Lt. Ralph Kidd Hofer
P-51B-15-NA "Salem Representative" (QP*L)
S/N 42-106924
4th FG, 334th FS
Debden, England
This is the P-51B-15-NA "Salem Representative" (s/n 42-106924) coded QP*L flown by legendary ace Ralph Kidd Hofer of the 4th FG, 334th FS. Hofer was one of the top aces in the ETO with 30.5 planes to his credit--fourteen of these were while strafing, making Hofer one of the top strafers in the theater.
With a flamboyant style that included a football jersey over his uniform, a penchant for lone wolf tactics that showed his disdain for being or having a wingman, and terrible radio discipline (Group Commander Don Blakeslee once vented his wrath upon Hofer for breaking radio silence to remark, "Ain't the Alps pretty?" on an escort mission), The Kidd was one-of-a-kind.
He scored his first victory over an ME-109 on his first mission. Despite his lone wolf tendencies and unorthodox unaccompanied flights over Europe, Hofer began to rack up victories month after month and would wind up the second-highest scorer in the 4th FG despite his premature end.
On the famous Russian Shuttle mission, Hofer was separated from the group pursuing enemy fighters and landed alone at a different base than the rest of his comrades. With some difficulty, he managed to talk the Russians into servicing his aircraft and caught up with the group. The shuttle group was in Italy and Col. Blakeslee subsequently approved a support mission with a bomber group stationed there. Hofer went missing, a common occurrence, but as the hours ticked by it became clear he was lost.
According to Troy White‘s book "Last of the Screwball Aces" Hofer and his wingman Lt. George Stanford, wound up separated from the group and were heading back to Italy when Standford’s plane was hit by flak (one source claims it was a fuel system problem). Hofer followed Standford down to a safe crash landing (he survived to become a POW) then continued homeward alone. Over Mostar, Yugoslavia Hofer saw an enemy airfield ripe with targets and proceeded to strafe it.
Dr. Roy Heidicker wrote in his article "Heroes of the 4th FW: Lt. Ralph "Kidd" Hofer":
Hofer's final act was representative of his extraordinary life. According to German records, Hofer crashed his Mustang into the quadruple 20 mm anti-aircraft gun that shot him down. In only 23 years, Hofer had blazed a path across the skies of Europe and into the heritage of the 4th Fighter Wing. Hero, daredevil, and screwball ace, Ralph "Kidd" Hofer was an American original.He was killed in QP*X not QP*L at the age of 23 and is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
Originally skinned by Fencer this aircraft has been updated for AH3.
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