KW132008
'Shangri La' - 'Salem Representative'
P-51B-15-NA 42-106924 Salem Representative, flown by Flight Officer Ralph 'Kidd' Hofer, 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, May 1944 A rebellious maverick who habitually flew in a blue and orange college football shirt, the 'Kidd' began his flying career in the RCAF, transferring to the USAAF in June 1943. The Salem Representative was Hofer's third P-51B, assigned to him in April 1944 - his first two aircraft had been lost while being flown by other pilots. The aircraft had drab upper surfaces, with a very high demarcation on the fuselage, and a red band across the fin in the same position as the discontinued recognition marking. Black recognition stripes were retained underwing and under the tail plane. An ace even before promotion from Flight Officer to Lieutenant, Hofer was killed in action over Yugoslavia on 2 July 1944, shot down by a Bf 109. He was credited with 15 enemy aircraft in the air, and destroyed another 15 on the ground, prior to his death.
P-51B-5-IMA 43-6913 Shangri-La, flown by Captain Don Gentile, 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, March 1944 Winner of the 'Ace Race' to reach Rickenbacker's 26 kills (racking up 21.83 aerial and six ground victories by April 1944), Gentile's Personal kill list, and Gen Eisenhower's remark that the youngster from Ohio was a 'one-man air force', obscure his contribution as a team-player, whose unselfish partnership with wingman John T Godfrey proved mutually beneficial. Rejected for pilot training by the USAAC, Gentile followed the example of many of his compatriots and enlisted with the RCAF, scoring his first kill (and receiving a British DFC) as a member of No 133 'Eagle' Sqn flying Spitfires in support of the Dieppe landings. Gentile transferred to the USAAF with his squadron in September 1942, achieving 2 Spitfire and 4.33 P-47 kills before converting to the P-51 and scoring a further 15.5. The beautifully decorated Shangri-La broke its back when Gentile hit the runway during a low-level pass after completing his last operational mission on 13 April 1944. He later flew a silver P-51D with similar markings during a fund-raising drive in the USA.
Later was assigned to Test Flight at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Left service in April 1946. Re-entered the fewly formed USAF in December 1947. Fatally injured in an air accident on January 20, 1951.
Hiba a leírásban? Jelezd számunkra
...