Fighter Squadron

The fighter squadron in the film was equipped with 16 Republic P-47 Thunderbolts culled from Air National Guard units from Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. That is why the P-47s have different color schemes and other markings. The planes depicting Luftwaffe fighters were North American P-51 Mustangs from the California Air National Guard. The ANG pilots were able to fulfill their active duty flying requirements during the production of this film.

Major Hardin states that he served in both the Flying Tigers and the Eagle Squadron(s). The Eagle Squadrons were formed in England between September 1940 and July 1941 and were part of the Royal Air Force, serving until September 1942 when they were absorbed into the Army Air Forces. The Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group) were formed during 1941, began operations in China in December 1941, and was absorbed into the Army Air Forces in July 1942. While it was possible that a pilot could have served in both units, there is no evidence that anyone did. This was strictly Hollywood. Also, Major Hardin is showing wearing a Chinese "blood chit" on the back of his flight jacket. The AVG used "blood chits" to help downed pilots get back to their bases (it was a kind of safe-passage note in Chinese), but would have been useless in Europe. Plus, it would have been unacceptable for a pilot assigned one fighter group to wear another group's symbol, much less a "blood chit" and no matter how much of a "hot-shot" he was.

Featured in The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh (2014)