Victory
40
Biography
Born in Poplar, Wisconsin, in 1920, Richard Bong was the son of a farmer. It is said that it was while observing game birds while hunting that young Dick became interested in aviation. In fact, without knowing why, Bong builds model airplanes, which he flies, somehow. The "pilot virus" has won him over, but his origins do not leave him with too many illusions. In the spring of 1941, however, his dream came true:the United States had just launched a massive training program for airmen. Bong having gone to the recruitment office in Wassau (Wisconsin) and having passed the medical examination, finds himself a student pilot in Tulare (California), where he learns the basics of piloting aboard a biplane. On August 16, he was at Gardner Field (California), where he resumed training until October 31. Highly rated, his bosses sent him to complete his training at Luke Field (California).
On January 9, 1942, Second Lieutenant Richard Bong was admitted as a fighter pilot in the reserve aviation corps. After serving as an instructor pilot at Luke Field until May 2, he was transferred to Hamilton Field (California), in order to undergo a combat training course on the new Lockheed P-38J "Lightning". This aircraft, which displeased so many pilots, quickly became the favorite - and only - aircraft of the future American fighter ace. in July 1942, during a flight that took him around San Francisco, Bong suddenly decided to test the real capabilities of the P-38... by passing low over the waves under the famous bridge over the Golden Gate and looping around the central arch. Then, he goes up the no less famous avenue of stairs, at the height of the second floor of the buildings. This feat earned him a summons from General Kenney - chief of the 5th Air Force, to which he belongs - who gave him a memorable soap... before asking him to recount his feat in detail.
In early September, training ends. Appointed Lieutenant, Bong arrived in Australia with Fighter Squadron 9 (Flying Knights, "Flying Knights") of the 49th Fighter Group. On November 14, he was in Laloki (New Guinea) with Fighter Squadron 39 of the 35th Fighter Group (later he would return to the 49th).
Although only a replacement driver, he obtained his first victory a week later. Discreet, shy, "the little plump little blond" quickly won everyone's esteem for his spontaneous support initiatives during combat missions.
Thus, on December 27, 1942, he came to the aid of one of his comrades who, while his P-38 was in difficulty (an engine out of order), was attacked by four Zeros. Bong disperses the Japanese aircraft, then shoots down two of them. Often, we see him embark on incredible evolutions that end up giving the opponent no chance. And it's a long list of successes:two Oscars on January 7, 1943; another on 8; one more on March 3, then two more on March 11. On the 29th, he shot down a Doris and on April 14, a Betty. On June 26, it's a quadruple:two Tonys and two Oscars. He destroyed another Dinah on October 6, two Zeros on October 29 and two on November 5. Bong completes his first year of combat with twenty-one approved victories to his name. On February 27, 1944, the Americans deciphered a Japanese message concerning the flight plan of a transport plane coming from Rabaul (New Britain) and en route to Wewak (Northeast New Guinea). On board, Japanese staff officers. Accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Lynch (eighteen victories), Bong must intercept the plane... but they only arrive at the "rendezvous" to see their "target" land. Bong dives, strafs and sets fire to the device, which ends up exploding. All occupants are killed. We learn later that they were all high-ranking officers. But this victory is not credited to him, because the 5th Air Force does not count planes destroyed on the ground. On March 3, Bong shot down two Sallys over New Guinea. His friend Tom Lynch is killed six days later. On April 3, Dick was part of the fighter escort of a Fortress formation and shot down his twenty-fifth Japanese aircraft, an Oscar. He obtained another victory on the 11th and, the following day, became the equal of Eddie Rickenbaker (American ace of the First World War) by destroying two Oscar during a raid against Hollandia (Western New Guinea) of 188 American bombers , to which it serves as protective cover along with sixty-six other hunters. In fact, one of his last two wins is only likely. Bong reported that he hit the Oscar on the left wing, engine and cockpit. Two weeks later, Hollandia falls into American hands and an Oscar is discovered in Tannemerah Bay, touched as Bong said:his twenty-eighth victory is confirmed. At his request, Bong was assigned to Foster Field (Texas) to learn new shooting methods. Returning to the 49th Fighter Group, in the Philippines, in September 1944, he had to teach young people what he had learned in Texas. General Kenney would like to remove him from operations in order to keep such an exceptional pilot alive - but does not succeed. However, Bong is only authorized to act as an instructor, except in cases of self-defense. Dick obeyed, which did not prevent him from shooting down two Japanese planes on October 10. On the 27th, without waiting for Kenney's consent, he took off with other pilots to intercept five Japanese fighters. Four are destroyed, including one by him. The next morning, returning from a reconnaissance mission on the island of Luzon, he won his thirty-second and thirty-third victories. Last battles It was then that the "historic" meeting between Richard Bong and the other ace of the 5th Air Force, Thomas Maguire, took place on the ground of Tacloban (Philippines), where the latter had just arrived with the 475th Fighter Group. Maguire has twenty-five victories and does not hide his desire to exceed the score of Dick. This "fraternal duel" fascinates the whole body of American fighter pilots, and there is no mess where the records of the two men are not kept up to date. It will be said later that in Tacloban they were exceptionally authorized to:Fly together and that they shot down the same number of Japanese planes on this occasion. But the fact could never be verified.
