Robert T. Smith - Wikipedia

Robert Tharp (R.T.) Smith (February 23, 1918 – August 21, 1995) was an American World War II fighter pilot and ace, credited with 8.7, 8.9 or 9 Japanese ... RobertT.Smith FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch RobertT.SmithR.T.SmithNickname(s)"R.T.","Tadpole","Bob"Born(1918-02-23)February23,1918York,NebraskaDiedAugust21,1995(1995-08-21)(aged 77)VanNuys,CaliforniaAllegianceUnitedStatesService/branchUnitedStatesArmyAirForcesUnitedStatesAirForceReserveYears ofservice1939–19451949–1966RankLieutenantColonelServicenumber0-395294UnitAmericanVolunteerGroup1stAirCommandoGroupCommandsheld337thFighterSquadronBattles/warsWorldWarII Burmacampaign China-Burma-IndiaTheater AwardsSilverStarDistinguishedFlyingCrossAirMedalOrderoftheCloudandBannerwithSpecialCravat(China)StarWingMedal(China)DistinguishedFlyingCross(UnitedKingdom)Other workTWApilotExecutive RobertTharp(R.T.)Smith(February23,1918–August21,1995)wasanAmericanWorldWarIIfighterpilotandace,creditedwith8.7,8.9or9JapaneseaircraftwhilefightingwiththeAmericanVolunteerGroup(FlyingTigers). Contents 1Earlylife 2Flighttraining 3AmericanVolunteerGroup 41stAirCommandoGroup 5Afterdischarge 6Notes 7References 8Externallinks Earlylife[edit] HewasborninYork,Nebraska.[1][2]HisfamilymovedtoRedCloudfromHooper,Nebraskain1927whenhisfather,EarlW.Smith,washiredasSuperintendentofSchools.HegraduatedRedCloudHighSchoolin1935.SmithattendedtheUniversityofNebraskabeforejoiningtheUnitedStatesArmyAirCorps[1]in1939,midwaythroughhissenioryear.[3]PriortothetimeheenrolledintheAirCorps,heworkedfortheNebraskaStateJournalasaproofreader.[4] Flighttraining[edit] HereceivedhisprimaryflighttrainingattheAllanHancockCollegeofAeronauticsatSantaMaria,California.Duringhistraining,hewasgivenacoupleofcheckrideswithRobertL.Scott,whoonMay17,1942flewasSmith'swingmanonScott'sfirstcombatmissioninChina.[5][6]SmithcompletedbasictrainingwithClass40-CatRandolphField,TexasandadvancedtrainingatBrooksField,Texas.HewascommissionedasecondlieutenantinJune1940,andreturnedtoRandolphFieldwherehisfirstassignmentwasasabasicflightinstructor.[7] AmericanVolunteerGroup[edit] SmithresignedhiscommissioninJuly1941inordertojoinColonelClaireLeeChennault'sAmericanVolunteerGroup(AVG)asa"soldieroffortune"withtheNationalistChineseAirForce.TheFlyingTigers,astheyweresoontobecalled,wereinBurmatraininginCurtissP-40s(actuallyHawkModel81-A-2s,or,astheBritishcalledthem,Tomahawks)whenPearlHarborwasattackedonDecember8,1941(December7intheUnitedStates). R.T.Smith(sometimescalled"Tadpole"[3]afterDavidLee"Tex"HillsuppliedtheanswertoaquestionsomeoneposedtoSmith,"What'sthe'T'standfor?")sawhisfirstcombatactionoverRangoononDecember23,1941,whenhewascreditedwithshootingdown1.5MitsubishiKi-21"Sally"bombers,followedonChristmasDaywithcreditfortwomoreSallysandafighter.PromotedtoflightleaderintheThirdPursuitSquadron,the"Hell'sAngels",Smithwascreditedwithshootingdownatotalof8.7,[8]8.9[9]or9[1][10]Japaneseplanes,andwastwicedecoratedbytheChinesegovernment.TheAVGcontinuedtofightthroughoutBurmaandsouthwestChinauntilitwasofficiallydisbandedonJuly4,1942.