1st Lt. D.S. Bash

462nd Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group

By the time 1st Lt. Bash joined the 506th Fighter Group, in Lakeland, Florida, he was already a very skilled and well trained pilot. After completing his flight training, Bash was sent to Tallahasse, FL with a replacement training unit. However, after three months, he became a flight instructor on P-47’s, thus delaying his entrance to actively fighting in the war. It wasn’t until November, 1944, when he finally received orders to join a new unit being formed, the 462nd Fighter Squadron.

Assigned to P-51D #616, Bash shared the Mustang with 1st Lt. E. Linfante (see his entry for more info). The P-51 adorned the name ‘Shanghai Lil’, which interestingly enough was the name of both Bash and Linfante’s wives. Bash flew his first mission on May 18, which was a dive bombing and straffing mission to Chichi Jima. He ended the war flying eleven VLR missions of over 100 hours total. On June 10, 1945, he shot down a Japanese Ki-61 Tony fighter.

“On a B-29 escort mission, we encountered enemy fighters at 25,000 feet which resulted in several minutes of intense fighter combat action. My part in the scenario was the destruction of one enemy fighter (Tony) and inflicting damage on another one. I gave chase (hot pursuit) of the damaged aircraft fighter. I was separated from my flight leader (DeJarnette) and also my wingman, who couldn’t keep up with me, due to an un-jettisoned fuel drop tank. My return to realism was to note my position at 4,000 feet over a Yokohama airport, which was the destination of the Japanese fighter I had been chasing. At this time, I heard my flight leader calling for my position; I answered, but got no response. I was getting very lonely being separated from the squadron, my flight leader and my wingman! My last aircraft gun burst was from two outboard guns, which indicated minimum ammunition, left. It was BTTW [balls to the wall] at this point. The U.D. homer assisted me to the B-29 rendezvous point…the squadron had already departed for Iwo Jima. I joined the next B-29 departing for home base and arrived safely with no further problem.”