THE HELL ANGEL’S TOP GUN

THE HELL ANGEL’S TOP GUN: (AVG)

American Volunteer Group Flight Leader and 10.5 kill fighter “Ace” Kenneth Jernstedt is seen in the cockpit of one of the Group’s Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2 (P-40B Tomahawk) at Kunming’s Wujiaba Airfield.

Jernstedt was one of five Marine Corps Aviators who volunteered for service with the AVG. The other four Marines were; Charles Older, Thomas Haywood, C.H. “Link” Laughlin and Gregory Boyington.

Jernstedt was a member of the AVG’s 3rd Pursuit Squadron “Hells Angels” and is seen in the cockpit of aircraft number 77 which was the aircraft of fellow “Hells Angel” and 8.8 Kill Fighter “Ace” Robert “R.T.” Smith. “R.T.’s” distinctive, “sitting” Hells Angel logo and five Japanese flags, indicating 5 aerial victories, are visible just forward of the aircraft’s cockpit.

On March 22nd 1942, Jernstedt received serious injuries to his eyes when the glass of his windscreen was shattered by enemy gun fire, when he and four other AVG Tomahawks and 6 RAF Hurricanes attacked a formation of Japanese Army bombers over Magwe, Burma. On this, what would be his final combat mission, Jernstedt shot down two of the Japanese bombers, which are thought to have been Ki-21’s. However due to the severity of his injuries, which necessitated his medical evacuation to Kunming, he never had the opportunity to officially claim these last two kills, which if claimed, would have brought his final official tally to 12.5 aerial victories.

The injuries he sustained during his final mission as a “Flying Tiger” prevented Jernstedt from returning to aerial combat, however his skill as an aviator, and his experiences gained in successfully engaging some of Japan’s toughest and most experienced combat veterans, enabled Jernstedt to become a highly regarded test pilot, flight testing several of America’s most advanced fighter aircraft, including the Republic XP-72 which set a number of speed records for a propeller driven aircraft, and had its development continued, was designed to operate at altitudes above 25,000 feet and at speeds approaching 540 MPH.

Ken Jernstedt was also a Founding Board Memberof the SAAHF.