This folder contains a second repaint for the A2A WoP3 P-51D Mustang, in the colors of P-51D-20 44-63272 “Bad Angel”, flown by Lt. Louis Curdes of the 4th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Air Commando Group. He is one of a very few American pilots to have kills against each of the three major Axis powers, and I believe the only US pilot to display an American flag among his victory markings.
While serving in the MTO, Curdes downed several Fw-190’s, and one of the Macchi C.202’s he downed is now on display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. He was shot down over Italy and spent a short time as a POW before escaping. Because he was an escaped POW, he couldn’t fly again against the Germans for security reasons.
He was transferred to the PTO, and on February 10, 1945, during a sweep to Bataan Island, he saw a P-51 pilot parachute into the sea. Curdes circled around him to pinpoint his position to rescuers. While circling, he saw a USAAF C-47 that was preparing to land on the Japanese-held strip on Batan. The C-47 crew didn’t respond to repeated attempts at radio contact and, unable to shepherd the C-47 to safety, Curdes saw only two possibilities – first that it was a Japanese plane bearing false US markings (the DC-3 having been built under licence in Japan prior to the war), or it was a US plane whose crew was unaware the field had fallen to the Japanese. He therefore carefully shot out both engines, causing the plane to land in the sea. All 13 people on board the C-47 were rescued – and they were indeed Americans, including a nurse Curdes had previously dated.
While serving in the MTO, Curdes downed several Fw-190’s, and one of the Macchi C.202’s he downed is now on display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. He was shot down over Italy and spent a short time as a POW before escaping. Because he was an escaped POW, he couldn’t fly again against the Germans for security reasons.
He was transferred to the PTO, and on February 10, 1945, during a sweep to Bataan Island, he saw a P-51 pilot parachute into the sea. Curdes circled around him to pinpoint his position to rescuers. While circling, he saw a USAAF C-47 that was preparing to land on the Japanese-held strip on Batan. The C-47 crew didn’t respond to repeated attempts at radio contact and, unable to shepherd the C-47 to safety, Curdes saw only two possibilities – first that it was a Japanese plane bearing false US markings (the DC-3 having been built under licence in Japan prior to the war), or it was a US plane whose crew was unaware the field had fallen to the Japanese. He therefore carefully shot out both engines, causing the plane to land in the sea. All 13 people on board the C-47 were rescued – and they were indeed Americans, including a nurse Curdes had previously dated.
