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HIGH SCORER IN THE
SOUTH PACIFIC
Captain Richard Ira (Bing) Bong of Poplar,
Wisconsin, who shot down his twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh
enemy planes in a battle over Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea,
setting a new record for aircraft destroyed in the air.
New York Times – April 14, 1944
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R.A.F. and U.S. Fliers Reach Upper Ace Class
London, April 13, 1944 (CP) — Wing Cmdr. J. R. D. Braham
joined the upper brackets of the Empire's fighter aces today when he
destroyed his 26th enemy plane, a twin-engine German machine which he
shot down during a Mosquito intruder patrol over Denmark.
The 23-year-old R.A.F. ace, holder of the D.S.O. and Bar and the D.F.C.
and two Bars, now is the fourth highest scorer among Empire airmen still
on operations.
Flt. Lt. George (Buzz) Beurling
of Verdun, Que., heads the list with 31 victims, but the greatest living
R.A.F. ace is Group Capt. A. G. (Sailor) Malan,
with 32 German planes to his credit. He now is off operations.
Braham, known as "The Destroyer" to the R.A.F., is Britain's
deadliest night fighter. Nineteen of his kills were made in the dark.
Capt. Don S. Gentile,
top United States fighter ace in the European theatre, with 23 planes
destroyed in the air and seven on the ground, was badly shaken when
forced to crash-land his fighter at his home base after a recent
mission, it was disclosed today.
Meanwhile, at Allied Headquarters in the Southwest Pacific, it was
announced that Capt. Richard I. Bong, Poplar, Wis., has shot down 27
enemy planes in aerial combat to become the highest ranking United
States ace in this or the last war. Bong's 26th and 27th victories were
achieved in raids over the Japanese base at Hollandia, New Guinea.
Neither air commanders in the Southwest Pacific nor the R.A.F. credit
pilots with planes destroyed on the ground, and these fliers still have
a long way to go to reach the mark of 72 planes downed by the Canadian,
Air Marshal W. A. Bishop, V.C., from 1916 to 1918.
A special release announcing Bong's achievement said all of his 27
victories were scored while flying fighter planes over enemy territory.
He was ordered to duty in the Southwest Pacific in September, 1942,
later went on leave to the United States and returned to active duty
early this year.
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America's No. 1 Ace Given British Award
San Francisco, June 21, 1945 — (AP) — Major
Richard Ira Bong, of Poplar, Wis., America's No. 1 ace of this war, was
awarded the Distinguished Air Medal by King George, according to a
Melbourne broadcast monitored by the American Broadcasting Company.
The award was made by the Duke of Gloucester, Governor-General of
Australia, the broadcast said, on behalf of the King.
Bong, who holds America's highest awards, piled up most of his amazing
record of shooting down 40 Japanese planes while flying over British New
Guinea.
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Richard Ira Bong Killed In a Flying Accident August 6th 1945, the
day Hiroshima was bombed
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