When America's Greatest Ace Took on 9 Japanese Zeros - True Story of Richard Bong
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
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This is the story of Richard Bong's famous mission in his P-38 Lightning when he took on 9 Japanese Zeros by himself. This was made using the World War II flight simulator IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles series and War Thunder. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe. #WW2 #WWIIHistory #WarThunder
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Not so bad with the worst plane ever made.
@@gillesguillaumin6603 … opinions , everyone has one … my Dad said the Airacobra was the worst plane of WW2 !!
I'm a real fighter ground hunter pilot... I got news U investors... Keep your money in your mattress stuff your pillows with the rest... I can shoot the asshole out of rat from 20K feet... Don't mean I am foolish with my money no more... Take my advice and save yourself from the hardships...
Can you make a video on p 51 ace pilot richard Candelaria? He was able to perform the so called retournement manoeuvre with the p51 mustang.
On Bong's fatal test flight it was NOT any malfunction which caused the fuel starvation which caused the crash. Because the P-80's jet engine required a lot of fuel on takeoff, an ADDITIONAL fuel boost pump had been installed. He had either not been told of this recent addition or forgotten to switch it on for his last takeoff from Burbank airport.
My grandfather knew Bong. He was an infantryman that had volunteered to be a nose gunner in a B-24 in New Guinea when Bong's unit got the new P-38s and he asked him for a joy ride. Bong obliged by taking the radio out from behind his seat. My grandfather, bent nearly in half and with his feet on Bong's shoulders got a ride in the P-38.
That's one awesome story
My Grandpa was in Bongs unit! He had all sorts of stories and pictures from when they were in New Guinea. He talked about how once a B-24 had been hit and wasnt able to make it back to there airfield so it crash landed on theres. He said he watched as the surviving crew burned alive and couldn't make it out in time because the flames were so bad.
My great uncle was a waste gunner on b24 in New Guinea, dick bong flew air cover for the Jolly Rodger’s!!!!!!🇺🇸🫡
Waist gunner.
@@jamesrackow1061pretty sure B-24 has a nose gunner
While on a war bond promotional tour he visited his home town Poplar and near by Superior WI. He flew around the city at very low altitude. My dad and some friends were at a park when bong flew over them while in a banking turn. My dad said they were close enough to see Bong in the cockpit. I told this story to a group on Facebook and a guy jumped into the conversation and said what my dad told me is exactly what happened, because he was standing next to my dad at the time.
I'm that guy
I am Bong
Is it ironic that our leading aces in both WWII and Korea, were pulled from combat and brought home, only to be killed testing new jet aircraft.
The story on Bong that I read was, knowing he was too low, Bong attempted to stand in the cockpit, open his chute and let it deploy and pull him from the aircraft, but the chute hung on the tail of the aircraft, sealing his fate.
Bong was my first hero growing up, and the Lightning...if I ever win the lottery, first thing on "the list" is a P-38!
Bong forgot to read the manual
It was much safer being in combat than testing the new jets back at a "safe" state side base.
@@sd906238 - Testing any new aircraft in those days was extremely dangerous. They didn't run computer simulations, they got in 'em and flew 'em to see if they could make the wings come off.
He was sent home. He became a test pilot and was killed while flying a jet fighter. Ironically, he was killed on August 6, 1945. I have seen the newspaper article.
It is ironic but both died doing what they loved, flying. While always tragic for the loved ones left behind very few get that chance to do what they love even if it kills them.
P38 LIGHTENING one of my favorite WWII Fighters..
My uncle served as a mechanic in Bong's unit. He worked on Bong's plane among many others.
My Grandpa was in the unit also. He was in the 8th fg though!
My Dad was a ground crew chief in the Air Corps.
My grandfather flew a p-38 in WWII, but they had taken out the guns to make room for cameras and put him as recon. They actually did this with a few of the planes, he had to limp home with one engine a couple times, after all he was going behind enemy lines by himself with no guns. He did dumb stuff like diving at a small German ship just to watch them all jump overboard and drop an empty fuel tank on a German train.
Nuts! Absolutely blessed to fly back.
I had the chance to meet Kelly Johnson in Burbank in the early 70s. One of the great geniuses of the last century, almost entirely unsung. So many masterpiece aircraft designs flowed from his beautiful mind. The Lockheed Lightning was the most brilliant fighter design of WWII.
Bong’s jet didn’t “malfunction”. He forgot to switch fuel tanks and the engine flamed out. My father was a fighter pilot in the 50s and 60s and was briefed on the crash early in his flight career. Bong wasn’t big on procedures or checklists. He just flew.
Like an ace.
No, his main fuel pump sheered.. and he didn't turn on the auxiliary pump.