[11] 1stAirCommandoGroup[edit] 1stAirCommandoGroupBomberSectionCommanderR.T.SmithandCo-commandersJohnAlisonandPhilCochraninfrontofR.T.Smith'sB-25H"BarbieIII"atHailkandi,IndiainMarch1944 SmithreturnedtotheUnitedStatesontheUSATMariposaalongwith82otherAVGpilotsandgroundpersonnel.[12]PriortobeingdraftedasaprivateinDecember1942,[13]SmithservedasthetechnicaladvisoronTheSky'stheLimitdirectedbyE.H.GriffithandstarringFredAstaireandJoanLeslie.[14][15]ThesideoftheP-40AstaireisflyingatthebeginningofthemoviehasasittingHell'sAngeloftheAVG'sThirdSquadronthatwasonthesideofSmith'sP-40#77. SmithwasquicklyrecommissionedasaU.S.AirCorpssecondlieutenantandpromotedtomajorthenextmonth.Forthenextfewmonths,ascommandingofficerofthe337FighterSquadron,329FighterGroupatGlendale,CaliforniaandPaineField,Everett,Washington,[16]hetrainedreplacementpilotsusingLockheedP-38Lightningfighteraircraft.SmithmarriedBarbaraBradfordinJune1943,adoptinghersonBradfromapreviousmarriagetovaudevilleperformerGeorgeMann. Shortlyafterbeingappointedcommandingofficerofthe329thFighterGroupinSeptember1943,hevolunteeredtoreturntotheChina-India-BurmaTheaterwiththe1stAirCommandoGroup,flyingoccasionalP-51Mustangmissionsandcommandingthatgroup'sB-25MitchellsquadroninsupportofBritishGeneralOrdeWingate'stroopsworkingoutofIndiaandmovingbehindJapaneselinesinBurma(nowMyanmar).OnestoryistoldofwhenSmithwasflyingaloneinhisP-51(named"Barbie"afterhiswife)andsawacrowdgatheredaroundajeepontheflyingfield.SomeonewasmakingaspeechandSmithassumeditwasPhilCochran,co-commander(withJohnAlison)ofthe1stAirCommandoGroup.HeputhisP-51intoadiveandbuzzedthespeaker,nearlytakinghishatoff,atover450milesanhour.ItwasonlyafterSmithlandedthathelearnedthespeakerwasLordLouisMountbatten,SupremeAlliedCommander,South-EastAsia.LordMountbattenwasnotangryatSmith,butwasangryathisaideforhavinghimmakeaspeechonanactiveflyingfield.[17]Smith("R.T."accordingtoChuckBaisden,for"RoundTrip"whileinthe1stAirCommandoGroup)[18]waspromotedtolieutenantcolonelinMarch1944,flew55combatmissionsoverBurma,andwasawardedtheAirMedal,DistinguishedFlyingCrossandSilverStar. Afterdischarge[edit] PaintingofCurtissP-40WarhawkintheRepublicofChinaAirForce,autographedbyR.T.Smith. HellsAngels,FlyingTigers,informationoverChina,1942.PhotoandautographbyR.T.Smith. SmithreturnedtotheUnitedStatesinthelatespringof1944andwasassignedasDirectorofFlyingTrainingwiththe441stArmyAirForceBaseUnitatVanNuys,California,aP-38trainingbase.TheBaseOperationsOfficeratthetimewasMajorBarryGoldwater.HeresignedfromtheAirCorpsattheconclusionofWorldWarIIandboughtahomeintheSanFernandoValleyinSouthernCaliforniaacrossfromtheLosAngelesRiverwhenitwasactuallyariverinsteadoftheconcretechannelitistoday. AfterflyingDC3sandConstellationsbetweenLosAngelesandKansasCityforayearandahalfwithTrans-WorldAirlines(TWA),hewroteradioscriptsfortheHopalongCassidyWesternAdventureShow,LumandAbner,ThePhilHarris-AliceFayeShow,andtheClydeBeattyShow.Healsowrotethescreenplay(withFrankTaussig)forthe1953moviePerilsoftheJunglestarringClydeBeatty.