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John Landers and "Texas Longhorn"
All the photos I have seen of Landers P-40E "Texas Longhorn" show five Japanese flags underneath the cockpit. This is odd because Landers claimed at least two (probably four) victories in his previous P40E-1 "Skeeter" but then added two more in the same mission in December 1942 (Oscars not Zeroes). If "Texas Longhorn" was the P40E he was then shot down and baled out from during this mission there would be four flags not five.
I note that Landers claimed five "Bettys" as kills during his first successful air combat but this was reduced to two when it was decided he had attacked three bombers which were already damaged. Could it be that he was still claiming these five when he received "Texas Longhorn"?
Keith
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