A rhyme from a ww2 fighter pilot and I quote...." Don't give me a Peter 4 0, she's a hell of an airplane you know. She'll grunt and she'll wheeze, and make straight for the trees, don't give me a Peter 4 0". Witty but maybe a little unfair
He shouldn't have had a bong that day
Bong didn't bother to learn aircraft systems and procedures, and it killed him. Chuck Yeager not only learned systems and procedures, he could often strip them down and rebuild them. Both pilots were aces, both went into test piloting after the war, bong didn't last long, Yeager made history and live to a rope old age.
As a plane fan the P38 is my favorite WW2 plane so this pilot warmed my heart.
Richard Bong's brother was my Art teacher from 1984-1987. He worshiped his big brother. He build a P-38 and displayed it in his classroom. They are both missed. Carl Bong wrote a book named "The Ace of Aces".
He also put together “So Mom, we have a War.” His story is so incredible.
I once read a magazine article wherein Richard Bong was reported to have said that he wasn't much of a good shot, so he maneuvered close enough to the rear of an enemy airplane that a short burst of machinegun fire would get the job done - as if dogfighting your way onto the tail of an enemy fighter was the easy part!
Truly a man who was unaware of just how exceptional his skill set was.
P-38 is a plane where you fly high and fast, dive like an eagle on a group of rabbits, fire, and then climb, tirn and repeat, and with the nose guns a pilot can fire at longer distances, instead to calculating the intersection of the machine guns in the wings. And his plane was fitted with wings for high altitude where he would be hardly defeated. The only problem is if a P-38 is caught flying slow at low altitude and gets trapped into a turning battle.
My Dad flew in B25 stafers in New Guinea. Bong was stationed at his airstrip. He went over to take a picture of "Marge" and talked to the crew chief. Dad commented he must be a good shot", the crew chief responded, "not really, he just flys right up their ass!". 😜
He did it with a p-38 speaks volumes about the plane!
I am from Wisconsin. I recently met a great nephew of Richard Bong. He knew all about him but was born after has passed away, so he never got to meet him. Even after all these years he said his family is still very proud of him.
In WWII my grandfather was a mechanic. It took a long time to take an engine apart so he heated his wrench and bent it. Then got chewed out by his commanding officer. Later they made bent wrenches.
When I worked for M&R Trucking. I made bent wrenches the mechanics needed for the Cummings fuel pumps. Snapon made them, but they were very expensive.
I was stunned that Richard bong was just only 24 years old but it was a very nice episode 😃
In those days a 24 year old was a man.
@@stephenmeier4658 yes u are right
Hard to live past 24 with balls that big - hard on the back
Top of game and fearless
You have taken history and made it an art form. Remarkable. Brilliant, actually. Thank you.
The P-38 was another great plane created by Kelly Johnson, who also designed the Lockheed Electra, F-104, YF-12 / SR-71...!
What?
The guy who made the P-38, one of the most effective fighters of WW2, also made the fastest manned aircraft?
@@Bmuenks31 He did that for sure. Nobody was ever better than Kelly Johnson. And just for kicks, he designed the Constellation, most beautiful plane to ever fly.
When Richard It's Bong died testing the P 80 he gave his life to save a school full of kids. A true Hero.
So many times, those who have risked 'all' in combat, have lost all in calmer times...
My mother went to school with Richard in Poplar, WI, which is east of Superior, WI, on US highway 2. She would tell stories how he would love to race cars very recklessly, a trait that apparently carried over to his Army Air Force career.
When the bridge from Superior WI to Duluth, MN was dedicated and named the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge in 1985, a P-38 Lightening flew a low pass over it in his honor that day. I was there in the crowd and still remember the thrill of seeing and hearing that impressive plane as it passed low overhead, and also what it represented.
As you may recall a P-38 was displayed for years in either Poplar or Wentworth (memory fails me). It was eventually moved to another location (?). The 38 was a great fighter plane but my favorite is the P-51 Mustang, often dubbed the best prop-driven fighter of WWII.
@@behlinski Yes, that P-38 was displayed outdoors in Poplar but later moved and refurbished inside the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wi where it is still proudly displayed in all its glory. The P-51 Mustang is also my favorite single engine WW2 fighter. Both fighters were truly great planes of the WW2 piston era.
One of my favorite stories is about Hermann Göring. When he saw Allied bombers being escorted by P-51s over Berlin he reportedly said that we’ve lost the war. I’ve enjoyed our conversations and you’ve supplied some good info about Richard Bong. I’d love to visit the museum in Superior. Stay safe.
@@behlinski Great communicating with you too Chuck. Hope you stay safe and well. Take care.
His confirmed score was 40. His actual score was probably much higher. After he had been fighting awhile, he was pulled from combat and sent to aerial gunnery training. After, he was returned to the Pacific to train other pilots but told to only fight in self-defense. Of course, he had to "defend himself ' many times. I doubt any other fighter pilot will even sniff his score. He used to say "get as close as you can and, when you think you're too close, go in closer".
