Lt. Louis Curdes arrived at his 82nd Fighter Group, 95th Fighter Squadron in April, 1943, and was assigned a P-38 Lightning. Ten days later he shot down three German Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. A few weeks later, he downed two more German Bf-109's. In less than a month of combat, Louis was an Ace. During the next three months, Louis shot down an Italian Mc.202 fighter and two more Messerschmitt Bf-109's before his luck ran out. A German fighter shot down his plane on August 27, 1943, over Salerno, Italy. Captured by the Italians, he was sent to a POW camp near Rome. No doubt this is where he thought he would spend the remaining years of the war. It wasn't to be. A few days later, the Italians surrendered. Louis and a few other pilots escaped before the Nazis could take control of the camp. One might think that such harrowing experiences would have taken the fight out of Louis, yet he volunteered for another combat tour where he was reassigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Air Commando Group where he flew his P-51D,“Bad Angel”.Soon after arriving in the Pacific Theater, Louis downed a Mitsubishi reconnaissance plane near Formosa. Now he was one of only three Americans to have kills against all three Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan. While attacking the Japanese-held island of Bataan, one of Louis' wingmen was shot down. The pilot ditched in the ocean. Circling overhead, Louis could see that his wingman had survived, so he stayed in the area to guide a rescue plane and protect the downed pilot. It wasn't long before he noticed a Douglas C-47 transport with American markings, wheels down, preparing to land at the Japanese-held airfield on Bataan. He tried to make radio contact, but without success. He maneuvered his Mustang in front of the big transport several times trying to wave it off. But, the C-47 kept its heading to its landing target. Apparently the C-47 crew didn't realize they were about to land on a Japanese held island, and soon would be captives. He knew that whoever was in that American C-47 would be, upon landing, either dead or wish they were. But what could he do? Lt. Louis Curdes lined up his P-51 directly behind the transport, carefully sighted one of his .50 caliber machine guns and knocked out one of its two engines. Still the C-47 continued on toward the Bataan airfield. Curdes shifted his aim slightly and knocked out the remaining engine, leaving the baffled pilot no choice but to ditch in the ocean. The C-47 came down in one piece about 50 yards from his bobbing wingman. At this point, nightfall and low fuel forced Louis to return to base. The next morning, Louis flew cover for a rescuing PBY that picked up the downed Mustang pilot and 12 passengers and crew, including two female nurses, from the C-47. All survived, and later, Lt. Curdes would end up marrying one of these nurses, who he’d dated the night before. Lt. Louis Curdes was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down the C-47, thereby saving its 12 occupants. Thereafter, on the fuselage of his P-51 "Bad Angel", he proudly displayed the symbols of his kills: seven German, one Italian, one Japanese and one American flag. This was another fantastic model by Neiwil with the “bad Angel” skin modification by me. Daz 4.9, Iray, GIMP 2.8.10