Bong will earn his fortieth and final Oscar win, which crashes in flames near San Jose. He has completed his second tour of operations and, for his exploits, receives from the hands of General MacArthur the highest American distinction:the Congressional Medal of Honor (he already has the Distinguished Service Cross, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Silver Star and fifteen Air Medals). Meanwhile, Kenney, still eager to remove Bong from the theater of operations, assigned him to Wright Field (Ohio) as a test pilot. Bong, dissatisfied, nevertheless complied and left Tacloban at the end of December 1944. He remained at Wright Field until June 23, 1945, then joined Burbank (California), where he took the post of chief of air operations at the Air Force industrial office:it controls and tests the new Lockheed planes ordered by the Air Force. Bong then did an internship on the new Lockheed P-80 "Shooting Star", the first mass-produced jet fighter. On August 6, tragedy strikes:Bong takes off a P-80 from Burbank. The plane picked up speed when the turbojet engine weakened:the aircraft "floated" for a moment, tilted and crashed not far from the runway. Bong is killed in the accident. That same day, the first atomic bomb explodes on Hiroshima; the war will end, but the pilots of the 5th Air Force are in mourning.
"In September 1942, two cargo ships from the United States and carrying fifty twin-engine Lightning P. 38 fighter-bombers landed in Brisbane (Australia). The pilots, who had come by air, were already there. They immediately began to undergo intensive training for the fight against the Japanese. Among them was the pilot Richard Bong, promoted to lieutenant. Richard Bong saw fire for the first time on December 27, 1942, while his unit was based in Laloki, in New Guinea. The engagement, which opposed twelve P. 38s to twenty-five Japanese bombers and fighters, took place over the base of Dobodura .occupied by the Japanese. The P. 38s shot down fifteen enemy planes. Richard Bong, for his part, shot down two General Kenney flew from Brisbane to Laloki to congratulate the pilots. He asked to see Bong's report. This report mentioned only the time of takeoff, the time of arrival at the above Dobodura, time of the fall of the two Japanese planes and the time of landing. 'Nothing else.
By early January 1944, Lieutenant Richard Bong had shot down nineteen Japanese aircraft of various types. he was one of the "big three" in the South West Pacific, along with Colonel Neel Kearby (nineteen victories) and Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Lynch (sixteen victories). Another pilot, descended by parachute and then rescued during one of the heavy bombardments of Rabaul, totaled eleven victories, eight less than Bong. He was a captain with a little black mustache named Tornmy McGuire.
In February 1944, when Bong had just returned from leave, his unit being at Nadzab, near Lae, still in New Guinea, his group leader sent for him:"Our intelligence service has succeeded in deciphering an enemy message which announces that a Japanese plane will arrive this evening at 6 p.m. sharp at Wewack, carrying an important official. As you can see on the map, Wewack is on the coast, 450 miles from here. You will take off immediately with Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Lynch in an attempt to intercept this aircraft." 450 miles (land) is 724 kilometers. Tommy Lynch and Richard Bong went full throttle. They arrived at Wewack at 5:58 p.m. The Japanese transport plane had just landed and was taxiing along the runway. Lieutenant Colonel Tommy Lynch attacked first. His dive initiated, he realized that he had forgotten to place his sight; his attack was missed. "Your turn, -Bong!" he shouted into his microphone. Bong Piqua, fired a single burst. The plane suddenly exploded. No one had time to get out. The Japanese, numbering about a hundred, who had advanced towards the track, presumably to welcome the visitors, had been thrown to the ground by the explosion or remained on the spot, dumbfounded. 1 Lynch and Bong took advantage of this to fire a few rounds at them, then they spun. "