[19]Smithwasco-ownerofatoymanufacturingcompany(Smith-Miller);developedandsoldaproductforconditioningautomobileconvertibletops(TopSecret);[1]andworkedforRoyWeatherbyasasalesmanagerforWeatherby'sInc. R.T.andBarbaraSmithweredivorcedin1955.Aboutthistime,SmithjoinedLockheedAircraftCorporationasatechnicalwriter,workinghiswayupthroughtheorganization,firstasamilitarysalesrepresentativefortheF-104Starfighter,andlatertoopenandmanageanewcorporateofficeforLockheedinNewportNews,Virginia.[20](GerhardNeumann,whojoinedtheAmericanVolunteerGroupinChina,designedtheJ79jetengineusedintheF-104.)SmithservedattherankoflieutenantcolonelintheAirForceReservefrom1949to1966. SmithmarriedRonniBurkettinJuly1965.Duringthelate1960s,hejoinedtheFlyingTigerLine,[1]foundedbyRobertPrescott,afellowpilotwiththeAmericanVolunteerGroup,firstasVicePresidentforIndustrialAffairsinWashington,D.C.andlaterasVicePresidentfortheFarEast,headquarteredinTokyo.HelefttheFlyingTigerLineandTokyointheearly1970stoliveandworkinPalmSprings,California. R.T.andRonniSmithweredivorcedinthemid-1970s.HereturnedtotheSanFernandoValley,wherehewroteandpublishedTaleofaTiger,[21]basedonhisoriginaldiaryentries[1]andseveralarticlesforAirClassics.Healsoestablishedamail-orderbusiness,sellinghisbookandcolorphotographsheshotwhilehewasintheAVGand1stAirCommandoGroup,includingthisoftenreproducedformationshotofthe3rdSquadronHell'sAngelstakenonMay28,1942neartheSalweenRiveralongtheChina-Burmaborder. Hediedatage77(thenumberhehadselectedforhisfirstP-40intheAVG)oflungcanceronAugust21,1995.[1] Smithwassurvivedbyhissister,June,whodiedin2001;threesons,Bradford,Robert,andWilliam;andthreegrandchildren. Notes[edit] ^abcdefgBrettA.Collins(August24,1995)."Obituaries :*RobertT.Smith;Author,FlyingTigersAce".LosAngelesTimes. ^Burke,Kate(March17,2009)."YorkNativewasaFlyingTiger".YorkTimes-News.York,Nebraska. ^ab"BiographyofR.T.SmithonFlyingTigersAssociationWebsite".Retrieved2011-06-19. ^"Nebraskapilotdownsfourenemyplanes".NebraskaStateJournal.Lincoln,Nebraska.AssociatedPress.January3,1942. ^Smith,R.T.(1986).TaleofaTiger.VanNuys,CA:TigerOriginals.p. 312.ISBN 0-9618012-0-4. ^Scott,Jr.,RobertL.(1943).GodisMyCo-Pilot.GardenCity,NY:BlueRibbonBooks.p. 141. ^Chadwick,MajorB.F.(October4,1940)."Let'sGetAcquainted".TheMilitaryServiceNews. ^"RobertT.Smith".flyingtigersavg.com.RetrievedOctober12,2012. ^Ford,Daniel(2007).FlyingTigers:ClaireChennaultandHisAmericanVolunteers.NewYork:HarperCollins.p. 361.ISBN 978-0-06-124655-5. ^"AmericanVolunteerGroupAces,WorldWarII,1939-1945".AmericanFighterAcesAssociation(americanfighteraces.org).RetrievedOctober12,2012. ^Rossi,J.R.