Japanese pilots were subpar as the war went on so they became easy pickings. It was because Japan won the information warfare. It may sound strange but let me explain.
Information warfare filters and censors information and develops a culture that normalizes lies. So Japanese people thought they were winning until Americans invaded Saipan. The information warfare was won, even if the actual war was lost. Information warfare is good to cover sins, mistakes, and protect egos only.
At the beginning of the war, Japan knew how many planes Americans had in each base. They knew how many planes were shipped and where. The only missing piece was downed planes. Japanese pilots were raised in an information warfare culture that normalizes lies, so they lied and very often they reported more downed planes than the actual number of planes in both sides. So Japanese intelligence always sent less planes than they should and this is why the air war in the Pacific was not so tough as the war went on. Also add the fact that Japanese do not bring experienced pilots back home to train new recruits.
So lies normalized by information warfare ended up helping Americans to win.
that's how luftwaffe aces hans joachim marseille erich hartmann did it. like bong, they got as close to the enemy as possible before firing. hartman is the world's greatest ace, with 352 confirmed kills, including seven p-51 mustangs. marseille is the greatest ace against the western allies, with 158 confirmed kills before he was killed in a bail out over north africa in 1942.
I used to fix F-15s in the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing which is the descendant of the 49th pursuit group which was Bong's unit. I heard many stories of how when his numbers were getting up there he would come back from patrol with guns needing reload and a plane with bullet holes needing patched. When asked what happened the reply was he didn't see anything. Don't know if the stories were true but they were interesting.
I love those stories! A WW2 Pacific veteran was talking to his grandson. His grandson asked if the bugs were really huge in the islands. He had heard that they were. His grandfather said "one time a mosquito landed on the runway and we put 10 gallons of gas in it before we realized it wasn't an airplane."
@@tonygryboski8593 This may not be true, but I read that the bullets for the machine guns used in American combat planes of WW2 were in belts twenty-seven feet in length. Thus if a pilot was able to fire all his bullets off at one target he was said to have given his adversary 'the full nine yards'.
An advantage the P-38 had was that it's machine guns pointed straight ahead giving it a greater firing range than other aircraft. On aircraft which had guns mounted in the wings, the guns were set so the firing range converge at a point which limited the range of engagement. With the P-38 guns mounted in the fuselage and pointed straight, the range was increased.
Indeed. Add to that that the Lightning mounted .50 caliber and 20 mm guns, while the Zeros had 7.7 mm (.30 caliber) guns. Superior firepower.
@@georgej.dorner3262 The Zeros had two 20 mms too, but they only carried sixty rounds for them. They'd use the 7.7s to line up the shot, and then use the twenties to get the kill.
@@georgej.dorner3262 The A6M Zero, depending on the mark, had two 20mm or four 20mm cannon. Now the Oscar, that is the KI-43, usually carried one 7.7 and one .50 OR two .50s in the cowling (yes badly underarmed.)
@@georgej.dorner3262 Only,that the zero had two"functioning"20mm cannons also!Dummy!
BS!The range is always the same!But converging guns have the benefit of a shotgun-pattern lucky hit!On the P-38 it was "hit-or-miss"!
My Dad knew Dick Bong as well as Thomas McGuire. My Dad was a WW2 vet, Army, Pacific Theater. His unit was assigned to guard the P38 squadron that was on the the Island of Tacloban in the Philippines.
My dad was in the Korean conflict. He was a Captain stationed in Guam as an Air Trafic Controller. His only wound was a piece of a quanset Hut metal roof that sliced his arm during a Typhoon. He went on to become a civilian Air Traffic controller and Tower Chief. He was my Hero and got me rides in every aircraft, including the Goodyear Blimp 2x.
Thanks for making this he was my great grandpa didn’t think people cared
P38 had a higher max ceiling than the zero. Common tactics was to climb max altitude and attack from above.
Funny enough I was playing WT last night using P-38 in a map full of A6M2 players in pacific map and used this tactic a bit
My uncle flew P-38s in Europe during WWII as a photo recon. Said it was the most amazing plane he ever flew. Got credit for 2 kills in a plane that didn't have guns. The P-38, in the hands of a good pilot, could fly any other plane into the ground.
Ironic to remove him from combat for his safety, then put him in as a test pilot, a position likely more dangerous than a combat fighter. He was highly skilled and knowledgeable about the P38. I'd say test flying a P80 was likely much more dangerous than flying the P38 in combat. RIP Sir. You served your country well.
The military assumed successful combat pilots would be equally good test pilots. Test flying is a whole different discipline and even pilots like Bong didn't necessarily adapt to it.
Its about tactics, training and learning to use what you have effectively.
Japanese wanted long distance and dog fighting. The Zero dominated at first.
