Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: midnight Target on October 03, 2005, 10:21:50 PM
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Who was the first American pilot to shoot down 5 enemy planes in one day?
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Off the top of my head, Butch Ohare?
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Maybe Claire Chennault did it in China in 1938, but I wouldn't bet on it. I would love to know more about his combat performance before the AVG
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Pryo?
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A little known fact is that Eric Hartmann was born in the back of a Ford Model A pickup on a sheep ranch just outside Elko Nevada.
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Drex!
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Buzz Wagner. Phillpines, Dec 1941
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If I had to guess, I would say it might be Gregory Boyington.
The Marines credited him with 6 aircraft in one day while flying with the Flying Tigers.
dago
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Originally posted by midnight Target
Who was the first American pilot to shoot down 5 enemy planes in one day?
Forget Claire Chenaullt, I change my answer to Frank Luke
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I think such claims should be discounted. Anyone who got 5 kills in a day was clearly vulching, cherrypicking, flying from "some sort of advantage", or had not booked an appointment with the enemy pilot. Or... maybe they were using a small map that day!:rofl
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Butch O'Hare was the first pilot in the US military to get 5 kills in a day. But not the first American.
Buzz Wagner was the 1st Ace of the US Army Air Corps. But still not the guy I'm looking for.
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Ben Affleck?
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Originally posted by Curval
Ben Affleck?
he got a lot more than only 5 !
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Robert Hedman - AVG - Dec. 23rd 1941.
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I do believe Buzz has him beat, got 5 on the ground and two in the air Dec 12th, 1941... ??
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Buzz got more than that on the ground according to my sources (19?), should have specified air-air kills I guess. I'll give you partial credit and 1 bazillion dollars for playing though.
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why thank you sir. I shall use the money to buy vermont, new hampshire and maine. Then we're gonna invade canada and force the french to surrender.
again.
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Historically, the US invading Canada doesn't work out too well for some reason.
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Oh, I'd not occupy Canada. Just force the French to Surrender. I doubt we'd actually have to invade more than about a mile or so.
Call it a logistic and forigen policy exercise.
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Tommy Walker
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hehe...
There once was this football game between the Bish and the Knights. In the middle of the third quarter with the score 0-0 a lunch horn went off at a nearby factory. The Bish left the field thinking the game was over....
three plays later Swager scored.
:)
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You could buy Vermont and Maine, but New Hampshire aint fer sale!
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I should state why it isnt for sale....you see...its a colony of Massachusetts.
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Originally posted by FiLtH
You could buy Vermont and Maine, but New Hampshire aint fer sale!
LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!!
(went to school in NH ;) )
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Originally posted by midnight Target
Robert Hedman - AVG - Dec. 23rd 1941.
A note about Boyington: He is credited with 4.5 kills while flying with the AVG. The Chinese only paid him for 3.5 kills.
Boyington was notorious for over-stating his accomplishments, which was one of several factors that lead to Chennault growing to dislike him more than any other AVG pilot. Boyington eventually quit the AVG, in violation of his contract. Considered a deserter by the Chinese Air Force, he was denied transportation on Allied aircraft and had to book passage on a commercial ship to return to the USA.
You can read the sorted details on Dan Ford's site here. (http://www.warbirdforum.com/gregboy.htm)
My regards,
Widewing
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Originally posted by Hangtime
I do believe Buzz has him beat, got 5 on the ground and two in the air Dec 12th, 1941... ??
Don't forget George Welch, who was credited with 4 kills and two probables at Pearl Harbor flying a P-40B (Welch's wingman, Ken Taylor, swears that the other two crashed off the coast). The next time he ran into the Japanese, he shot down three more flying a P-39D on December 7th 1942, the anniversary of his first 4 kills. After transferring to the 80th FS of the 8th FG; on June 21, 1943, flying the P-38H, Welch shot down 2 Zeros over Lae. Then he nailed 3 Ki-61s over Wewak on August 16. On September 4, of 1943, Welch shot down 3 Zeros and a Ki-46 Dinah.
A few weeks later, deathly ill with malaria, Welch was hospitalized. A favorite of Hap Arnold, it was deemed that he should be home as soon as he recovered.
He is credited with 16 kills and 3 probables all shot down in just 5 engagements, the only times he actually encountered Japanese aircraft. This, I believe, is the record for air to air kills per combat for the USAAF in WWII. Welch flew 348 combat missions, many in the P-39 flying close support in New Guinea.
Welch is among a small group of USAAF pilots to score kills in three different fighter types.
My regards,
Widewing
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William Shomo, The Flying Undertaker? Doubt it cause it was late in the war. 7 kills in one mission.
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George Preddy killed 6 in one day while hung over and not having slept the previous night. he was angry about having been posted to flight duty.
Marseilles killed 17 P-40s single handedly while his wingman circled above providing info about fighters on his 6
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George Welch
- First US pilot to shoot down four aircraft in a single day, December 7, 1941
Edward O'Hare
- First US pilot to shoot down five aircraft in a single day, February 20, 1942
Neel Kearby
- First US pilot to shoot down six aircraft in a single day, October 11, 1943
William Levarette
- First US pilot to shoot down seven aircraft in a single day, October 9, 1943
David McCampbell
- First US pilot to shoot down nine aircraft in a single day, October 24, 1944
OTHERWISE. Robert Hedman, on December 23, 1941, he was the first American pilot to down five enemy aircraft in a single day.
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Originally posted by Rafe35
David McCampbell
- First US pilot to shoot down nine aircraft in a single day, October 24, 1944
Kept score with a pencil on his control panel.
Karaya
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Oh, I'd not occupy Canada. Just force the French to Surrender. I doubt we'd actually have to invade more than about a mile or so.
LOL Hang, you could just do it over the phone. No need to even get off the couch :)
RTR