(1998)."TheFlyingTigers–AmericanVolunteerGroup–ChineseAirForce".AVG. ^"'FlyingTigers'inCity,TellofEpicCampaign".NewYorkHeraldTribune.September9,1942. ^"FlyingTigerBackinArmyasPrivate".LosAngelesExaminer.December11,1942. ^"TheSky'stheLimit".InternetMovieDatabase(IMDb).Retrieved26November2012. ^Starr,Jimmy(December3,1942)."DirectorandEx-FlyingTigerPlotDaringFlight".LosAngelesEveningHeraldandExpress. ^"Ex-AVGFlyerNowatPaine".TheAce-Pursuiter.3(37):1,4.September11,1943. ^Thomas,Lowell(1951).BacktoMandalay.NewYork:GreystonePress.pp. 135–36. ^Baisden,Chuck(1999).FlyingTigertoAirCommando.Atglen,PA:SchifferPublishing.ISBN 0-7643-0690-1. ^PerilsoftheJungleatIMDb ^Read,Tom(June17,1964)."FormerFlyingTigerSetforFarEastConvention".TheTimes-Herald,NewportNews,Virginia. ^Smith,R.T.(1986).TaleofaTiger.VanNuys,CA:TigerOriginals.ISBN 0-9618012-0-4. References[edit] Baisden,Chuck(1999).FlyingTigertoAirCommando.SchifferMilitaryHistory.ISBN 0-7643-0690-1. Belcher,Rod(September11,1943)."ExAVGFlyer[RobertT.Smith]NowatPaine".TheAce-Pursuiter.PaineField,Everett,WA:SpecialServiceOffice.pp. 1,4. Bergin,Bob(December2016–January2017)."KunmingRemembersTheFlyingTigers:AphotographyexhibitontheworkofR.T.SmithhonorsthelegendaryfightergroupthatsavedaChinesecity".Air&Space/Smithsonian.SmithsonianEnterprises.31(6):34–38. Bergin,Bob(2017).ATiger'sViewofWarintheAir:TheAVGFlyingTigersinActionthroughtheEyesofAVGPilotRobertT.Smith.BananaTreePress.ASIN B077CQSTGJ. Bledsoe,Larry(December1995–January1996)."R.T.Smith:1918–1995".AviationIllustrated. Boyce,Ward(Winter1991)."ChristmasOverRangoon".AmericanFighterAcesandFriendsBulletin.AmericanFighterAcesAssociation.8(4):3–7. Burke,Kate(March17,2009)."YorkNativewasaFlyingTiger".YorkNews-Times.York,Nebraska. Cernecca,Francesco(2013).LeTigridiKunming(inItalian).Italy:FrancescoCernecca.ISBN 978-1-291-30169-4. Clements,Terrill(2001).AmericanVolunteerGroupColoursandMarkings.OspreyAircraftoftheAces•41.GreatBritain:OspreyPublishing.ISBN 1-84176-224-5. Collins,Brett(August24,1995)."RobertT.Smith;Author,FlyingTigersAce".LosAngelesTimes. Copley,RobertE.,KeithJ.Christensen,TexKehley,JoePoshefko,GerhardNeumann,ClarenceSimonsen,ClarenceW.Riffer,BillSmith,DavidLee"Tex"Hill,JasperHarrington,CharlesH.Older,GeorgeB.Kepka,JosephGasdick,MorganH.VauxandEdgarT.Goyette(September1988)."LetterstotheEditorregarding'TheFlyingTigers:AnEndangeredSpecies'".AirClassics.24(9):6–8,10,66–67.ISSN 0002-2241.{{citejournal}}:CS1maint:multiplenames:authorslist(link) Couston,Jean-Louis(2001).FlyingTigers:AmericanVolunteerGroup(inFrench).France:DTU.ISBN 2912749034. Couston,Jean-Louis(September2003)."RobertTharpSmithetlesTigresVolants".Avions(inFrench).126:6–14.ISSN 1243-8650. Couston,Jean-Louis(October2003)."RobertTharpSmithetlesTigresVolants,Deuxièmepartie".Avions(inFrench).127:30–37.ISSN 1243-8650. Crumpler,Hugh(January1999)."AnAVG"FlyingTiger"[RobertT.Smith]TellsItLikeItWas".Ex-CBIRoundup.54(1):28–31.ISSN 0014-388X. Dorr,RobertF.