▁Wat erman ▁and ▁A viation ▁Mach in ist ' s ▁Mate ▁ 2 d ▁Class ▁Joseph ▁Bang ust , ▁the ▁wa ist ▁g unn ers , ▁stood ▁by ▁their ▁machine ▁guns ▁and ▁down ed ▁the ▁first ▁attack er . ▁▁ ▁While ▁in ▁a ▁ 6 0 - deg ree ▁d ive ▁aim ed ▁at ▁a ▁cru iser ▁below , ▁Christ man ▁released ▁his ▁bomb s ▁at ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁feet ▁before ▁heading ▁the ▁l umber ing ▁P BY ▁west ward ▁to ▁clear ▁the ▁area . ▁One ▁f ighter , ▁however , ▁purs ued ▁do gg edly . ▁ ▁Sh ot ▁Down ▁by ▁a ▁Japanese ▁Zero ▁In ▁the ▁en su ing ▁running ▁fight , ▁the ▁P BY ▁f ared ▁badly . ▁On ▁one ▁pass , ▁the ▁f ighter ' s ▁can non ▁shell s ▁t ore ▁into ▁the ▁plane ' s ▁gas oline ▁tank ; ▁and ▁the ▁vol atile ▁fuel ▁sp illed ▁from ▁the ▁ru pt ured ▁area . ▁On ▁another ▁pass , ▁the ▁f ighter ' s ▁fire ▁ign ited ▁the ▁gas oline ▁and ▁set ▁the ▁Catal ina ▁ab la ze . ▁Christ man ▁head ed ▁for ▁the ▁water ▁to ▁land ▁and ▁abandon ▁ship ; ▁two ▁men , ▁Rad i omen ▁ 2 ▁Class ▁Land ers ▁and ▁Bang ust , ▁ba iled ▁out ▁at ▁ 3 0 0 ▁feet ▁while ▁Christ man ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁pil ots ▁rode ▁the ▁plane ▁down . ▁Wat erman , ▁after ▁man ning ▁his ▁single ▁. 3 0 - cal iber ▁machine ▁gun