Oscar J Rau

Military
media-26644.jpeg UPL 26644 1Lt Oscar Rau 318th FS

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Object Number - UPL 26644 - 1Lt Oscar Rau 318th FS

318th FS 4 kills

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Funnyface
  • Unit: 325th Fighter Group 318th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Combat Mission - Awarded DSC

Lake Balaton, Hungary 5 November 1944 In a 5 November 1944 mission, after an escorting B-17s to the Venna Florisdorf oil refineries on 5 November 1944, eight ME-109s engaged a flight of Checkertail P-51s in the skies around the southern edge of Lake Balaton. Green Dragon pilot Capt Oscar "Ockie" J Rau received a kill on his first match-up with a ME-109, but his day had only just begun. After his first engagement, Rau noticed that his flight leader was in battle with three ME-109s, as he arrived on scene, he engaged and downed one of enemy airplanes. He then went after the second of the three aggressors and won the battle getting him kill number three. A moment later, Capt Rau's wingman was in trouble, the Captain moved to keep the bandit of his partner's tail, and downed number four. During the fight Lt. Bob Newell and Maj Norman L. McDonald (an Ace that would later become the 318th Commander) each received one kill apiece. For his for extraordinary heroism and unquestionable valor in aerial combat, Lt Oscar J Rau was The Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force.

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