KITS 12/2022

s/n 44-14223, Lt. Col. Elwyn G. Righetti, CO of 55th FG, 8th AF, Wormingford, United Kingdom,

December 1944–March 1945

Elwyn Guido Righetti, also known as “Eager El”, was

not only the 55th FG top fighter ace but also the most

successful strafing ace in the whole ETO. Righetti

joined the 338th FS, 55th FG in October 1944. At the

age of 29, he was already a matured pilot, however

he lacked the combat experience. Despite his age he

was eager and aggressive, so he was able to boost

morale of his rather tired group. One of Righetti’s

“hobbies” was destroying the locomotives. He also

managed to shoot down two Mistels and destroyed

several Me 262 jets on the ground. Unfortunately,

Righetti’s outstanding achievements were cut short

right before the end of war. On April 17, 1945, exactly

on his 30th birthday, Righetti was shot down by flak

while raiding the airfield near Dresden. He successfully performed the emergency landing and advised

his friends over the radio “Tell the family I’m okay.

Broke my nose on landing. It’s been a hell of a lot

of fun working with you, gang. Be seeing you a little

later.”Since then no one ever heard about Righetti

again. Supposedly he was murdered by the enraged

German civilians. During his short combat career, he

scored 7.5 kills and destroyed 35 enemy aircraft on

the ground. He flew two personal Mustangs (44-14223

and 44-47222), both of them were decorated with the

inscription KATYDID and grasshopper artwork on the

port side of the fuselage.

s/n 44-14292, Col. Claiborne H. Kinnard, CO of 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden, United Kingdom, November 1944

Clairborne Holmes Kinnard was one the most successful pilots in the combat against the ground targets. He

was born on October 29, 1912, in Franklin, Tennessee.

After he obtained his pilot’s certification in 1944, he led

the 354th FS from November 27 until June. On June 12,

1944, he assumed command of the 355th FG which he

led until the end of August. In September he was ordered to 4th FG which he also briefly commanded from

November 3 until November 29, 1944. Then he returned

to 355th FG where he flew until May 1945. During his

combat career he scored eight aerial kills and destroyed further seventeen enemy aircraft on the ground.

Kinnard flew the depicted, unusually painted Mustang

from October to November 1944 as a commander of the

4th FG. His aircraft was decorated with the inscription

Man O’War painted red on the nose’s port side and the

upper surfaces were painted with green camouflage

bands, possibly in the Olive Drab shade. The kill mar-

king were painted on the port side of the canopy frame.

The invasion stripes appearance corresponds to the

modification after the beginning of September 1944

when only the part of the markings remained at the

bottom of the fuselage. From November 3 till November

29, 1944, Kinnard commanded the 4th FG, then he returned to the 355th FG where he served until May 1945.

s/n 44-14237, Capt. William T. Whisner, 487th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, November 1944

William Thomas Whisner was born in 1923 in Louisiana and on March 16, 1942, enlisted in the Army.

On April 10, 1942, he started his pilot training and received his wings on February 15, 1943, at Napier Field

in Alabama. On February 23, 1943, he was assigned to

487th FS. During 1944 and 1945 he was credited with

15.5 kills and awarded Distinguished Service Cross

twice. He finished the war as Captain and left Army

December 2022

on August 23, 1945. On October 17, 1947, he returned

to the active duty and on September 1, 1951, he was

promoted to Major. In September 1951 he was ordered to 334th FIS in Korea, part of 4th FIW. Between

September and November 1951, he shot down two

MiG-15s and damaged further five aircraft of the same

type. In December he was ordered to the 25th FIS, 51st

FIW and scored another four victories including one

in the cooperation which made him the seventh fighter ace of the Korean War in the chronological order.

In March 1952 he left Korea with the status of the double ace of two different conflicts and became one of

seven American pilots who achieved such success.

Whisner’s Mustang’s nose was painted in the new, darker shade of blue which 352nd FG started to use in the

fall of 1944 due to its better contrast.

INFO Eduard

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