Fred Christensen
P-47 Ace 56th Fighter Group
By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Aviation Art Store
Fred Joseph Christensen was born in Watertown, Massachusetts on October 17, 1921. He attended both Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before he entered the Army Air Corp. Fred graduated from pilot training at Napier Field, Alabama with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on December 7, 1942.
Fred was assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group on August 27th, 1943. Christensen scored his first aerial victory on November 26th against a Bf-110 near Papenburg. Five days later he shot down a Bf-109 southeast of Roermond. Fred then claimed an FW-190 on the 5th of January. The funny thing about people who read stories about the aces is that the reader is under the impression that the aces took off everyday to find glory, death, or adventure, when many of their flights were quite boring.
Fred scored another FW-190 on February 4th. One week later Fred became an ace with the downing of a Bf-109 south of Bierset. Christensen continued to claim aerial victories. By mid April his total was 14 1/2. One thing that separated the ace from the average pilot was their keen eyes. You don't always have plenty of enemy aircraft flying around for you to shoot at. You have to look for them. And the quicker you spot them the quicker you will be able to set up an attack on them before they attack you. Many aviators never saw the enemy aircraft that shot them down. They were not watching what the hell was going on around them!
Fred's keen eyes spotted a flight of 12 Junkers Ju-52 transport aircraft. They were in a landing pattern at the Gardelegen Airdrome. This was a vary venerable situation making the slow transports sitting ducks. No one else flying with Fred had spotted the German air traffic below. If Fred had not seen the Germans his whole group would have passed them by. Fred called on his radio his sighting and dove on the enemy. Before the mealy was over ten of the twelve aircraft had been shot down with Fred claiming six of them.
Fred pulled in between two of the Junkers and with six of the transports ahead of him he simply flew forward cutting each out of the sky one at a time. By the time the anti-aircraft units around the base became aware of the danger the strike was over and Fred with his fellow aviators were flying back to base to paint German crosses on the sides of there Thunderbolts.
At this time Fred was now one of the top aces in the European Campaign. He was flying with the best, he was flying with "Zemke's Wolfpack". This gave Fred all the advantages he needed to become one of our premier fighter pilots and one of the top aces in the theater. "Zemke's Wolfpack" was filled with aces. At this time of the war the Germans were holding their own in the air war and the American units were slowly building up. The Luftwaffe pilots that Fred and his squadron were flying against were seasoned fighter pilots.
Fred flew a total of 107 combat missions against the Luftwaffe. He flew several P-47's but his favorite was a P-47 D-10 with the "Razor Back" canopy. He told me that he was not as impressed with the new "D" models with the tear drop canopy. His D-10 was named "Rozzie Geth" after a girlfriend. It also had "Boche Buster" painted on the cowling. This Thunderbolt was painted olive green on the top of the wings and sides with a light gray belly and wing bottoms. Fred earned 10 of his victories in this aircraft. His last P-47 had the tear drop canopy and was a natural metal finish. It was named "Rozzie Geth II" with cowling art titled "Miss Fire".
After the war Fred left the active service but continued to fly with the Massachusetts Air National Guard. He commanded the 102nd Fighter Group from November 1947 to August 1961. He then joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve and retired in 1970 as a Colonel. Fred received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters. His final tally was 22 aerial victories and two damaged.
Fred and me at an Ace reunion.
All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.
No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.
Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.
I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.
Sir. Ernie Hamilton Boyette
904-282-4198
e-mail: aviationartstore@peoplepc.com
2-10-07