Why This American Ace Shot Down A C-47 And Still Received A Medal

Louis Edward Curdes, an accomplished USAAF flying ace, faced a challenging moral dilemma during World War II. While flying his P-51 Mustang, Bad Angel, over Batan Island, he spotted an American C-47 Skytrain heading directly for a Japanese airbase.

Curdes had to decide whether to shoot down the plane’s engines, potentially killing its crew, or allow it to land.

Bad Angel

Curdes, a veteran pilot, had already claimed eight kills in Europe and a ninth since his deployment to the Pacific, making him one of the few aces to take down aircraft from all major Axis powers. On this day, Curdes and his squadron were supporting a strike on a Japanese airfield when his fellow pilot, La Croix, was shot down by flak and forced to bail out.

Curdes searched for La Croix, found him floating in the water, and called for a rescue. With no response from headquarters, he sent his squadron back to base and stayed to provide cover. As Curdes circled, he saw an American C-47 heading for the Japanese base. He tried to communicate with the aircraft, but received no reply.

The plane seemed to be lost or possibly a defector, but it was dangerously close to enemy territory.

The Dilemma

Faced with no other choice, Curdes decided to take action. He fired on the plane’s left engine, setting it ablaze, but the C-47 continued toward the Japanese base. With little time left, Curdes fired on the second engine.

To his surprise, the plane’s crew survived and quickly boarded life rafts. As night fell, Curdes had to return to base, leaving the survivors adrift in the ocean.

Immediate Rescue

The next morning, Curdes led a rescue mission, escorting a Catalina flying boat to the site. They successfully retrieved the survivors, all of whom, including La Croix, were unharmed. To Curdes’ shock, one of the survivors was Svetlana Shostakovich, a nurse he had recently dated.

It turned out that the C-47 crew had become lost due to bad weather and misidentified the Japanese airstrip as an Allied one.

Curdes’ decision to shoot down the plane earned him a rare distinction—an American flag added to his kill tally. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice for his service. Despite their rocky encounter, Curdes married Svetlana, and they later had a family. He continued his military career until retiring in 1963.