RCAF Aviation History: Colonel D. J. M. "Horseback Leader" Blakeslee

Colonel D. J. M. "Horseback Leader" Blakeslee

(RCAF Photo)

Pilot Officer Blakeslee climbing into his Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V while serving with No. 401 Squadron RCAF, in the Spring of 1942. Blakeslee's wife's name Leola is printed under the windscreen. Donald James Matthew Blakeslee (11 September 1917 – 3 September 2008). He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserve as an Infantry Officer on 13 October 1938, and resigned his commission on 13 September 1940, in order to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. After training in Canada, Blakeslee began flying combat missions in England in May 1941, while assigned to 401 Squadron, “City of Westmount” Squadro, under command of Lieutenant Colonel F.G. Rock,  of the RCAF.

He was credited with 3 aerial victories while flying Spitfires and became a member of the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, before transferring to the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. commission as a Captain in the Army Air Forces on 29 September 1942, commanding the 335th Fighter Squadron. of the 4th Fighter Group in Europe until May 1943, when he was made Executive Officer and Operations Officer for the 4th Fighter Group. On 1 January 1944, Col Blakeslee was made commanding officer of the 4th Fighter Group, serving in this position until September 1944, when he went on leave in the U.S. He flew more combat missions against the Luftwaffe than any other American fighter pilot, and by the end of the war was a flying ace credited with 15.5 aerial victories. (Wikipedia)

Eight of the top ten scorers at the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group graduated and earned their wings through the RCAF in Canada. They were Colonel D. J. M. Blakeslee, Major J. T. Godfrey, Major J. S. Goodson, Major D. W. Beeson, Major F. W. Glover, Major P. W. McKennon, Major G. E. Montgomery and 1st Lieutenant Ralph Hofer. Together these eight pilots destroyed 194.66 German aircraft in the air and on the ground. This represented a phenomenal 19% of the group’s overall total score. The first wholly trained US pilots did not arrive at the 4th until January 26, 1944.

(DoD Photo)

USAAF Colonel D. J. M. "Horseback Leader" Blakeslee.  Note the RCAF wings on his tunic.

After training in Canada, Blakeslee arrived in England on 15 May 1941, where he was assigned to No. 401 Squadron RCAF. The squadron was assigned to the Biggin Hill Wing. While flying in sweeps over France, Pilot Officer Blakeslee appears to have engaged in his first combat on 18 November 1941, when he damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 109 near LeTouquet. He claimed his first kill on 22 November 1941, a Bf 109 destroyed, over Desvres, about 10 miles south of Marck; on the same mission, he damaged a further Bf 109 while returning to base. His next kills were not claimed until 28 April 1942, two Fw 190 probably destroyed. He was not a particularly good shot, but was receptive to the principles involved in air fighting tactics, and was soon shown to be a gifted leader, in the air and on the ground. By the summer of 1942 he was an acting Flight Lieutenant, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 14 August 1942.

The citation read:

Acting Flight Lieutenant Donald James Mathew BLAKESLEE (Can.J/4551) Royal Canadian Air Force No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron. This officer has completed a large number of sorties over enemy territory. He has destroyed 1, probably destroyed 2 and damaged several more hostile aircraft. He is a fine leader whose keenness has proved most inspiring.

He then completed his first tour of duty, clocking 200 combat hours with three victories.

(RAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb (Serial No. EN951), coded MD-U, No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF.

Blakeslee had studiously avoided being part of the American volunteer Eagle Squadrons, claiming "they played sister in making their claims." But when told he would be assigned to be an instructor pilot, he finally volunteered to be sent to No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF as its commanding officer, which was the only way he could remain on combat status. During the Dieppe raid against France on 18 August 1942, Blakeslee shot down a further Fw 190, and another probably destroyed on the 19th, thus achieving ace status.

4th Fighter Group

(USAAF Photo)
Commanding officers of the Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force in 1944; Blakeslee is fourth from the left in the back row.

