Ralph K. Hofer
Encyclopedia
Lt. Ralph K Hofer was an American
fighter pilot with the United States Army Air Forces
in World War II
.
With his long hair and football jersey, "Kid" Hofer stands out as one of the most memorable characters in the 8th Air Force. After serving in the RCAF
, Hofer transferred to the 4th Fighter Group
in September 1943 and promptly destroyed an Bf 109 on his first mission. Hofer was known for not maintaining radio discipline, incurred the wrath of group commander Col. Don Blakeslee on more than one occasion. One of his more memorable R/T quotes was "Gee ain't the Alps pretty?" Hofer was also one of the top strafers in the 8th AF with 14 confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. He scored his first two victories in P-47s but is usually associated with P-51B 42-106924 QP—L, nicknamed Salem Representative.
, Hungary
, flying from bases in Foggia
, Italy
. Over the Budapest area, they encountered a force of Bf 109s. In the tough battle that followed four P-51s were shot down. Of the four downed pilots, two were made prisoners of war, and two were killed. The last was Hofer. His body was found in the wreckage of P-51B, QP-X some 500 kilometers away at a Luftwaffe
airfield in Mostar
, Yugoslavia
.
with six oak leaf clusters and 3 Air Medals.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fighter pilot with the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
With his long hair and football jersey, "Kid" Hofer stands out as one of the most memorable characters in the 8th Air Force. After serving in the RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
, Hofer transferred to the 4th Fighter Group
4th Operations Group
The 4th Operations Group is the flying component of the 4th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina...
in September 1943 and promptly destroyed an Bf 109 on his first mission. Hofer was known for not maintaining radio discipline, incurred the wrath of group commander Col. Don Blakeslee on more than one occasion. One of his more memorable R/T quotes was "Gee ain't the Alps pretty?" Hofer was also one of the top strafers in the 8th AF with 14 confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. He scored his first two victories in P-47s but is usually associated with P-51B 42-106924 QP—L, nicknamed Salem Representative.
Death
On July 2, 1944 the 352nd and 325th fighter groups participated in a fighter sweep over BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, flying from bases in Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Over the Budapest area, they encountered a force of Bf 109s. In the tough battle that followed four P-51s were shot down. Of the four downed pilots, two were made prisoners of war, and two were killed. The last was Hofer. His body was found in the wreckage of P-51B, QP-X some 500 kilometers away at a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
airfield in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Decorations
Hofer's decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
with six oak leaf clusters and 3 Air Medals.