Last combat loss of a WW II produced aircraft? (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Token

Senior Airman
365
254
Nov 7, 2011
Mojave Desert, California
All,

The other day a few folks at work were discussing the use of WW II produced aircraft after the end of WW II, and the combat records of some of them in the early days of jets. That leads to a question, what was the last WW II produced aircraft that was lost in combat? I mean aircraft actually produced before the end of hostilities in WW II, not just something designed in WW II but produced after VJ day. None of us had the answer.

At a guess I would say maybe A-26A 64-17646, originally A-26C 44-35375, lost in combat 8 July, 1969, operating out of NKP. They crashed during a strafing run, but my understanding is they were under fire at the time of the crash. However I am less familiar with the combat use of WW II aircraft with other nations, so maybe that is not it.

Anyone got an answer to this?

T!
 
A P-51D, FAS-411, in the El Salvador Air Force went down in '69 as well. It arrived July 17 of that year. Looking for a crash date.



Geo

EDIT: The Soccer War only lasted until July 18 '69 so this may or may not have been combat related
 
Last edited:
A P-51D, FAS-411, in the El Salvador Air Force went down in '69 as well. It arrived July 17 of that year. Looking for a crash date.



Geo

EDIT: The Soccer War only lasted until July 18 '69 so this may or may not have been combat related
Look up Captain Soto, operating an F4U, who engaged a P-51 and shot it down on 17 July 1969.

Apparently, this was the world's last prop-on-prop combat.
 
Look up Captain Soto, operating an F4U, who engaged a P-51 and shot it down on 17 July 1969.

Apparently, this was the world's last prop-on-prop combat.

So, for all the F4U vs P51 threads here, does this mean that the F4U is the better plane? :rolleyes:
 
So, for all the F4U vs P51 threads here, does this mean that the F4U is the better plane? :rolleyes:

There's much written about this on some older threads. Soto was trained by a WW2 fighter pilot named Col. Mike Alba who I've mentioned on this forum on several occasions. This was one short military action flown by mercenaries or pilots native of El Salvador and Honduras and really doesn't prove which was the better aircraft.

As far as the subject of this thread;

"August 1981, the FAPM air defense units shot down the Douglas C-47B "F-BJHC" (14311/25756) belonging to Hemet Exploration, on charter to Shell Oil, operating on a legitimate magnetometer survey near Beira. The plane deviated from the original route according to ATC instructions, and this caused it to be mistaken for a hostile transport. Consequently, it was shot down by SA-3 SAM.

Mozambique, 1962-1992 - www.acig.org
 
"August 1981, the FAPM air defense units shot down the Douglas C-47B "F-BJHC" (14311/25756) belonging to Hemet Exploration, on charter to Shell Oil, operating on a legitimate magnetometer survey near Beira. The plane deviated from the original route according to ATC instructions, and this caused it to be mistaken for a hostile transport. Consequently, it was shot down by SA-3 SAM.

Mozambique, 1962-1992 - www.acig.org

I am not sure I would call that a combat loss. The target aircraft was not on a combat footing or knowingly flying into battle.

T!
 
It's like getting into a gunfight and complaining later that the other guy had a bullet-proof vest on.

Nobody cares, a kill is a kill. You either expect your opponent's attack or get surprised.

Back of T-shirt: "The person wearing this shirt is a bomb disposal technician. It you see me running, try to keep up."

Or placard on Apache Helicopter ... "Don't run. You'll just die tired."
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back