The US learned to use speed and firepower in a diving slashing attack. And avoid dogfights.
They let the Japanese fight like dogs while they swooped in like an eagle on a pidgin.
Yeah and they worked in pairs, zoom and boom💥
Plus used the THACH WEAVE to help kill the ZEROS
@@sgoell75 If I read 'The First Team' by Lundstrom correctly, the other great contributing factor to Wildcats getting vics over Zeros (and I think the losses were almost even or perhaps tilted in favor of the Zeros a bit) was a tendency for some Zero pilots to 'overshoot' and end up right in front of the Wildcats, who being prewar trained pilots early on, were well versed in deflection shooting
Lightning pilots used energy fighting tactics to survive the Zero's legendary turn rate, until they learned that they could use the twin-engine aircraft's propeller pitch and throttle controls to create differential thrust from right to left, dramatically tightening her turning circle. When what was once a "boom and zoom" energy fighter was discovered to also have the ability to out-turn even the Zero in the right hands, she became an absolute terror of the skies, and was dubbed the "Fork-Tailed Devil" by Axis pilots.
@@FusionAero Hub Zemke, while partial to the P47, flew all three of the main US fighters in Europe. He loved the P47, of course, but as he put it, The P51 got the job done and so did the P38. He liked the P38 because of the concentrated firepower and the twin engines meant there was no torque to fight so it was very steady to fly.
Great job on this beautiful piece. The greatest generation had the best heroes.
Is this the plane that the Japanese called " One Plane ; Two Pilots ". Or the one that the Luftwaffe called " The Fork-Tailed Devil ? ". I am impressed by both his story and the plane he flew !Too bad so many heroes are not mentioned in University History classes ! Thanks for posting this on TH-cam! :-)
The Fork-Tailed Devil
There is the Bong museum in Superior Wisconsin that has a replica of Bongs famous P-38. If in the area I recommend you see it. Has a lot of other exhibits as well.
My Dad flew P-40’s with the 5th Army Air Corps in the Pacific during WW2 and said his squadron couldn’t wait till the new P-38’s got there because the P-38’s were a far better plane !!!
The P-40 was a good aircraft, older and slower, but the AVG proved, that with with the right tactics, she could match up with the A6M. The P-40 was also used with some success in North Africa.
P38 was a good aircraft..but never a good dogfighter…P40 was a far better dogfighter. Especially under 15k. P38 had much better range and high altitude performance. Owning the perch was a huge advantage over Japanese bombers and fighters. By the time P38 entered service. Japanese began to bomb at lower altitudes. In fact the US and Australians did too. Fighter v fighter was closer to 1 to 1. Bombers were savaged by both sides.
I just wanna know how old you are if your dad flew those in WW2 🤔
Not to mention, no shit the P38 was a better plane. In every way possible..
How old are you? I am 71 years old and a well read person on history and work with historians to document and validate facts. Plus uncles and relatives that fought in WW2. Including fighters and bombers in USN and USAAF. I have their interviews documented. For all the theatrical bloviating by Fan clubs. P38 was a good plane but had flaws. SWP was especially hard on equipment. Took a while for the P38 to become a competent Fighters. P40 was still a much better dogfighter and far more competent when the mechanic by passed Allison civilian boost settings. Engines required replacements because our oil would cause bearing failure until formulation and bearing and crank design improved. All the weary books glorify the planes and pilots. Boasting massive kills and claims. That is changing and these machines killed many a pilot in non combat operations. Especially the rush to get trainees into combat. More were lost than in air to air combat. P38 was a flawed hard to master fighter. You need to read more instead of having people read to you,
@@lynnwright3993 … it was good enough even with a leaky engine for my Dad to shoot down three … never found out about his record till a couple months before he passed
Fabulous effort, thank you. Remarkable pilot, remarkable young man. Stunningly sad end. RIP Richard.
I never get tired of that story
Dick Bong was one of my father's first cousins . He went deer hunting with Dick on many occasions in and around Poplar .WI where they all lived . A great pilot . ACE OF ACES WITH HIS 40 KILLS . Todd Erickson
Thanks for the great history videos TJ3! Richard Bong is a hero of mine, RIP.
The trick to fighting a Zero was to keep your speed up. The ailerons on the Zero were big, like barn doors, and were not hydraulically operated. Unless flying slow, they became "mushy" and made it hard to turn. Torque from the engine made the Zero want to turn to the right, so you'd try to push it to turn left. It had no pilot armor and no self-sealing fuel tanks. One hit would turn it into a flying torch. The great Japanese ace Saburo Sakai said then an American plane was shot down over the sea it left oil on the surface, but a Japanese plane would leave a puddle of burning gasoline on the surface. Also, the USAF was not an independent branch until 1947. Bong served in the US Army Air Force (USAAF).
