Strana 91
BUILT
41-36396, P-40E-1, Lt. Robert E. Smith, 16th FS, 23rd FG, China, autumn 1942
Robert Eugene Smith, nicknamed “Gene”,
entered Army Air Force prior to World War II.
The move was rather purposive as he intended
to pay back for his previous studies but he
quickly became one of the most successful
pilots in the early days of the 16th FS, 23rd
FG, shooting down four enemies. During one
mission his plane went down near a small
village. The villagers, not knowing who or what
he was, started to come after him. Luckily,
he had a small flag that he waived letting them
know that he was an American and on their
side. In the spring 1944 Smith was then with the
394th Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group, in
England. He claimed a Bf 109 damaged on June
17, 1944, but five days later he was killed when
his P-38 was shot down by flak near Cherbourg
in France during a strafing mission. His plane
crashed on the beach in Normandy with Smith
in the cockpit. During his stay with 23rd FG,
he flew P-40E-1 which carried the obligatory
shark mouth and also the name KatyDid on its
nose.
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August 2025