James H. Howard's P-51B "Ding Hao!"

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2021 11:40 pm

Does anyone here know the fate of James Howard's P-51B-5 Mustang (USAAF serial 43-6315) "Ding Hao!", the airplane he won the Congressional Medal of Honor in? It's a shame it was never preserved by the USAAF.

Cubs2jets · **Joined:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:12 am **Posts:** 312

According to Joe Barger...

6315 (356th FS, 354th FG, 9th AF) shot down by AAA E of Caen, France Jul 23, 1944. MACR 7473. Pilot fate unknown.

C2j

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:08 pm

Quote:

Does anyone here know the fate of James Howard's P-51B-5 Mustang (USAAF serial 43-6315) "Ding Hao!", the airplane he won the Congressional Medal of Honor in?

Howard didn't get this a/c until after the mission. But to answer your question P-51B s/n 43-6315 (re-coded AJ+S) was lost with 1Lt Ted Dichter due to flak on July 23, 1944.
BTW Howard was flying P-51B s/n 43-6441 AJ+X "The Prodigal Son" on Jan 11, 1944. His first assigned a/c was P-51B s/n 43-6374 AJ+A "Ding Hao".
In addition it's just 'Medal of Honor'............................

Quote:

It's a shame it was never preserved by the USAAF.

Not when every resource we had was needed to defeat Nazi Germany!!!

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2021 6:54 pm

Anyone else build the Monogram 1/48 kit of Ding Hao?
One of the first kits I built as a kid.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:08 pm

Thanks, Jack. I didn't know that, I just assumed that was the airplane. But yes, your point is well taken. There was a war to win, after all.

I'm a little surprised that that airplane hasn't been recreated with all the (relatively speaking) C's up and flying now.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:13 pm

JohnB wrote:

Anyone else build the Monogram 1/48 kit of Ding Hao?
One of the first kits I built as a kid.

I know I built it at least three times.

Archer · **Joined:** Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:13 pm **Posts:** 433

DingHao by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr

(NA P-51 Mustang 472917/G-HAEC, painted up as 'Ding Hao' for the Memphis Belle movie, photo from 1991).

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James H. Howard's P-51B "Ding Hao!"

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