LtCol McComas, CO of the 118th TRS, 23rd FG, 14th AF. He shot down 5 Japanese airplanes on Dec. 23, 1944 then became the only "Ace in a day" in the 14th Air Force.
The scene on this painting is that McComas was shooting down the 2nd and 3rd Oscars of that day.
All the things happened on that day is as below:
McComas, leading the cover flight, made several straffing passes on the Wuchang a/d probably destroying 1 Lily and damaging 1 Oscar on the ground. As he pulled up off these passes he observed 6 Oscars above him. One Oscar tailed him and scored hits in his wing, but McComas dived away and then climbed to 7000' and tailed 1 Oscar from astern. He fired a long burst at this Oscar and saw hits going in the wing root. The Jap pilot jettisoned his canopy and bailed out. 1 confirmed on this. Two more Oscars jumped McComas so he headed SE toward Kiukiang. He passed over Ehr Tao Kow field and observed 9 Oscars preparing for takeoff. He circled and made a West to East pass on two Oscars just as they cleared the runway on takeoff. He fired a good burst into one Oscar and it flipped off and crashed into the other and both crashed just East of the field. 2 confirmed on this. McComas then motored up behind 2 other Oscars just after they took off abreast. McComas closed to within 50' of them and fired a long burst into each. He observed them both crash East of the field. 2 confirmed on this.
The scene on this painting is that McComas was shooting down the 2nd and 3rd Oscars of that day.
All the things happened on that day is as below:
McComas, leading the cover flight, made several straffing passes on the Wuchang a/d probably destroying 1 Lily and damaging 1 Oscar on the ground. As he pulled up off these passes he observed 6 Oscars above him. One Oscar tailed him and scored hits in his wing, but McComas dived away and then climbed to 7000' and tailed 1 Oscar from astern. He fired a long burst at this Oscar and saw hits going in the wing root. The Jap pilot jettisoned his canopy and bailed out. 1 confirmed on this. Two more Oscars jumped McComas so he headed SE toward Kiukiang. He passed over Ehr Tao Kow field and observed 9 Oscars preparing for takeoff. He circled and made a West to East pass on two Oscars just as they cleared the runway on takeoff. He fired a good burst into one Oscar and it flipped off and crashed into the other and both crashed just East of the field. 2 confirmed on this. McComas then motored up behind 2 other Oscars just after they took off abreast. McComas closed to within 50' of them and fired a long burst into each. He observed them both crash East of the field. 2 confirmed on this.
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