Ace-in-a-day Carl Luksic of the 352nd FG

Carl Luksic Ace-in-a-Day!

Lt Carl Luksic 487th FS 352nd FG

Carl Luksic with a P-47 Thunderbolt. This photo was probably taken in the USA before he deployed to England.

Carl joined the Army Air Force on 21 March 1942 and by 30 October that same year had won his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. He was assigned to the 487th squadron of the 352nd Fighter Group which was equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt. The 352nd FG deployed to England in July of 1943 and was based in Bodney.

Five Aces who knocked down 15.5 Luftwaffe planes on 8 May 1944.

L to R, Capt. Clayton Davis (3.5), Maj. JC Meyer (3),Col Joe Mason (1) Lt. Carl Luksic (5) and Lt. Jack Thornell (3)

Lt. Luksic did all of his aerial scoring in a span of 29 days in April and May of 1944. During that time he accumulated 8.5 air-to-air victories.

Lt. Carl Luksic showing his score on 8 May 1944

Carl's biggest day came on the 8th of May when he set an 8th Air Force record by shooting down five Nazi fighters in a single sortie!

An Eighth Fighter Station England:

Like Many other fighter pilots 1st Lt Carl Luksic of Joliet Ill., is a medium-sized chap of 22. He sports a blonde Moustache, which matches his hair. He has a slight hook in the centre of his nose. And like other pilots who have established records, the chap who shot down five enemy ships in one day belittles his feat. But Lt. General Spaatz, commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, thought otherwise. Two days later he presented Lt. Luksic with America's second highest award. The Distinguished Service Cross. (His score as this is written is eight victories in the air and seven on the ground.)

"I was lucky," he says, "and anybody else in the same spot would have done at least as well."

Lucky or not the the fact remains that Lt. Luksic is the first flyer in the European Theater of Operations to destroy a quintet of Germans on a single mission without sharing any of his kills. He scored his victories above and around Brunswick, the day his Mustang group, commanded by Col. Joe Mason. of Columbus Ohio, ripped into what seemed like the better part of the German Air Force and knocked down at least twenty-seven.

Lt. Luksic, who also holds the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters, was flying with Captain Clayton E. Davis of Brookfield Vt. and Lt. Robert G. O'Nan, of Defoe, Ky. They made up a flight, with Capt. Davis leading.

Shortly after they rendezvoused with their Big Friends the bombers just short that morning a whole slew of FW 190s showed up. "They were in packs of 15 and 20 plus," Ltl Luksic says, "and they weren't up there for a joy ride. They were headed for the bombers--and trouble."

Lt. Luksic picked out a batch of them, chased them down to 3,000 feet-- where he lost them in the clouds. He got separated from his flight leader, but still had Lt. O'Nan with him. As they leveled out Lt. O'Nan told Lt. Luksic over the radio-telephone, there was a 109 ahead. "I didn't see this 109," Lt. Luksic says, "so I told Lt. O'Nan to get the bandit, and that I'd cover him. While he was chasing this 109 I saw six 190s on my left. Since I knew Lt. O'Nan would not have any trouble with the 109, I immediately turned into the sextet.

"I fired very short bursts from about 300 yards on the nearest 190, the tail-end charley. I saw many strikes on the canopy and fuselage. The pilot stopped short, rolled his ship over and bailed out. A moment later I saw the pilot of the ship that Lt. O'Nan hit bail out too."

That was # 1.

"The leader of these 190s evidently saw what happened." Lt. Luksic continues. "He whipped his formation around, and then started shooting at me. It became a rat race, with all of us going in circles. Somewhere in this merry-go-round I managed to get on the tail of one of them. I again fired a couple of short bursts--but I'm sure none of my strikes hit home. The Nazi must have gotten scared, for the next thing I knew he went into a spin. I saw him crash into the ground and explode.

That was # 2

"I shopped around for a while, thinking I could find some more targets to shoot at," the young pilot goes on. I saw a lone plane at a distance, which I couldn't make out. It might have been a friendly one but I wasn't sure. I decided to investigate. I gained on it rapidly. When I was 25 yards in back of it, I realized it was a bandit, an enemy ship. I fired once. But he kept riding along. The next thing I knew I was flying on his wing, right beside him. my speed had brought me right up to him. He looked at me. I looked back. I must have scared the hell out of him, for the next thing I knew he jettisoned his canopy and jumped."