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On 12 September 1942, Nos. 71, 121, and 133 Squadrons were"activated" as the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group, operating from a former RAF field at Debden. After a few months flying Spitfires, the group was re-equipped with the new Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. On 15 April 1943, Blakeslee claimed an Fw 190 for the group's first P-47 "kill", and claimed a further Fw 190 on 14 May 1943, both near Knocke. Leading the 335th Squadron of the 4th FG, Blakeslee flew the group into Germany for the first time on 28 July 1943. Towards the end of the year, Blakeslee led the group more often, and developed a tactic of circling above any air battle and directing his fighters as necessary.

(USAAF Photo)

Colonel Donald Blakeslee, Commanding Officer of the 4th Fighter Group in the cockpit of a P-51 Mustang, April 1944.

(USAAF Photo)

Brigadier General Jesse C Auton, General Eisenhower, General Spaatz, General Doolittle, Major General William Kepner and Colonel Blakeslee taken on the occasion of the awarding of the DFC Colonel Blakeslee and Captain Gentile. Debden, England, April 1944.

(USAAF Photo)

(USAAF Photo)

Colonel Donald Blakeslee in his P-51D Mustang (Serial No. 44-13779), coded  WD-C, which was received by the 4th Fighter Group on 8 July 1944. By mid-July that year, the Invasion Stripes were removed from the upper surfaces on the Group's aircraft. Blakeslee is shown here leading a formation of 335th, 336th and 334th Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustangs.

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Blakeslee flew the North American P-51 Mustang for the first time in December 1943 and thereafter worked hard to have the 4th FG re-equipped as soon as possible with the new fighter, pushing hard, especially as he now became commanding officerof the 4th on 1 January 1944. The 8th Air Force Command eventually agreed to the request, provided the pilots were operational on the P-51 within 24 hours of receiving them. Blakeslee agreed, instructing his pilots to "learn how to fly them on the way to the target".

On 6 March 1944, Blakeslee flew in the first Mustang over Berlin while defending Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s. Escorting the massed daylight raids of the 8th Air Force over Occupied Europe while under Blakeslee's command, the 4th FG became one of the highest-scoring groups of VIII Fighter Command. The 4th's aggressive style was very effective, and the 4th Fighter Group passed the 500-kill mark at the end of April 1944. At the end of the war, the group had destroyed 1,020 German planes (550 in flight, and 470 on theground). The next landmark for Blakeslee was leading the first "shuttle"mission to Russia on 21 June 1944, flying 1,470 miles in a mission lasting over 7 hours.

(USAAF Photo)

General Dwight D. Eisenhower awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to Dominic Salvatore Gentile (left) and Donald Blakeslee, 11 April 1944.

Don Blakeslee was finally grounded in September 1944, after the loss of several high-scoring USAAF aces. He had accounted for 15.5 kills in the air and 2 more on the ground. He had flown over 500 operational sorties and accumulated 1,000 combat hours. Barrett Tillman, who served as an executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association, stated that Blakeslee had more missions and hours "than any other American fighter pilot of the Second World War". Blakeslee retired from the United States Air Force in 1965 with the rank of colonel. An obituary in The Guardian further described him as: "the most decorated second world war US Army Air Force fighter pilot." Blakeslee's personal standing among Allied pilots was considerable. British ace Johnnie Johnson described him as "one of the best leaders ever to fight over Germany". (Wikipedia)

Following the end of the Second World War, Blakeslee continued to serve in the newly created U.S. Air Force. During the Korean War, he served as commander of the 27th Fighter-Escort Group at Taegu Air Base in South Korea and Itazuke Air Base in Japan, and flew several missions in the Republic F-84 Thunderjet from December 1950 to March 1951. In March 1963, he was promoted to colonel and his final assignment was as Special Assistant to the Director of Operations for Seventeenth Air Force, from December 1964 until he retired from the Air Force on 30 April 1965. (Wikipedia)