Captain Robert Schultz of the “Lightning” equipped 449th Fighter Squadron, is seen at the nose of his twin engined, Lockheed P-38G Lightning fighter, the “Golden Eagle.”
The 449th Fighter Squadron originally saw combat against the German Luftwaffe during the North African Campaign, but in July 1943, was transferred to China for service with Major General Claire Chennault’s 14th Air Force.
Arriving in China, the unit was assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group. However, in October, in company with the 16th Fighter Squadron, the 449th Fighter Squadron was transferred away from the 23rd Fighter Group, and reassigned to the newly arrived 25th and 26th Fighter Squadrons which had been fighting against Burmese based, Japanese air and ground forces from airfields in India’s northwestern Assam Valley, to make up the four squadrons of the 14th Air Force’s newly arrived 51st Fighter Group.
One of the first pilots to fly the fighter version of the Lightning over China, Captain Schultz would end his tour of duty in China with five confirmed aerial victories to his credit.
This photo and additional photos and information on Captain Robert Schultz, can be found in the book “The Forgotten Squadron,” which chronicles the unit history of the 449th Fighter Squadron, by author, active duty Air Force “Air Commando” and SAAHF Board Member, Captain Daniel Jackson, USAF.
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