That was # 3

"All this action had taken place," the Joliet pilot says, "below 3,000 feet. As a matter of fact the third combat wound up at 200 feet. So I went for altitude. As I climbed Capt. Davis and Lt. O'Nan joined me. Just where they came from I'll never know. The three of us started back for the bombers, which were dropping their loads by now over Brunswick."

"We reached no more than 2,000 feet when off to my left were about 25 bandits in close formation, going down through the clouds. The three of us immediately went into attack, and followed them through the clouds. I found myself directly astern of a 190, which had a 109 right next to it. I evidently was unseen , as I got in a very successful burst at the 109, observing hits on wings, fuselage and tail. The 109 caught fire and went straight into the ground."

That was # 4... He continues:

"The 190 kept right on going, as if nothing had happened to his wingman. He was a perfect duck to shoot at. I registered hits on his left wing, engine and canopy. The 190 went into a tight spiral--and crashed."

That was # 5. And then:

"I was running low on gas and ammunition and figured I might as well start for home. Just east of the German-Dutch border, on my way back to England, I saw several oil tank cars on a railroad siding. I left at least three of them burning fiercely. That finished my ammunition. I came home without further incident."

Lt. Luksic was not flying his own Mustang that day. His "Elly's Lucky Boy" named for his wife Eleanor, of Elwood, Ill. was having its motor checked. He is eager to get back to the states to see his Eleanor, whom he married on June 12, 1943, a short while before coming overseas. He would like to see his mother, too. Mrs, John Luksic of 714 N. Central Ave, Joliet.

Lt. Luksic started his string of victories on April 9, a day after his room mate was reported missing in action. That day he set fire to three JU 88's on the ground. The next day he blew up a FW 190 in the air. and on April 11 his bullets made a torch of two JU 88s, one Me 110 and one He 11, besides damaging three more JU 88s, all on the ground. He took a week's leave and on April 20 he returned to the air and and knocked two Me 109s out of the sky.

Does Lt. Luksic have any superstitions?

"Well," he says, "this moustache is on to stay!" He started to cultivate it the first week of April.

End

The scoreboard on Carl Luksic's P-51B "Elly's Lucky Boy" 43-7145 HO-Z

Carl was on one of the hottest streaks in the 8th Air Force that May but his lucky moustache only helped out him for a few more days. His last victim fell on 19 May. He failed to return from the mission of 24 May 1944, a victim of enemy ground fire. Lt. William E. "Flaps" Fowler turned in the following report upon his return to Bodney.

Lt. Luksic and Lt. Hannon had just strafed an airdrome in the vicinity of Stendal, when Lt. Luksic pulled up and said his left gas tank had been hit and he was going to bale out. When he reached an altitude of about 1500-200 feet, he half rolled, released his canopy and left the ship. I saw his chute about three seconds after he was clear of the airplane.

Before Lt. Luksic had reached the ground, Lt. Hannon called me and said his oil pressure was going. About three minutes later his ship was smoking badly and he called and said the engine had frozen and he was crash landing. He crash landed and I saw him stand up in the cockpit and climb out. I then proceeded home. I was the third man in the flight of three before they went down.

Carl was captured and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. After the war he remained in the Air Force and retired in November 1969 with the rank of Lt. Colonel. Luksic passed away on 24 may 2009 exactly 65 years to the day after being shot down over Germany!

Stay tuned for a new original painting featuring Carl!

Photos copyright ©352nd FG Association via Sam Sox . Used with permission.

All artwork represented on the pages of this website is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the knowledge, permission and express written consent of the artist Troy White .All text, photographs and graphics on the pages of this website, except where otherwise noted, are copyrighted by Stardust Studios. No copyrighted material appearing on this website may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic or printed, without the knowledge, permission and express written consent of Troy White, Stardust Studios.

e-mail: Webmaster@starduststudios.com.