Torque (and just about everything else in a propellor) gives a single-prop plane the tendency to turn left. First of all, the aforementioned torque off a prop spinning clockwise (from the cockpit). Then there's p-factor, imparting asymmetric thrust on the right side of the propellor disc at high angles of attack. Add to that the corkscrew-shaped thrust flow from the propellor striking the left side of the tail.
The reason the island on an aircraft carrier sits on the starboard side of the ship is because an airplane being waved off is going to kick left when the power comes back on.
Tommy McGuire wrote a how-to manual to fight the zero. He said don't, "go low, slow, or heavy'. Stay above 15000 ft, 300 mph, and before entering battle drop the external fuel tanks. Unfortunately when McGuire was killed over Borneo, he was going low, slow, and still had his drop tanks.
@@deafsmith1006 I believe he was trying to assist Hans Rittmeyer. Tommy and Hans were both experienced pilots and they took two rookie pilots along for training purposes. Rittmeyer was jumped by a single Hamp-the clipped wing version of the Zero.
@@BogeyTheBear... for a perfect example of that torque effect see DEVOTION. There's a scene early on of an F4U Corsair making an approach to land on the carrier and the pilot guns the engine near the ramp. The aircraft inverts and crashes in the ships wake. One of the reasons the 😊 Corsair was nicknamed 'the ensign eliminator'.
The issue was first noted in the Great War. A skilled pilot could use it to dodge an attack...it could 😊 also kill you when landing
The attitude of his CO was one that showed how he liked the bravado of his pilots! If they were not willing to take chances with the planes they flew, they would not be prepared well enough for actual battle. Knowing the capabilities of the plane they flew, and thinking up ways to push the plane into maneuvers that were not the norm, was a must for these pilots. That is what made them great fighter pilots!
One of the sexiest aircraft ever built. Sat in one once, it had been cracked up but I "flew" that thing for a couple of hours under the Texas sun.
I had the incredible opportunity to go to Superior and Poplar WI while on my way to a fishing trip. Needless to say I had to visit the Richard Bong museum. A small but incredibly detailed tribute to our greatest fighter pilot. I bought his brother’s book containing Bong’s letters home. Took it a step further and drove through Poplar, where he grew up. Very small town. I took a wrong turn and later realized that I turned into the driveway of Bong’s childhood home. It was an amazing experience. Between that and the book I almost feel like I know him. Proud to share the same home state as him as well. Go Packers!
My dad (WWII vet) grew up on his grandfather’s farm near Superior at the same time Bong was farming nearby. He told the story, perhaps apochryphal(?), of Bong flying his plane perpendicular down main street during a celebration in his honor. Anyone else ever hear this story?
AWESOME RICHARD BONG BEST P38 PILOT EVER!
They need to make a movie about this guy!!
Richard I. "Dick" Bong Recreation Area is near the Wisconsin/Illinois border, and is one of numerous such sites across the northern half of the US that is blatantly an airfield that was built and covered back up for emergencies. Look it up, it's pretty neat to look at the overheads.
And I know for a fact it's there, my dad watched it get built week after week, passing by to go to his cabin up by the old family homestead farther north.
Yup. You can see the old runways, taxiways and building foundations from the air. Was it ever used as a drag strip?
Been there , many years ago
They fly model airplanes there nowadays.
The interstate system is also set up for use as emergency landing strips, there are bunkers under interstate 5 in oregon that used to hold equipment to convert them.
The Airport in Superior Wisconsin is also named after him!
The Zero turned out to be a paper Tiger. It only took a few rounds to bring them down while there are stories by German pilots of emptying their guns into a P-47 and it kept on flying.
The great Japanese ace Saburo Sakai had a similar experience while trying to shoot down a Grumman Wildcat.
Ditto wth the Corsair and Hellcat.
The Oscar was an interesting fighter plane: it was a performing fool that sent many Allied fighter pilots home talking to themselves. OTOH: the Oscar's armament was close to the armament found on Snoopy's WWI Sopwith Camel.
Fifty cals, v. 7.7s. unless they were firing their 20 mms. Most Zeros didn't have self sealing fuel tanks, p47 did. Also no pilot armor, whereas the p47 had a giant engine as armor, that could keep going after a hit.
@@markforster6457 He himself said "A Zero Which Had Taken So Many Bullets By Now Would've Been A Ball Of Fire"
Great video! We loved the book "Aces High" by Bill Yenne. It was a dual biography of Bong and McGuire. In the right hands, the P-38 could most certainly be lethal.
There's another book, 'Race of Aces' that figures Bong, McGuire, Kearby, Johnson and McDonald as they tried to break the Rickenbacker 'records'. Bong was badly 'torn up' by losses that his fight suffered--so much, he pleaded to be allowed to fly along so, nobody's life would be in his hands, just his own. Also, in another mission Bong was flying wing with Tommy Lynch and Lynch got shot down and killed by flak; the rest of the squadron just never forgave Bong for that.
