At 9:27 AM on December 13th, 1943, Second Lieutenant Philip Adair found himself in an extraordinary, life-or-death situation over Assam, India.

He had just pulled his Curtis P-40N Warhawk into a climbing turn, soaring high above the misty landscape.

As he looked across the sky, a daunting sight emerged through the morning haze—a formation of 64 Japanese aircraft, heading directly toward Denjan Airfield, where his comrades’ planes and critical supplies were stationed.

Adair was the only pilot airborne at the time, and the situation could not have been more dire.

Adair, a 23-year-old pilot, had already flown 43 combat missions with the 89th Fighter Squadron, primarily protecting the Hump airlift, which was crucial in supplying Chiang Kai-shek’s forces in China.

Over the past two months, Japanese air raids on Allied airfields in northeast India had caused significant destruction—47 transport aircraft were destroyed, and 112 personnel lost their lives.

On this fateful day, Denjan Airfield was home to 14 C-47 transport planes, a field hospital with 63 wounded soldiers, and enough fuel to support hump operations for over a week.

If the bombers reached the field unchallenged, the damage could cripple Allied supply operations in the region, significantly delaying essential airlifts over the Himalayas.

The nearest friendly fighters were 38 minutes away, but Adair had no choice but to act immediately.

He had 64 enemy aircraft to face alone, and he was already in the air, prepared to defend the airfield, no matter the odds.

His P-40, dubbed “Lulu Bell,” was equipped with six .

50 caliber Browning machine guns, with enough ammunition for only about 12 seconds of sustained fire.

The Japanese formation consisted of 24 Mitsubishi Ki-21 Sally bombers, escorted by 40 Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar fighters.

This attack was much larger than anything Adair had previously faced.

Still, he decided to fight, with one goal in mind: disrupt the bombing run, scatter the enemy formation, and protect the vital airfield below.

Adair knew his odds were slim.

Standard combat doctrine in such situations called for fighter pilots to shadow the enemy and wait for reinforcements if they were outnumbered more than five to one.

Adair, however, had a daunting 64 to 1 disadvantage.

He could radio for help and follow the bombers until support arrived, but by then, the damage would be done.

The bombs would already be falling on Denjan Airfield.

The only option left was to take the fight to the enemy.

 

With his fuel tank full—180 gallons, enough for approximately 90 minutes of flight at combat power—Adair dove toward the Japanese formation.

The enemy aircraft, 3,000 feet below him, were moving at a speed of 240 miles per hour, heading directly for the airfield.

Adair’s P-40 accelerated rapidly, reaching 320 miles per hour as he approached the bomber formation from above and behind, with the sun at his back.

His surprise attack came at just the right moment—his target was unaware of his presence, and their attention was focused on their bombing run.

The formation of bombers, flying in tight, coordinated groups, was vulnerable to attack.

Adair’s plan was simple: hit the lead bomber group first, then move on to the fighters.

If he could break the bomber formation and force them to scatter, their bombing accuracy would be destroyed, and the mission would be disrupted.

Adair rolled his plane inverted, diving toward the formation at a speed of 360 miles per hour.

His .

50 caliber machine guns fired, sending rounds toward the lead bomber.

Tracers arced toward the aircraft, hitting its left wing.

The bomber erupted in a massive explosion, flames pouring from its engine as it spun out of formation.

The bombers scattered in every direction, breaking up their tight V-formation.

 

Adair immediately pulled up, enduring the force of 7 G’s as his plane shot upward, then rolled right to avoid the oncoming 40 Oscar fighters that were diving toward him.

The Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar was one of the most agile and maneuverable fighters in the Pacific theater, making it a dangerous adversary in dogfights.

Despite Adair’s speed advantage in a straight line, he knew that he could not engage in a prolonged turning fight with these nimble aircraft.

Instead, he would have to rely on hit-and-run tactics, using his speed to attack and then retreat to reset.

He couldn’t afford to let the bombers regroup, as that would allow them to complete their mission.

The first wave of Oscar fighters came at Adair in a loose finger-four formation from his 10 o’clock position, but they didn’t expect the intensity of Adair’s attack.

He rolled left, pulling the nose up, and fired a burst at the lead fighter.

His rounds missed, but it forced the Oscar to break right, with its wingman following.

Adair dove away to maintain speed and distance, evading the fighters as he repositioned for another attack.

 

Two more Oscars dove at him from above, closing quickly.

Adair pulled into a climbing left turn and fired again.

This time, his shots missed.

The enemy fighters were relentless, diving on him in waves.

With each attack, Adair’s ammunition supply dwindled.

His counter showed 800 rounds remaining across all six machine guns, which meant he had enough for approximately six more attacks.

Meanwhile, the bombers were trying to regroup.

Three formations of six bombers each were closing in, and they would soon be in range to bomb Denjan.

Adair had only a few minutes to act.

Knowing he had to keep pressure on the formation, Adair dove back toward the bombers, picking up speed as he approached.

This time, eight Oscars followed him down, but Adair’s superior speed allowed him to open a gap between himself and the fighters.

