This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
McCorkle, Charles Milton, Maj Gen USAF(Ret).
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He destroyed 11 enemy aircraft in aerial combat in the Mediterranean Theater in WWII.
His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean at Point Lobos, California.
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Colonel (Air Corps) Charles M. McCorkle, United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action while serving as a Fighter Pilot and Commanding Officer of the 31st Fighter Group, FIFTEENTH Air Force. On 3 January 1944, Colonel McCorkle led a flight of four (4) Spitfires which patrolled the Allied front lines in Italy. While investigating unidentified aircraft near Allied front lines, the Spitfires experienced intense, accurate heavy flak. Colonel McCorkle's aircraft was hit in the right wing and tail assembly, the control surfaces damaged, and the trim tab control cables were shot away. At the same time his radio ceased operating. Since he could not be certain of the full extent of the damage, and his aircraft was extremely difficult to control, he decided to break away from the flight in order to return to base. Before he could break away, he observed twelve (12) enemy fighters diving toward Allied territory. Realizing that to break away at this crucial moment would doubtless confuse his pilots and thereby delay their interception of the enemy fighters, Colonel McCorkle refrained from leaving his flight. Unmindful of the damaged condition and difficulty in maneuvering his aircraft, and disregarding odds of twelve (12) to four (4), he led his flight in an aggressive and superbly executed attack, dispersed the enemy formation and forced them to turn toward base. As the aircraft reached enemy territory, anti-aircraft fire caused both the enemy and the Spitfires to climb. Observing an enemy fighter to his left at six-thousand (6,000) feet, Colonel McCorkle attacked, and despite extreme difficulty in maneuvering his aircraft, he skillfully followed, closed to point blank range and shot it down. The expert flying skill, outstanding gallantry, and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Colonel McCorkle in flying a severely damaged aircraft into combat against numerically superior forces has reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
General Orders: Headquarters, 15th Air Force, General Orders No. 217 (1944)
Aircraft/Missile Information
General characteristics
* Crew: 1 * Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m) * Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m) * Height: 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) * Wing area: 235 ft� (21.83 m�) * Empty weight: 7,635 lb (3,465 kg) * Loaded weight: 9,200 lb (4,175 kg) * Max takeoff weight: 12,100 lb (5,490 kg) * Powerplant: 1� Packard Merlin V-1650-7 liquid-cooled supercharged V-12, 1,695 hp (1,265 kW) * Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0163 * Drag area: 3.80 ft� (0.35 m�) * Aspect ratio: 5.83
Performance
* Maximum speed: 437 mph (703 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m) * Cruise speed: 362 mph (580 km/h) * Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h) * Range: 1,650 mi (2,755 km) with external tanks * Service ceiling 41,900 ft (12,770 m) * Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s) * Wing loading: 39 lb/ft� (192 kg/m�) * Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg) * Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6 * Recommended Mach limit 0.8
Armament
* 6 � 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns; 400 rounds per gun for the two inboard guns; 270 per outboard gun * 2 hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) * 10 � 5 in (127 mm) rockets
Specifications
* A-36A Apache - Dive bomber (US Army) * F-6 - US Army offshoots model * F-6A - US Army offshoots model * F-6C - Reconnaissance variant * P-51A - More powerful powerplant; 4 x machine guns. * P-51B - 4 x machine guns; Original and bubble canopy. * P-51C - 4 x machine guns; Original and bubble canopy. * P-51D - Classic variant; most produced. * P-51H - Lighter airframe version * P-51K - Featuring an Aeroproducts propeller. * F-51 - Redesignated to "Fighter" in the new jet fighter age. * F-6K - Reconnaissance version of P-51K