@@nickmitsialis
It is my favorite ww2 book
and the story of Lindberg
@@wolffweber7019 I have only 'browsed' thru the book at Barnes and Noble, but I will try to get my hands on a copy at my local library. The 'theater' looks interesting; early on at least, the P38 pilots in SWPAC had a terrible time, trying to confront 'experienced' IJN and IJAF pilots. It mirrors the P38 experience in Tunisia==No combat experience with a new aircraft at the ass end of a ragged logistical line going up against a very experienced cadre of Axis pilots. ALL victories were very hard earned.
He had enough brains to know he had to do that maneuver. Because if he would have turned and ran he would have lost all the speed he gained in the dive and they might have been able to catch him. But he kept it gunned it and they didn't stand a chance because he had the superior brain apparently and definitely fighter. That p38 lightning was the bane of the zeros towards the end of the war from what I've seen
Ask Yamamoto, if you could
Hyper aggressive flying is a key characteristic of great pilots.
LOVE this plane.... THIS and the B-25 and B-17 are my 3 FAVORITE planes... PERIOD..
He was my idol. My uncle was one of kellys heros at the skunkworks.he gave me a hard cover book with photos. " Americas aces. ". I got to read about them all. Including korea. Dick bong was a caracter. And an excellent roll model. ❤ Rip major bong. Ace of all aces.
Good lord such a sad ending for such a brave young man. Rip.
I can just imagine the general chastising him for buzzing the house by saying "Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash!"
Read the Book recently about Richard (Dickie) Bong, and His Career. Also included was the stories of the Other Ace's, who fought in the same Theater, as well as the Other Theaters, like Europe, Italy, n North Africa, and China.
As for Dickie Bong, they say He was exceptional, with the skill of shooting, and very fast reflex's.
All were great Aviators in the mold of the US Army Air Corp. Let us never Forget Them??.
Actually he was a lousy shot for his first 28 kills. Had to get right up to them and blast them... then he went to gunnery school while touring the USA and became a much better shot.
@@deafsmith1006... deflection shooting is an art form. Takes time to master it.
One of the best was a Canadian pilot in Malta whose name escapes me at the moment
So any of these stories NEED /SHOULD be told !
Perfect assessment and punishment by this pilot's CO❤
He did not marry Marge and "Leave her back home" as stated. He was afraid he would be killed and leave her a widow. Sadly he was killed shortly after he married her.
By the end of WW2, the US had reached the pinnacle of propeller driven fighters, they were not going to get any better or faster. Ironically moving to jets was like starting over with early privative prop planes.
They started building a air base in Kenosha County Wisconsin that was supposed to have Nike Missels and B-58 hustlers. It was cancelled and now it is called Bong Rec Area.
I visited the remnant of one of his p38 at the Port Moresby museum. It had over taken the landing strip and jammed itself into the swamp beyond it. Years later it was recovered and is now in the open air. At least it was back in 2001.
Small piece of trivia regarding the P-38. Due to the twin boom design with dual vertical stabilizers and a horizontal stabilizer running between the booms, a new 'bail-out' procedure had to be developed specifically for "Lightening" pilots. If they simply opened the canopy and jumped out, as with other fighters, they would have been hit by one of those three stabilizers and killed. The 'bail-out' procedure for P-38 pilots was to release their harness, open the canopy and then roll the plane onto it's back, allowing the pilot to FALL out of the aircraft rather than jump, which kept him clear of the three stabilizers.
Go look at any fighter in WW2. There are two elevators along with the stabilizer (rudder) in your way when you bail out. You have to be just as careful bailing out of them as the 38.
Same procedure was used for the Spit, because the cockpit was such a tight fit, it was hard to climb out.
@@lynnwright3993 Usually, if the flight controls still worked, they would flip the airplane on it's back and drop out of the cockpit.
@@deafsmith1006 Yea, Tom said they did that in the 38, I was adding they also did it in the Spit.
My grandpa flew P-38s in the pacific. He swore it was the best plane for that theater, blasting mitsubishis and diving away when outnumbered. He fought zero's and swore the P-38 could turn slightly better on account of its superior horsepower.
Life got you down? Curl up with a good book and escape the real world for a bit. And maybe learn something new. When times were toughest I escaped into literature and its the best decision I ever made.
These are my favorite books, all available on Amazon:
- Lightstrike by John Zeleznik
- Infinite Worlds by Vincent DiFate
- Scream of Eagles by Robert Wilcox
- Great Fighter Jets of the Galaxy 1 by Tim Gibson
Actually the P-38J25-LO and later ones could turn with the Zero due to hydraulically boosted ailerons. Basically power steering! BUT, while it could turn with a Zero, it could not OUTTURN it. If you kept turning you would lose air speed and eventually stall out before the Zero would. Wisest move was to make a few quick turns with the Zero, and either get enough lead to fire or when slowing near 300 mph, reverse the turn and dive away (breaking contact.)
