Ding Hao!

To discuss future builds, build planning for the future, time travel, etc. Our meeting next week was well attended.
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Stuart
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Ding Hao!

Post by Stuart »

The other day I was digging through my small stash of decals for the Me262 when I came across I set of Mike Grant decals for this aircraft...

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Ding Hao! translates into something like 'The man!' or 'The best!' or 'Number one!'.

It was flown by Gen. James Howell Howard, the only fighter pilot in the European Theater of Operations in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor, and I would image one of only a few that had Japanese and German kill marks on his P-51. He was awarded the medal for protecting a flight of B-17s returning from a mission in Germany. Having been separated from his unit, Howard came across a flight of Fortresses without escort and linked up with them. Although having three of his four guns jammed, and the other low on ammo - he repeatedly fought off attacks from the Luftwaffe, and at one point is said to have thrown himself at up to 30 aircraft whilst unarmed.

Ding Hao! indeed.

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This was a project I started working on years ago - but had since sold off the kit. So I'll have to get a new one.

I'll probably use the old 1/48 Tamiya kit and will do the pre-Malcolm hood version as I think it looks sleeker and is without doubt my favourite version of the Mustang. I'll need to find some of the tear drop shaped tanks though as one of the reference pictures I found of this aircraft had the other type of tank (as shown in the painting above).

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Last edited by Stuart on Thu May 16, 2019 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stuart »

More pictures! (copyright owned by the creator of the image obviously)

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I'm really stoked about this project - I'd forgotten how much I liked the P-51. I went through a phase of building loads of them once and have some great reference books. The Tamiya kit is also pretty damn good - it's my birthday next week and my Sister-in-law has ordered me one.

I really like this new section of the boards - it's good to get a few ideas written down and some pictures up. Kind of like Bruce would call a mood board.

Bring it on!

Cheers!
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stuart »

Not Ding Hao! but I love this painting! I have a book with it on the cover.

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And this one...

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Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by LyleW »

So glad you look up the stories behind these. Thank you and get this one going!
To make each build less crappy than the last one. Or, put another way, "Better than the last one, not as good as the next one!"..
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Re: Ding Hao!

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LyleW wrote:So glad you look up the stories behind these. Thank you and get this one going!
Hey now worries Lyle. Howard was a pretty amazing pilot. He joined the Navy originally and then left to fly in Cjhina with the Flying Tigers - hence the kill markings. He then re-joined the USAAF and got sent to the ETO.

An Ace in both theatres - that's pretty cool.
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

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Here is the narrative on (then) Maj. Howard’s MOH citation:

HOWARD, JAMES H. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Oschersleben, Germany, 11 January 1944. Entered service at: St. Louis, Missouri. Birth: Canton, China. G.O. No.: 45, 5 June 1944.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Oschersleben, Germany, on 11 January 1944. On that day Col. Howard was the leader of a group of P-51 aircraft providing support for a heavy bomber formation on a long-range mission deep in enemy territory. As Col. Howard’s group met the bombers in the target area the bomber force was attacked by numerous enemy fighters. Col. Howard, with his group, and at once engaged the enemy and himself destroyed a German ME. 110. As a result of this attack Col. Howard lost contact with his group, and at once returned to the level of the bomber formation. He then saw that the bombers were being heavily attacked by enemy planes and that no other friendly fighters were at hand. While Col. Howard could have waited to attempt to assemble his group before engaging the enemy, he chose instead to attack singlehanded a formation of more than 30 German airplanes. With utter disregard for his own safety he immediately pressed home determined attacks for some thirty minutes, during which time he destroyed 3 enemy airplanes and probably destroyed and damaged others. Toward the end of this engagement 3 of his guns went out of action and his fuel supply was becoming dangerously low. Despite these handicaps and the almost insuperable odds against him, Col. Howard continued his aggressive action in an attempt to protect the bombers from the numerous fighters. His skill, courage, and intrepidity on this occasion set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Side note. The 354th FG, was the first USAAF Fighter Group to operate the P-51B in the ETO. They had just taken them into service in late 1943. They were actually assigned to the 9th Air Force as a Tactical Air Support unit at the time, and not part of the 8th Air Force as a dedicated escort unit. But the losses of summer, fall, and winter 1943 made it clear that long range escort was needed all the way to the target and back on deep penetration missions, and only two types could do that- the P38H/J, and the P-51B. The Allison engined P-51A did not have the high altitude performance or range to perform the long range high altitude bomber escort mission.
At the time of his MOH mission, “Ding Hao” had the clamshell hinged top/side opening framed canopy. The sliding Malcolm hood was not installed until some time later on “Ding Hao”.
"Surely I have made my meaning plain? I intend to avenge myself upon you, Admiral. I have deprived your ship of power, and when I swing 'round, I intend to deprive you of your life."

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Stuart
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stuart »

Thanks for that Carlos - It's been a while but that's what I read before (i didn't do too badly from memory). I'll definitely be doing the clamshell bird. Asides from it being more accurate to the time period I just think it looks better (that and I already have a Malcolm hooded bird on the shelf).

It's great reading that - it was a hell of a thing to do.
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stikpusher »

You’re quite welcome Stuart. Here is a nice link on Maj Howard. With a bit of surprise in there...

https://www.avgeekery.com/profiles-in-a ... er-europe/

I won’t give it away... :shutup:
"Surely I have made my meaning plain? I intend to avenge myself upon you, Admiral. I have deprived your ship of power, and when I swing 'round, I intend to deprive you of your life."

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Stuart
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stuart »

Ah... I assume you mean that he wasn't actually flying Ding Hao! on the day of the mission? Oh well, if I can't do a model of the actual mission day then at least I can still do a tribute to the man himself.
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'

My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ding Hao!

Post by Stikpusher »

There ya go. I am now a bit curious as to which particular aircraft that he flew that day. Along that line of thought of famous aces and their personal mounts, it’s not uncommon. Manny Fernandez and James Jabarra, respectively the number 3 and 2 ranking USAF aces of the Korean War often flew one another’s marked F-86s, and scored kills while doing so, during their time flying in the same squadron of the 4th FIW. Or like the famous F-4D OY 432 was seen sporting six Mig kill stars at the end of the Vietnam war, Steve Ritchie, was only responsible for three. Other pilots & WSOs scored the other three.
"Surely I have made my meaning plain? I intend to avenge myself upon you, Admiral. I have deprived your ship of power, and when I swing 'round, I intend to deprive you of your life."

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