P-51 pilot question

[congobob]

Sorry to be asking this...it came up in the forum a few months ago, but as hard as i search i can't find it.

Who was the P-51 pilot in the pacific who shot down a C-47 and had an american flag victory marking on his plane along with his other kills? I think he was part of the 3rd air commando group.

Thanks!

[dollar65]

Hello,

That was Louis E. Curdes, 3rd Air Commando Group, 4th Fighter Squadron.

HTH,

Laurent

[Jack Cook]

One of my favorite pictures and the one i've probably sold more reprints of off my ebay store.

Capt Louis Curdes in the "Bad Angel"

[Mick Grinter]

And the P-38 that shot down a Boomerang.

[Mick Grinter]

And the P-38 that shot down a Boomerang.

[dollar65]

And the P-38 that shot down a Boomerang.

Wasn't it rather Gerald Johnson, 49th FG, shooting down Wirraway A46-136 on November 15th, 1943?

[Randy Haskin]

Interesting story...I've never heard of it.

Circling low in a protective pattern, Curdes spotted a C-47 heading to Batan, apparently believing the airstrip to be under U.S. control. Curdes felt he had to intervene, lest the transport and all aboard fall into enemy hands. Unable to make radio contact with the C-47 or any American base nearby, he shot out one, then two, of the plane's engines, sending the C-47 into a water landing. He flew over the scene long enough to notice a dozen Americans, including nurses, in the rubber raft. He headed home, having done all he could, good or bad. The story ends well. The next morning he and a wingman flew out at daybreak to cover the rescue of the Americans. As the 51s circled protectively over the downed people, a PBY Catalina picked them all up, including the downed Mustang pilot. The pilot of the C-47 had indeed expected to land on Basco strip. Curdes actually won the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down one of our own C-47s.

Cool narrative, although I don't like the use of 'won' to describe how he was awarded the DFC.

[Jack Cook]

I don't like the use of 'won' to describe how he was awarded the DFC.

I agree Randy, has the saying goes....It's not a contest. My cousin was awarded his 3rd DFC posthumously.

[congobob]

Thanks guys! I wanted to make a skin of his plane for an online game I fly, Skyfighters OSX. Unfortunately I'm finding different versions of the paintjob. I made my skin to look like this since it had the most detail. This model was based on a set of CAM decals which place the plane in china in 1945. However other images depict the aircraft looking like mustangs from the 3rd sqd, 3rd AC, just like jumpin, jacque. Can anyone shed some light on this?
BTW great picture jack cook!

[Chicoartist]

One of my favorite pictures and the one i've probably sold more reprints of off my ebay store.

Hi Jack ... been meaning to tell you that that last big batch of 5x7 photos arrived in excellent shape. Very sharp and clear.

Thx!

Wade

[lone avenger]

Thats an amazing story. Would you mind if I sent this pic into Classic Wings magazine?

[DaveM2]

Classic Wings frequents WIX, but thanks for thinking of us.

Dave