You should have studied more laws of physics instead of phantasy books---You would have figured,that grandpas claims were unrealistic!
@@pebo8306 The laws mean nothing to us. We hillbillies.
3:56 Marge was his fiancé they were not married, by mutual agreement, until he was taken off active duty. You can read all about him in the book, "Dick Bong: Ace of Aces" Written by General George C. Kinney. I read the book in eighth grade back in 1962 when it first came out.
Here is an interesting factoid from the book. Dick Bong was a terrible shot and was able to shoot down enemy aircraft because he had the piloting skills to get right up on their tails where he could not miss before blowing them away in a hail of gunfire. He did eventually go to gunnery school where he perfected his gunnery skills and was then able to shoot down the enemy at greater distances and with less ammunition.
Very sad ending! My great uncle was a B-17 pilot who was killed over UK on a training mission. He ordered his men to bail out but one Gunner was trapped and he stayed trying to get him out but plane crashed killing both
🤔Didn't Reagan tell a similar BS story?????
@@pebo8306 No. Reagan was in communications and never saw combat.
@@pebo8306 Nope, but nice try.
Bong's P-38 didn't have any artwork applied to it until after he was rotated back to the States.
True but when reassigned to the 5th, he had Marge on the nose and with her another 19 kills.
40 kills ! That’s amazing what a stud !!
Moral of the story, never give up.
Great attitude, "If you did not want to loop the bridge or buzz the xxx..., I would not want you in my Air Force"
I had a supervisor like that. It made receiving discipline an honor.
At 6:32 the narrator says that Bong "turned the stick again". P-38s had a yoke, not a stick. This is correctly shown in the cocpit graphics. Unusual for a fighter to have a yoke. The p-38 was highly maneuverable.
The 38 was large and heavy (4x the weight of the A6M) and not as maneuverable as the zero/zeke. It could out dive, out run, out climb and out gun the A6M, plus had far superior pilot protection.
But rule #1 was Never...NEVER try to turn with a Zero.
It was USAAC/USAAF policy: any multiengine aircraft had to have a yoke
@@lynnwright3993 The P-38 was pretty maneuverable for a twin-engine fighter, especially the later "J" and "L" models with their hydraulic-boosted ailerons and diving flaps. At the right speed and altitude, it can turn in with other single-engine fighters. In most cases, however, most single-engine fighters can still out turn it, especially Japanese fighters, in which P-38s are more suited for boom and zoom attacks against such aircraft. Strangely, the Japanese also have quite maneuverable twin-engine fighters as well, such as the Ki-45 "Toryu" (Allied Codename: "Nick").
Depending on the version, the P-38 could be very maneuverable or not so! P-38Fs thru early P-38Js did not have hydraulically boosted ailerons and thus their roll rate was not good (turn rate was but you have to roll first before turning.) The P-38J25-LO and P-38Ls did have hydraulically boosted ailerons and could turn with a zero down to their stalling speed. Catch is, the A6M had a lower stalling speed!
Eric Hartman, of Germany, was the highest scoring ace in history with 352 confirmed, mainly on the easter front.
All those poor bunnies!😉
The Germans did not rotate out after a number of missions, they fought till they died. They also invaded Russia woth modern aircraft while the Russians were still flying wooden planes with fabric covering.
Hartman was 100% different pilot than Bong! He carefully calculated every move,and did not shy away to run,if odds were not in his favour!
Excellent recreations. Excellent work.
I read his book many times as a kid and I still don't understand why there was never a movie made about him.
This is an EPIC and AMAZING episode also, Its cool when you said "Then he opened fire and the Japanese rolled down to the sea" ( it did roll into the sea ) Then "Found another target and watched it broke apart ( It actually broke apart ) How did you do that! 😨
I'm basically a wizard.
@@TJ3 woooow
The young man's war. Being a combat pilot at age 24 was not unusual in that era.
In the First World War, a German ace became a squadron commander at age 19.
A 24-year old fighter pilot in WWII was a seasoned hand. The "Forever 27" club for rock stars would have been considered a bunch of old-timers in this situation.
It also has to do with the psychology of youth with that type of machinery. To succeed in WWII dogfighting, you had to believe you were invincible. That particular illusion seems to disappear from young men when they hit their mid-20s. You see this phenomenon in motocross and some other intense sports as well.
@@thegoodearth7...not entirely true... see Sir Douglas Badger. Didn't hurt he could pull more g's in a dogfight
@@philgiglio7922 male physical strength allegedly does not hit its peak until one's 30s. But as a general rule, psychological invincibility (or its illusion) dissipates before ca. 25 yrs. The exceptions to the rule go on to become extreme test pilots and break all manner of records.
