William Jared Knapp, Jr.

William “Jerry” Knapp enlisted as an aviation cadet in June 1941, along with a group of fellow Yale graduates. He received his wings and Marine Corps commission from NATC Miami a year later and, after additional stateside training as a dive-bomber pilot, was posted to overseas duty with VMSB-141. As part of the “Cactus Air Force” flying out of Guadalcanal, Knapp took part in numerous patrols and strikes – and even scored a remarkable aerial victory using the fixed guns of his slow-moving SBD “Dauntless.”

On 13 November 1942, American Army, Navy, and Marine pilots based on Guadalcanal attempted to finish off the Japanese battleship Hiei, crippled in a naval battle near Savo Island. The big ship attempted to steam north to safety while her crew worked desperately to repair her crippled steering mechanism; although hit numerous times, she stubbornly remained afloat. A final flight of Marine dive bombers departed Henderson Field late in the afternoon and flew through a rapidly developing storm to attack the Hiei‘s escorting ships. Among the fliers were Second Lieutenant Knapp and Staff Sergeant Leighton M. Manning in SBD-3 06571.

The storm grew so strong that the flight was scattered and only the leader, Major Joseph Sailer, Jr., was able to drop his bomb on the target. In the relatively short distance between Henderson Field and the Hiei, two bombers disappeared along with their crews. Knapp and Manning were never heard from again; both were declared dead on 19 February 1945.