Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-11
American Ace in China!
Returning 10 Teach
ChennauIt's Tricks
Col. Robert l. Scott
Would Prefer to Run Toll
Up to 20 jap Planes
BY ]. REILLY O'SULLIvAN,
As.oe.ated Press war Correspondent.

BY ]. REILLY O'SULLIVAN,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE AMERICAN AIR
FORCES IN CHINA, Jan. Q de-
layeO God. Robert L. Scott, light
er group commander and leading
ace Of the China air task force,
is on his way home to teach young
pilots Brig. Gen. Claire L. Chem
nault's tricks which have given his
flyers . ratio Of 40 Japanese planes
destroyed for every loss Of their
own.
The blue-eyed Southerner, whose
personal record includes IA enemy
planes definitely shot down and. :,
three others probably destroyed,
has been ordered back to command
q tactical training school where
flyers get their final pre-combat
instruction.
Col. SCOTS home is in Macon, Ga.
He will be succeeded by another
Southerner. 1t. Col. Bruce Hollo-
way of Knoxville, Tenn, formerly
group executive officer, who has
five confirmed victories and three
probables to his credit.
Reluctant to Leave Front.
Col. Scott was reluctant to leave
the front, but declared:
II hope in three to six months to
be allowed to return to China with
large number of well-trained
fighter pilots" i
"Doggone it," he added, IT did so
want to get a string of 20 confirmed
victories before stopped"
The day before he left he tried ,
to 60 out on mission-"even If 1
only get one on the ground"-but
Gen. Chennault, commanding the
American Air Force in China, re-
minded him that orders were orders
and kept him on the ground.
The 34-year-old Scott Is well over
the age when most fighter pilots are
through. Yet he flew scores of COM
bat missions, though not required to
as a group commander.
In six months Of operations his
fighters have shot down 100 Japan
csc aircraft, confirmed as destroyed,
and 20 for certain on the ground,
with loss in combat of only five
American planes.
This group of fighter pilots in
China is the finest bunch of men
ever brought together in the world"
Col. Scott said. They've killed Japs
and seen some of their friends
killed. They are veterans now.
Above all, they want to fly and
fight"
Pays Tribute to Chennault.
Col. Scott paid tribute to Gen.
Chennaults genius: Everything
we've done reflects the utmost to
Gen. Chennault's masterful tactics
against the Japanese"
Last April, on his 34th birthday,
Col. Scott, a graduate Of West Point,
piloted an Army bomber across the
Atlantic. He few on to India, then
got in the thick of the Burma CAM
paign with the ferry command.
Flying with the AVG, volunteer
predecessor OF Gen. Chennault's
present command. he shot down two
Japanese planes over Burma In one
day and was so eager about going
on lone strafing missions that he
had to be restrained by threats Of
court-martial Z
Col. Scott got an early start as an
airman. At the age of IL, having
saved SIS, he attended an auction
where used planes were being
knocked down. He bid on every
plane. but each time was outbid.
Finally the principal buyer walked {
over and remarked:
"Son, you buy the next one and
don't bother me. I'm purchasing an
air line"
Col. Scott flew this old crate for
two years before his parents dis
covered it. Since then he has had
more than 1000 hours In the air
| in all types of craft