta was liberated, and his wife and children were found alive. By this point, Pappy Gunn was a living legend in the military, known as the "dad in his 40s working like a madman to save his wife and kids." His family was reunited with him at the hospital, a Hollywood-esque ending to a remarkable story of a man who engineered new war machines and personally led them into combat to save his loved ones.