G
guest0001
Guest
"Lulu Belle" was a P-40N-1 Warhawk #44-2104590 flown by 2nd Lieutenant Philip R. Adair, a pilot with the United States Army Air Force's 89th Fighter Squadron / 80th Fighter Group / 10th US Air Force in the China-Burma-India Theater.
The 80th Fighter Group's main mission was defending military transport aircraft flying from India to China over the Himalayas, an air bridge that was nicknamed "The Hump".
Quote: "Adair flew 113 missions in "Lulu Belle", including one sortie on 19th December in which he singlehandedly attacked an incoming raid of 24 Japanese 'Sally' bombers and 40 Japanese fighters sent to bomb the U.S. air base at Nagaghuli, India.
Lt Adair managed to shoot down one bomber and one 'Oscar' fighter, but his relentless harassment so scattered the formation that they ended up bombing inaccurately, only causing minor damage at the strategically important airfield.
Adair's aircraft was hit 16 times in the action, but managed to return to base. Lt. Adair was awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day and went on to fly a total of 139 combat missions, before returning to the United States at the end of the war."
"Lulu Belle" has been replicated on a surviving P-40 airframe and is now a part of the "Hangar 11" collection here in the UK.
(LIFE / Vandivert)
The 80th Fighter Group's main mission was defending military transport aircraft flying from India to China over the Himalayas, an air bridge that was nicknamed "The Hump".
Quote: "Adair flew 113 missions in "Lulu Belle", including one sortie on 19th December in which he singlehandedly attacked an incoming raid of 24 Japanese 'Sally' bombers and 40 Japanese fighters sent to bomb the U.S. air base at Nagaghuli, India.
Lt Adair managed to shoot down one bomber and one 'Oscar' fighter, but his relentless harassment so scattered the formation that they ended up bombing inaccurately, only causing minor damage at the strategically important airfield.
Adair's aircraft was hit 16 times in the action, but managed to return to base. Lt. Adair was awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day and went on to fly a total of 139 combat missions, before returning to the United States at the end of the war."
"Lulu Belle" has been replicated on a surviving P-40 airframe and is now a part of the "Hangar 11" collection here in the UK.
(LIFE / Vandivert)