Thanks TJ3 for this great video.The definition of insane:WW2 lead fighter ace killed in test flight the same day Nagasaki was nuked!!!
Great stories man, thanks!!
How about a story about the second leading ace of WW2 for the USAAF with 38 victories, Major Thomas B. McGuire?
Thank you.
Terrific telling, as always. Appreciate your research & attention to detail! THANKS
Thanks!
This was a great video and it reminded me of the first and only African American fighter ace if WWII. Please make a video about Lt Lee Archer.
I did a report on him in middle school. From unknown to expert fighter pilot to business man. He was an extraordinary person!
@@johnward6860 I agree 👍🏾
Great episode! The book “Race of Aces” is super good if you ever get the chance to read it.
My wife's uncle, Charles Lawrence Ralph, was Bong's tent mate on Dobodura. They went back to the US together and on the day Bong died testing the P-80, "Uncle Lawrence" was the narrator for the Lockheed people, politicians and USAAF brass in attendance.
That sucks that they took him out of combat because they said they didn't want anything to happen to him, then put him in an arguably more dangerous situation, which cost him his life.
It seems they were actually more concerned about him being lost to enemy action than they were about having anything happen to him, otherwise they would have made him an instructor rather than a test pilot.
TJ you did it again, great job my friend. Hey 75k+ subs, good for you.
Thanks!
The story I always heard was that the aux fuel pump was a checklist item that was always to be turned on for takeoff and landing. Bong never turned it on and the engine flamed out on takeoff .
Thank god for sensible animations
Please make video about Senley Winifield Vejtasa who fought 3 zeros in his SBD dauntless
Great pilot from the north woods of Wisconsin . Airport n bridge named for him . Memorial at junction of US 2 and 53 in Superior Wis .
Richard was The Bong King
Re-assigning Dick Bong to be a test pilot was a death sentence to be sure when you consider that in one span of 10 years, the US was losing 1 test pilot per week.
He wanted to be one.. he could have 'flown a desk'.
@@deafsmith1006 No. He was a fighter pilot first and foremost. The military knew there was no way he would accept a desk job. They knew he would either pick test pilot or leave the military and go into civilian aviation both of which is exactly what they wanted to keep a Medal of Honor recipient from being shot down and captured by an enemy.
Read long ago "if you see the flag at full staff at Edwards AFB. . take a picture
That comment was made in Wolf's THE RIGHT STUFF
I would add that “illegal”flying tactics exhibited by American pilots was actually the pilots trying to learn as much as they could about their aircraft before going into combat. Like the “dangerous” flying in TopGunII, Tom Cruise taught his pilots how to ignore the manual and try things to get the best out of their abilities and their aircraft. Flight training in WWII was geared to producing as many qualified pilots in the shortest amount of time. It was the best pilots were the ones that took their planes and tried things to push their limits. Bong did this by flying very low and doing loops around the Golden Gate Bridge.
The P-38 had a devastating armaments arrangement. 4 fifty caliber guns clustered around a 20 mm cannon, all concentrated in a space about the size of a serving platter.
Bong said he wasn't much of a marksman, but he would just get close enough to his target that with the clustered .50s he couldn't miss. BTW. the P-38 has a yoke, not a stick.
He was not the youngest of nine children, he was the oldest. I got to know both his widow Marge and younger brother Carl, both now deceased. Carl Bong's book "Dear Mom...So we have a war" is a tremendous read. It's out of print and I've seen copies online for $100 or more, but it's well worth the price. It has comprehensive information on the man, his letters to home and his combat record.
Carl bong was my art teacher in the early 70s in Osseo wi.
@@douggrage4049 Cool. Did he ever discuss his famous sibling?
I attended Naval Flight School in 1980. A ground school instructor told us 75 percent of pilots are oldest or only children.
Thanks TJ. Another Great video on an amazing American Ace and Hero.
"Without further ado": without any fuss or delay; immediately. Save yourself a 50 second intro and a 70 second commercial. 2:00
Thankfully for Bong and the Allies, Midway and lots of other air battles had taken out the top Japanese pilots fairly early in the war so he wasn't exactly dealing with top gun skills but still a cool story.
WHAT a commanding Officer!!!!
I wonder if there is a Japanese version of this battle? Always informative to compare the two versions.
Few lived to the end of the war.
@@deafsmith1006 IF these dogfights took place in Papua/New Guinea, then Australian author Michael Claringbould will certainly cover it in his series on the SoPac Air War.
Read Saburo Sakai's memoirs "Samurai"!!!!---He had no problem eliminating P-38's!!!!
@@deafsmith1006 Saburo Sakai did!!!
@@pebo8306 I don't recall Sakai tangling with p38s. Just p39s and p40s. But then again I only read the Martin Caidin version
Another outstanding video and presentation.
Thank you!