One of the last of a true dying breed has passed on:
In September 1941, he left the Army Air Forces to volunteer for service in China as part of a secret program, the American Volunteer Group, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, under Gen. Claire Chenault. Made up of about 400 pilots and ground personnel and based in Burma, the Flying Tigers protected military supply routes between China and Burma and helped to get supplies to Chinese forces fighting the Japanese.
The group’s exploits became legend. Flying the P-40 aircraft, their fuselages painted with a toothsome tiger, the Flying Tigers were credited with shooting down 299 enemy planes and destroying 200 on the ground, even though the Japanese at times outnumbered Chenault’s group 15 to 1. On one day in late February 1942, the Flying Tigers downed 28 Japanese planes while losing none.
During one of the 1942 engagements, Gen. Bond destroyed three Japanese I-97 planes while piloting his P-40B. He was credited with nine kills in all.
There was a great Dogfights episode on the Tigers. (I also like what he did with his bounty money.)
We salute you, Major General Bond.
If you want to see what these heros flew in, there is only one (P-40C) left still flying.
http://www.flyingheritage.com/
Microsoft money being put to good use!
There was a great Dogfights episode on the Tigers.
Are there any episodes of Dogfights that aren’t great? Man, I love that show.