As he reached bomber altitude, he leveled out and lined up for another attack on the lead bomber.

At 300 yards, he opened fire.

His rounds slammed into the lead bomber’s right engine, which exploded in a massive fireball.

The bomber rolled right, its wingman breaking formation to avoid a collision.

The rest of the bomber formation scattered again, and Adair moved on to the next bomber.

 

Despite being heavily outnumbered, Adair continued his relentless attack, using speed and precision to keep the enemy disorganized.

The bombers’ bombing accuracy was now severely compromised, and they were being forced to abandon their mission.

But Adair’s situation was becoming increasingly dire.

His engine was overheating, and his fuel supply was dwindling.

He had been pushing his aircraft to its limits for more than 10 minutes, and the engine temperature was climbing rapidly.

His options were running out, and he had to make a decision—keep fighting or retreat to base before the engine failed completely.

 

As Adair continued his attack, the heat from his engine became unbearable.

The coolant temperature gauge read 230°F—well above the normal operating temperature of 210°F.

Adair had been flying at full combat power for over 11 minutes, and the engine was starting to show signs of distress.

He had three options: reduce power to allow the engine to cool, abandon the attack and return to base, or continue fighting and risk engine failure over enemy territory.

The bombers were still within bombing range, and their formation was beginning to reassemble.

Adair knew that if he didn’t act now, the bombers would complete their run on Denjan and destroy the critical supplies stationed there.

 

Ignoring the risks, Adair kept the throttle forward, pushing his P-40 to its maximum speed of 405 mph.

Two Oscars came at him head-on, their guns blazing.

Adair saw the tracers from their 7.

7 mm machine guns, but he didn’t flinch.

He fired back, hitting the left Oscar’s engine.

The fighter shuddered and broke away, but Adair’s situation was becoming more precarious.

The engine temperature was now reaching 240°F, and his coolant system was on the verge of failure.

The bombers were only 15 miles from their target, and Adair had only a few more minutes to disrupt their attack.

 

Adair’s engine was now sputtering, producing only 60% power.

The Oscars were circling above him, waiting for his engine to fail completely.

They had stopped firing, knowing that Adair’s aircraft was damaged and would likely crash.

But Adair wasn’t giving up.

With his engine dying and his aircraft riddled with bullet holes, he continued to fight.

He was determined to protect Denjan Airfield at all costs.

The damage to Adair’s P-40 was extensive.

Bullet holes peppered the fuselage, and the right wing was damaged from enemy fire.

The engine was overheating, and oil pressure had dropped to zero.

Despite the odds, Adair managed to keep his plane in the air, flying erratically as he tried to make his way back to Naguli airfield, 43 miles away.

His fuel gauge showed only 83 gallons remaining, and his oil pressure was nonexistent.

The aircraft was barely maintaining altitude, and the Oscars were closing in, waiting for him to crash or bail out.

As Adair descended, the engine began to sputter and smoke filled the cockpit.

He knew he was running out of time.

At 4,000 feet, the right aileron control cable snapped, and the plane began to roll uncontrollably.

With no pitch control, Adair’s P-40 started diving toward the jungle below.

Desperation set in, but Adair remembered something he had learned in training: the P-40 could glide inverted.

The damaged ailerons and elevator were forcing the plane into a nose-down position, but by rolling the aircraft inverted, Adair could reverse the control inputs and slow his descent.

 

With nothing to lose, Adair flipped his plane upside down at 1,800 feet, the blood rushing to his head as he fought to keep the plane under control.

The engine sputtered but continued to run, and Adair was able to climb slowly, inching closer to Naguli airfield.

He repeated the inverted climb, alternating between inverted and upright flight as he fought for altitude.

After what seemed like an eternity, Adair spotted the runway ahead—his only chance at survival.

As Adair neared the runway, the situation became even more dire.

His landing gear was hydraulically operated, but with the engine producing minimal power, the hydraulic system couldn’t pressurize the system enough to lower the gear.

Adair had no choice but to use a manual hand pump to lower the landing gear.

With shaking hands, he pumped the handle 28 times, using every ounce of strength to pressurize the system.

Finally, the landing gear extended and locked in place.

Adair was now just a few miles from the runway, but his speed had decreased significantly.

He was descending rapidly, and the fuel in his tank was almost gone.

The Oscars had stopped following him, assuming that he would crash before reaching safety.

But Adair was determined.

He flew the final miles toward Naguli airfield, gliding on a dying engine, fighting against the odds to land safely.

As he crossed the runway threshold, Adair’s damaged aircraft slammed into the ground, bouncing and skidding for 200 feet before coming to a halt.

Fire crews rushed to the scene, but Adair had done the impossible.

He had disrupted the Japanese raid, saving Denjan Airfield and the critical supplies it housed.

 

Adair’s incredible act of heroism was recognized by his superiors, and he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action.

Despite the odds, he had fought alone against 64 enemy aircraft, risking his life to protect vital Allied resources.

Adair’s story became one of the most legendary tales of bravery in the China-Burma-India theater, reminding us all that when faced with impossible odds, it’s the courage and determination of individuals like Philip Adair that make all the difference.