Vanished Hero by Jay A. Stout

Author:Jay A. Stout [Stout, Jay A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War II, Biography & Autobiography, Aviation, Historical
ISBN: 9781612003962
Google: d8yHDQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2016-09-30T00:22:36+00:00

An illustration of how magnificently the air war had changed in just one year starts with the air combat of January 31, 1944, when the 55th was still flying P-38s. On that mission the group lost seven aircraft to enemy fighters. This single-mission loss was almost double the number of aircraft—four—that the 55th lost to enemy fighters from the time Righetti joined the unit in late October 1944 until the end of the war.12 Indeed, during that time the 55th lost ten times as many aircraft—forty—to ground fire. Another sixteen were lost to other causes such as mid-air collisions, mechanical failures and fuel starvation.

Aside from their superior numbers and training, the USAAF’s fighter pilots also enjoyed other smaller advantages that further padded the margin over their German counterparts. One was the gyroscope gunsight—the Luftwaffe did not have a widely used equivalent; another was the Berger Anti-G suit, more commonly known as the G-suit.

During aggressive, high-speed turns and climbs, or diving pullouts, the force of gravity (g-force) increased dramatically and caused the pilot’s blood to be pulled from his head and down into his lower extremities. With his brain starved of oxygen, the pilot’s vision faded, as did his sensibilities. If the g-forces were too great, the pilot lost consciousness. Although this loss of consciousness seldom lasted more than ten or fifteen seconds once the g-forces returned to normal, many men smashed into the ground or were shot down during this brief period.

Consequently, the advent of the G-suit during the spring of 1944 was most welcome. It was a set of chaps or trousers that wrapped around the lower abdomen and both legs all the way down to the ankles. Sewn into the ensemble were air bladders connected via the G-suit’s hose to a pneumatic system in the aircraft. As the aircraft sensed increased g-forces it pumped air into the suit which expanded and wrapped itself tightly around the pilot’s body. This kept more of the pilot’s blood in his head and forestalled the onset of unconsciousness by up to two gs.

Although some pilots resisted the addition of another piece of flying gear, most were soon convinced of the G-suit’s value. The 339th Fighter Group was the first group in the Eighth Air Force to adopt it during the late spring of 1944, and its pilots acknowledged that they scored more aerial victories than they otherwise would have.13 The Eighth’s other fighter groups quickly followed the 339th’s example.

The 55th was among them and Righetti readily adapted to the new suit as soon as he joined the unit. In answer to a question from home, he wrote: “I have never flown a mission without my G-suit. And if I couldn’t get another, I honestly wouldn’t sell it for $7,000.”

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