They Called His P-47 “Meat Chopper” — and Five Japanese Fighters Learned Why

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On August 13, 1945, just 48 hours before Japan’s surrender, a little-known American pilot flew into history over Korea.

His name was Oscar Francis Perdomo.

In six minutes of combat, he destroyed five enemy aircraft, becoming:

The last American “ace in a day” — ever.

And he did it in a plane many thought was too big, too heavy, and too slow for dogfighting.

The Plane: P-47N Thunderbolt (“Lil Me’s Meat Chopper”)

Perdomo flew a Republic P-47N Thunderbolt, the long-range Pacific variant of the famous Jug.

What it lacked in elegance, it made up for in brutality:

8 × .50-cal Browning machine guns

3,000 rounds of ammunition

2,800-hp radial engine

460+ mph in a dive

Rugged enough to absorb horrific damage

Painted on its nose was cartoon artwork of a cigar-chomping baby — a tribute to Perdomo’s infant son — and the name:

Lil Me’s Meat Chopper

That name would become prophetic.

The Enemy: Japan’s Best Fighters (and One That Didn’t Belong)

Over Korea near what is now Seoul, Perdomo’s formation ran into more than 50 Japanese aircraft, including:

Nakajima Ki-84 Frank
Japan’s best late-war fighter — fast, powerful, dangerous

Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar

Yokosuka K5Y
A slow biplane trainer that somehow wandered into the fight

The Americans were outnumbered, 750 miles from base, and flying at the extreme edge of their fuel range.

The Fight: 5 Kills in 6 Minutes

1️⃣ First Kill

Perdomo dove from altitude and shredded a Ki-84 with a single burst.

2️⃣ Second Kill

Another Frank tried to turn — the Thunderbolt’s guns tore it apart mid-air.

3️⃣ Third Kill (The Absurd One)

A K5Y biplane trainer — slower than most cars — was obliterated in seconds.

4️⃣ Fourth Kill (The Ambush Reversed)

Four Ki-84s attempted to bounce him.
Perdomo turned into the attack, forced an overshoot, and killed the trailing fighter.

At this point, he was officially an ace.

The Fifth Kill — With Empty Guns

Perdomo then saw a Japanese fighter about to shoot down a fellow American.

He dove in.

Fired everything he had

All guns ran dry

Zero ammunition remaining

Instead of running, Perdomo charged the enemy head-on, bluffing with empty guns.
The Japanese pilot broke off — long enough for another P-47 to arrive and destroy him.

The kill was credited to Perdomo, because without his actions, the American pilot would have died.

Why This Moment Is Unique

Last American ace made before the war ended

Only ace-in-a-day achieved with gun-camera confirmation

Achieved in minutes, not months

Done in a “too big” fighter against Japan’s best aircraft

Occurred unknowingly during the final hours of World War II

Two days later, Japan surrendered.

No American pilot has repeated the feat since.

After the War — and the Tragedy

Perdomo stayed in the Air Force, flew jets in Korea, and retired as a major.

But history dealt him a cruel hand.

His son — the baby depicted on Lil Me’s Meat Chopper — was killed in Vietnam as a helicopter door gunner in 1970.

Oscar Perdomo never recovered.

He died in 1976 at just 56 years old.

Why He Still Matters

His P-47 still flies today with the Commemorative Air Force

His story proves skill, nerve, and timing matter more than technology

He stands as a reminder that some legends are born just before the curtain falls

Five kills.
Empty guns.
750 miles from home.
And history made in the final hours of the war.