(1997)."AmericanVolunteerGroup:The'FlyingTigers'".WingsofFame.London,UK:AerospacePublishing.9:4–18.ISSN 1361-2034. Dorr,RobertF.(February4,2002)."FlyingTiger[RobertT.Smith]foughtJapaneseearlyinWWII".AirForceTimes.pp. 40–41. Dupouy,P.S.,Gen.DavidLee"Tex"Hill,GeorgeB.Kepka,JosephGasdick,JasperJ.Harrington,HarryL.Cross,Charles"Chuck"Baisden,HarvyC.Wirta,BobNeale,GordonWeaver,DanielFord,HerbertW.Isherwood,FrankA.Anderson,C.H."Link"Laughlin,JimCross,J.B.Hyde,J.R.RossiandGeorgeW.Burgess(October1988)."LetterstotheEditorregarding'TheFlyingTigers:AnEndangeredSpecies'".AirClassics.24(10):6–8,10,74.ISSN 0002-2241.{{citejournal}}:CS1maint:multiplenames:authorslist(link) Ford,Daniel(2007)[Firstpublished1991].FlyingTigers:ClaireChennaultandhisAmericanVolunteers,1941–1942.SmithsonianBooks.ISBN 978-1-56098-011-7. Greene,Vaughn&FelixRodriguez(November1988)."LetterstotheEditorregarding'TheFlyingTigers:AnEndangeredSpecies'".AirClassics.24(11):6–8,29.ISSN 0002-2241. Li,Xiaofan(June2017)."FlyingSquad:TheWarofResistance".DeepWorld(inChinese):100–111.ISSN 1672-6499. Losonsky,FrankS.&TerryM.Losonsky(1996).FlyingTiger:ACrewChief'sStory.Atglen,PA:SchifferMilitary/AviationHistory.ISBN 0-7643-0045-8. Minnich,Mike(1977)."TigerintheSky:TheSagaoftheAVG".AirEnthusiastQuarterly.London:FineScroll.4:113–128. Minnich,Mike(May1985)."HonoringtheTiger:DecorationstotheAmericanVolunteerGroup".TheMedalCollector.TheOrdersofMedalsSocietyofAmerica.36(5):19–29. O'Leary,Michael(January1996)."R.T.Smith:ThepassingofanAmericanaviationlegend".AirClassics.32(1):20–21.ISSN 0002-2241. O'Leary,Michael(January–February2015)."ColonelSmith'sMitchell".WarbirdsInternational.34(1):20–29. Read,Tom(June17,1964)."FormerFlyingTigerSetforFarEastConvention".TheTimes-Herald.NewportNews,VA.pp. 19–20. Smith,R[obert]T.(October28,1939)."ElementsofHigherLearningorADayattheCircus".Aerie"EaglesNest".SantaMariaCalifornia:CollegeofAeronautics.2(2):5.Editor'sNote:Thisistypicalofthemindofacadetsoonafterhestartstraining.Theonlychangeafterhisfulltwelveweeksisthatthewholethingismorecomplicatedstill. Smith,RobertT.(September1952)."WeWeretheFlyingTigers".Men.1(6):35–37,62–63. Smith,R[obert]T.(January–February1982)."AccuracyoftheB-25HCannon".TheBashaBlabber,NewsletteroftheNo.1AirCommandoAssociation:3–4. Smith,R[obert]T.(1986).TaleofaTiger.VanNuys,CA:TigerOriginals.ISBN 0-9618012-0-4. Smith,R[obert]T.(June1986)."Long-RangeFerry,PartOne".AirClassics.22(6):22–26,28–29,75,78.ISSN 0002-2241. Smith,R[obert]T.(July1986)."Long-RangeFerry,PartTwo".AirClassics.22(7):14–19,79,82.ISSN 0002-2241. Smith,RobertT.(June1988)."TheFlyingTigers:AnEndangeredSpecies".AirClassics.24(6):38–49,64–65,68–71.ISSN 0002-2241. Smith,R[obert]T.(August1990)."CaptainIncredible!:TheAmazingUnmaskingofoneindividualandhis'phoneywar'".AirClassics.26(8):46–48,50–57,78–79.ISSN 0002-2241.RolandSperry,whoclaimedtobeadecoratedAVGpilotinhisbookChinaThroughtheEyesofaTiger,isunmaskedasafraudinthisarticle. Smith,R[obert]T.