Question on Kill marks on Aircraft. How can this be?

The only thing I can think of is that maybe he crashed or bailed out of an airplane and painted on the flag as a reminder. If he had shot down one of his friendly planes, it would have resulted in an inquiry and if he had taken cradit, probobly an dishonory discharge.

David

I kinda figured it had to be some kind of joke.  I just couldn't figure out the punchline. 

Thanks Guys. 

If memory serves me correct the story behind the American kill marking is this;

When Capt Crudes was stationed in the Pacific he shot down a C-47 to prevent it from landing on an enemy airfield. All the crew of the C-47 was rescued. That is why there is an American flag on the side of his aircraft.  I can't remember were I read that but I do remember the story behind the kill marking. The marking was put there in humor, not to claim a kill.

Reddog

Reddog wrote:

If memory serves me correct the story behind the American kill marking is this; When Capt Crudes was stationed in the Pacific he shot down a C-47 to prevent it from landing on an enemy airfield. All the crew of the C-47 was rescued. That is why there is an American flag on the side of his aircraft.  I can't remember were I read that but I do remember the story behind the kill marking. The marking was put there in humor, not to claim a kill. Reddog

Did the C-47 pilot see the humor in it?

Tom

I have heard that markings like this were sometimes used to denote the destruction of equipment that had been captured by opposing forces. But not in this case it seems.

                                                   Andrew

You are correct Reddog,  he shot down the C-47 to prevent it from landing on a Japanese airfield.  Why they were going to land on an enemy airfield, I don't know.  But, they painted an American flag on the plane as a joke and I guess it stuck.  He tried to claim the title as 'double ace,' but, they wouldn't allow the American kill.  I'm sure he was not the first fighter pilot to down an aircraft on his team, American bombers were bad about shooting at American fighters in the heat of combat, and, yes, they did shoot them down.

www.flickr.com/.../5712609140

There was an incident onboard The USS Bouge CVE 9    WHERE the pilot of a TBM-3 Went over the crash barrier and struck 2 planes on the aft part of the deck.

For destroying 3 planes he was awarded a MOCK  Iron Cross.

I read one case of a marine pilot at Henderson field who joked that not only was he a triple ace, but he'd be an Japanese ace too, because he had ditched 5 planes in combat.

I had read somewhere that a P-51 had caught sight of a captured B-24 that the Germans were using to infiltrate the bomber formations and shot it down.  That info could be old, faulty, a rumor.  I just remember reading that somewhere......or I may have dreamt it.  Can't be sure

The 8th AF actually started using the color and symbols of the day system to prevent intruders from infiltrating the bomber formations.  If an intruder did not have the proper colored symbol (X, O, square, etc) on the fuselage, it would be fired upon by the bomber crews and the escort fighters.

It could be that he found an American aircraft being tested or operated by the Germans and managed to shoot it down.

Does anyone know the story of these markings on F-4 #463?  I caught it as it visited our base with a couple other ships. They left shortly after I got the shot and I had to respond to an emergency call so I wasn't able to ask. Look just to the right of the first star.  So far I have not found anybody who can explain it.

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i213.photobucket.com/.../scan0131-3.jpg

DiscoStu

I had read somewhere that a P-51 had caught sight of a captured B-24 that the Germans were using to infiltrate the bomber formations and shot it down.  That info could be old, faulty, a rumor.  I just remember reading that somewhere......or I may have dreamt it.  Can't be sure

I remember a TV show or perhaps a movie that dealt with the Germans using captured American bombers to cause problems. My best speculation is an episode of the old 12 O'clock High series. Not sure if the stories of that series were based on actual events.

Ikar, that is a Bomarc Drone kill

after they were stood down as missiles, they were converted to Drones, similar to the QF-102 program, the Military needed a higher speed drone than the Firebees could provide

if you zoom in, you will see that is the shape of a Bomarc in flight,,,,,,,,,,it isn't chatted about much, but, "both sides" of the Fighter vs Drone training war kept score, the Fighter with kill marks, and the Drones with Mission Survived markings

Rex

There is a book out now about U.S. aircraft in German service. I've read of a '47 ghosting a flight of 190's with a '51 in the middle of them and not trying to get away. There is also a story of a P-38 in Italy that was attacking B-24's until that was shot down by  P-51's. U.S.S.R. used 190D's because they liked and feared  them so much. But they did put red stars on them. So the stories are out there. Some true, some are up to the reader to decide. You are not dreaming.

I have no actual insight here...but I will say that I got quite a charge out of the 'friendly fire' kill mark on the Deal's Wheels Spitsfire :) :

When I was stationed at VAW-120 in Norfolk, VA one of our E-2C Hawkeyes clipped a deer who made the rash decision of trying to cross the active runway during flight ops.

A deer silhouette was dutifully painted on the nose of the aircraft.

I was at Udorn in '73/74, and remember 67-463 with 5 stars, but don't remember her with the drone kill, but didn't see her that often as I worked mostly RF's and E's.  When she left she had a new paint job and no stars.  I left in August.

Still nice pics of the aces bird.

C-47 pilot was confused like a NAVY pilot landing on the wrong carrier.

kbrackie

You are correct Reddog,  he shot down the C-47 to prevent it from landing on a Japanese airfield.  Why they were going to land on an enemy airfield, I don't know.  But, they painted an American flag on the plane as a joke and I guess it stuck.  He tried to claim the title as 'double ace,' but, they wouldn't allow the American kill.  I'm sure he was not the first fighter pilot to down an aircraft on his team, American bombers were bad about shooting at American fighters in the heat of combat, and, yes, they did shoot them down.

 

The other part of the story that I've heard is that the C47 was full of medical personnel. The pilot who downed the transport later married one of the nurses onboard.