Even among the ex-RAF Eagle Squadron 4th Fighter Group, which was not known for its strict USAAF discipline, breaking radio silence at critical points on a mission was still considered a major transgression. The German Luftwaffe ground forces were adept at keying in on air-to-air transmissions as a means of locating incoming fighters and bombers.
But Ralph “Kidd” Hofer of the 334th Squadron of the Fourth couldn’t help himself. A native of Salem, Missouri, – in the flatlands of the U.S. Midwest – Hofer was known for his aggressive flying style (which ultimately made him a triple-ace), but also for his long hair, zoot-suit-tailored “uniform,” and a “casual” approach to military protocol of any description.
The awe he experienced on a bomber-escort mission to southern Germany was too much. He impulsively keyed his P-51 Mustang’s microphone and blurted out, “Gee, ain’t the Alps pretty!”
Recognizing the voice immediately, his commanding officer Col. Don Blakeslee, responded, “Goddammit, Hofer! Shut up!” According to Grover Hall’s book “1000 Destroyed,” which chronicled the exploits of the Fourth, he didn’t make the same mistake twice.
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