Robert J Rankin
Military
media-401425.jpg
FRE 2678
Lieutenant Robert Rankin of the 56th Fighter Group with his P-47 Thunderbolt, 12 May 1944. Passed for publication 15 May 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'He Shot Down 5 Nazis In 45 Minutes. Associated Press Photo Shows:- Lt. Robert Rankin, all smiles, climbs from the cockpit of his Thunderbolt May 12 on his return from a 45-minute air fight north of Frankfurt during which he equalled the feat of Lt. Carl J. Luksic by shooting down five enemy planes - Me109s. Rankin hails from Washington, D.C. WOR 267714. 15-5-44-Y.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].
Roger Freeman Collection
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Most memorable--5 Me-109s destroyed on 12 May, 1944, one was on Zemke's tail.
DSC/ DFC 3Oak Leaf Cluster/ AM (4)/ BS/ LM/ AAFCM
10 kills/5 in one day
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Wicked Wacker Weegie
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Washington, DC, USA | 23 October 1915 |
Revisions
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
Changes
Sources
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- self