This is a repaint for the A2A simulations payware P-40B, depicting the aircraft flown by Lt Welch on 7 december 1941 in Pearl Harbor. After receiving his wings and commission in January, 1941, Lt. Welch was posted to the 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, at Wheeler Field, Oahu, Hawaii. At dawn on December 7, 1941, 2nd Lt. Welch and another pilot, 2nd Lt. Ken Taylor, were coming back from a Christmas dinner and dance party (with big band orchestra) at a roof-top hotel in Waikiki, that ended in an all-night poker game.
They were still wearing mess dress when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Welch telephoned an auxiliary strip at Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore to have two Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters prepared for takeoff. He and Taylor immediately drove his Buick at high speed to join the air battle. Taking off with only 30 cal ammo in the wing guns, Welch claimed two kills of Aichi D3A Val dive bombers over Ewa Mooring Mast Field. The first enemy aircraft was only damaged and it made it back to its carrier while the second was finished off by Ken Taylor, shortly before he landed at Wheeler Field to get 50 cal ammo for his two cowl guns. On his second sortie, Welch shot down a Val (which was behind Ken Taylor) and the Val crashed in the community of
Wahiawa, then Welch got three Mitsubishi Zero fighters about five miles west of Barbers Point.
Both Welch and Taylor were nominated for the Medal of Honor by Gen. Henry H. Arnold, but were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions. The Medal of Honor
recommendation was turned down because he had taken off without orders. Repaint by Jan Kees Blom, based on the paintkit by Martin Catney.
by jankees
(2008-09-17 02:48:58)
Submitted by jankees
They were still wearing mess dress when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Welch telephoned an auxiliary strip at Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore to have two Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters prepared for takeoff. He and Taylor immediately drove his Buick at high speed to join the air battle. Taking off with only 30 cal ammo in the wing guns, Welch claimed two kills of Aichi D3A Val dive bombers over Ewa Mooring Mast Field. The first enemy aircraft was only damaged and it made it back to its carrier while the second was finished off by Ken Taylor, shortly before he landed at Wheeler Field to get 50 cal ammo for his two cowl guns. On his second sortie, Welch shot down a Val (which was behind Ken Taylor) and the Val crashed in the community of
Wahiawa, then Welch got three Mitsubishi Zero fighters about five miles west of Barbers Point.
Both Welch and Taylor were nominated for the Medal of Honor by Gen. Henry H. Arnold, but were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions. The Medal of Honor
recommendation was turned down because he had taken off without orders. Repaint by Jan Kees Blom, based on the paintkit by Martin Catney.
by jankees
(2008-09-17 02:48:58)
Submitted by jankees