(February1992)."ReviewofFlyingTigers:ClaireChennaultandtheAmericanVolunteerGroupbyDanielFord".AirClassics.28(2):12–13,71.ISSN 0002-2241. Smith,R[obert]T.(September1992)."MyMeetingwithHinoki:FlyingTigerAceR.T.SmithReflectsontheJapanesePilotheEncounteredincombat50yearsago".AirClassics.28(9):24–26,56–58,60–61.ISSN 0002-2241. Smith,RobertT.(November2015)."RecollectionsofaP-38Pilot".LightingStrikes!.P-38NationalAssociation.28(3):14–15. Song,James(2020).Burma:Part1-TheStampsandPostalHistoryUndertheReignoftheThreeBritishKings-1901-1947.Singapore:JamesSongPhilatelics.pp. 352–354.ISBN 978-981-14-8595-4. Sperry,RolandwithTerrylC.Boodman(1990).ChinaThroughtheEyesofaTiger.ISBN 0-671-66942-7.RolandSperry'sclaimtobeadecoratedAVGpilotwasunmaskedasafraudinR.T.Smith'sarticle"CaptainIncredible"intheAugust1990issueofAirClassics. Tamelander,Michael(September2012)."TheFlyingTigers".MilitærHistorie(inNorwegian):4–16. Thomas,Lowell(1951).BacktoMandalay.NewYork:GreystonePress.StoryofGeneralOrdeWingate'sChindit'sandthe1stAirCommandoGroup. VanWagner,R.D.(1998).AnyPlace,AnyTime,AnyWhere:The1stAirCommandosinWWII.Atglen,PA:SchifferMilitary/AviationHistory.ISBN 0-7643-0447-X. Vartabedian,Ralph(July6,1991)."OneLastWWIICombatVictory".LosAngelesTimes.pp. A1,A22–A23. Externallinks[edit] R.T.SmithphotosandartatSanDiegoAir&SpaceMuseumArchives AmericanVolunteerGroupVictoryCredits RobertTharpSmithatFindaGrave ChineseOrderoftheCloudandBannerawardedtoAmericanVolunteerGrouppilots ChineseStar-WingMedalawardedtoAmericanVolunteerGrouppilots PhotographstakenbyR.T.SmithwhileintheAmericanVolunteerGroup AuthoritycontrolGeneral ISNI 1 VIAF 1 WorldCat Nationallibraries UnitedStates Other FacetedApplicationofSubjectTerminology SocialNetworksandArchivalContext Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_T._Smith&oldid=1083836280" Categories:AmericanWorldWarIIflyingaces20th-centuryAmericanmemoiristsFlyingTigersRecipientsoftheDistinguishedFlyingCross(UnitedKingdom)RecipientsoftheAirMedalRecipientsoftheDistinguishedFlyingCross(UnitedStates)RecipientsoftheSilverStarUnitedStatesArmyAirForcespilotsofWorldWarIIUnitedStatesArmyAirForcesofficersUniversityofNebraska–Lincolnalumni1918births1995deathsPeoplefromYork,NebraskaPeoplefromHooper,NebraskaPeoplefromRedCloud,NebraskaDeathsfromlungcancerHiddencategories:CS1Italian-languagesources(it)CS1maint:multiplenames:authorslistCS1French-languagesources(fr)CS1Chinese-languagesources(zh)CS1Norwegian-languagesources(no)ArticleswithISNIidentifiersArticleswithVIAFidentifiersArticleswithWORLDCATIDidentifiersArticleswithLCCNidentifiersArticleswithFASTidentifiersArticleswithSNAC-IDidentifiers Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadEditViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Inotherprojects WikimediaCommons Languages Français Editlinks