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When 1 Pilot Fought 64 Japanese Planes
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- Published on Apr 16, 2026
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It’s December 13th 1943 and 2nd Lt Philip R. Adair is in the skies over Assam. The alert was sounded and he’s first Burma Banshee in the air. Flying Lulubelle his beloved P-40 he sees in the distance what looks like a flight of 4 planes. Adair is on his own as the rest of the Burma Banshees are still taking off…but he doesn’t hang around and he goes for a closer look.
It’s a force of over 60 planes consisting of both bombers and fighters and it's headed straight for his home base. What can one man do against 60 enemies? Adair makes the incredibly brave decision to engage the force alone. With original testimony from Adair and photos from the battle, we recreate this epic and little known moment in history.
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First
It's a science fiction novel
Can’t invest a normal person it says you need to have some kind of license or accreditation
Please make an Arabic voice-over translation for this video. Thank you 🙋♂️
“And then I got smart” what a bloody awesome line.
I'm gonna be honest with you... he said that a lot XD
@linux4425 cool 😎
What's awesome is watching the P-40 moving like a porpoise.
@Linux44 have you visited Assam India 🇮🇳
What a great Man 🖐💪🤨
Less knowing real legendary stories of wwll 🏁
I live near Assam 👍
the 40s version of "this is big brain time"
This man had a plane that had been badly hit, was losing altitude, and was too far from home... and he saw another enemy and said "Fuck it, why not?"
Absolute mad lad in the most true sense of the term.
True warthunder gamer
Then after nearly losing the plane thinks “You know what? Why don’t I just fly the plane upside down and not lose her?” Then flew the damn thing home
A real hero
fighter pilot
@rynemcgriffin1752 Took entirely too long, especially for someone who was trained (presumably) in how a plane works as part of how to operate one..
Also after reading a moment, it seems the P-40 had trim tabs for the ailerons, this may have also helped enough (who knows really) to prevent the need for a rollover maneuver since it is implied he trimmed his elevator for full down..
Finally, the P-40 has separate flaps (no flaperons here) so possibly trimming the flaps for more lift may have helped too..
This man:
- attacked a large formation
- took down a bomber
- called it a skill issue when they missed
- attacked them AGAIN
What a goddamn hero, I love stories like this, really shows how some soldiers went above and beyond for the sake of their country.
One finnish WW2 ace sayed that against one enemy its difficult,against two enemy its even more more difficult but against 3 or more its very easy.
"Ah, what the hell. . ."
🎼🎶🎶 _we dont need another heeero_ ... 🎶🎵🎼
I died at "skill issue" 😂
No for the sake of CHINA and it is time for CHINA to "wake up" from their 75 year NIGHTMARE of "communism" and a ruling class. I pray for that.
This guys Autobiography should be called "Oh what the hell."
Maybe I’ll do that
3:53 "he was a little more stupid" haha this absolute legend!
Dude should have got the TOP medal, not bloody number three. He was on his own, looking at becoming mincemeat every step of the way.
i dont even know how they made this much research and animating this fast and manage to make the best video ever
My Father has about 30 years worth of research in the website the video mentioned. I was able to send them that, as well as point out a few specific articles, and interviews on RUclips. This video might not have happened without his diligent research for all these years.
@linux4425 thanks to ur dad.
@linux4425 we need to thank your father for his research
And on top of that, this this the best video, far best I've ever seen from this channel... probably top 10 videos I've ever seen.
@AsWritten26 yea its got real images real story telling real photos thanks to @linux4425 's dad
Dude was brave enough to test his luck 3 times in a row even when he was damaged, Such a legend.
And those were not just enemy fighters but very dangerous ZEROES. I would probably not even dared to try my luck with them
First run is mandatory. Second run is hubris. Third run is sheer stupidity.
"Oh, what the hell" Life motto
YEP
I'm surprised Adair's plane was able to stay in the air given the weight of his massive brass balls. What an incredible man!
great comment
Not brass, its most likely tungsten
Brass balls were taken into account with a little American know how✌️🤣✌️🇺🇸
you mean Americium?
brass; no; actually depleted uranium
4:09 fact that the people are positioning the planes just as real life is amazing
7:23 same vibes as “retreat? hell, we just got here”
"oh what the hell.." this guy is a legend jesus christ
Chad
He is an amazing and bold resourceful Pilot but Jesus Christ is far above him or anyone in his willing sacrifice for us! Jesus paid the full price for us by willingly being impaled on that Roman Cross beaten and stripped naked for us...........For God so loved the world (you and me) that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16.
@wayneroberts4144Thats not true Jesus was a horse???
more like 'what an idiot'
@wayneroberts4144 Meh, he got revived didn't he? Whats the big deal.
The Airbase Lt Philip R. Adair took off from in Assam is still used till today as Chabua Airforce Base by the Indian Airforce. My Grandfather's village was near the area, he remembers Japanese airraids that took place and the Americans who would share bread with the villagers if you waved at them by the railway tracks. A big thanks to the USAAF personell that served in the Burma theatre during WW2. - Love from Assam, India.
I wonder if your grandpa and mine ever met.
@linux4425 Linux, its that true your grandpa is Colonel Adairs?
@linux4425 Im live in Jakarta but my family used to be work during East Hindies reign.
@kurniawanhartonoherjana7923 yep, that's my grandpa. :)
@linux4425Im sure he did something remarkable and i didn't expect he do something out the box.
I'm from Shillong less than 100km from Assam. Never knew such heroic stories exist in North East India in WW2. Thank you so much Yarnhub
Hey fellow north eastern!
@Linux44 have you visited Assam India 🇮🇳
What a great Man 🖐💪🤨
Less knowing real legendary stories of wwll 🏁
I live near Assam 👍
Yeah man…the Japanese were literally knocking on the door ….I’m from Sri Lanka and its amazing how close the war came to our shores if it weren’t for brave men like these
china will cut siliguri.
the japanese predicted minecrafts max item limit
This guy is an absolute lunatic. What a legend.
that eureka scene to him flipping had me belly laughing for 10 minutes straight
Me too lmao
bro went straya mode
Gets smart* has a eurika moment* turns upside down
Same goes here
The music helped lol
You know that you are a good pilot when you keep shittalking about your enemies while fighting them
Hey Abe Lincoln is here
I like how 90% of the mission is him going "fuck it" and letting his intrusive thoughts win
The P-40,super resilient plane.Don't think he could have pulled this off in anything else!
This is probably your best video. The research, the narration, the animation, the amazing story and to hear from the man himself as well as see actual photos of the event combines to make it one of the greatest videos yet.
Thanks
@Linux44 have you visited Assam India 🇮🇳
What a great Man 🖐💪🤨
Less knowing real legendary stories of wwll 🏁
I live near Assam 👍
@Yarnhubhey what is the name of this music at 7:26 ?
The actual gun cam footage makes this one of the best productions out there. That is absolutely amazing.
Thank you Yarnhub, this was an amazing story that was told by a hero. Not only the wonderful pilot, but an amazing storyteller who helps bring war stories lost to history, back to the light
This plane is at the WAAAM, Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum, in Hood River, Oregon. I visited it a few weeks ago. When I saw the P40 with that distinctive nose art, I didn't realize what the pilot and plane had survived.
this man has two videos made on him, and there may be more. This shows how legendary of a man Adair was.
This man truly take the word "Screw it" to a whole new level
You mean bad ass
This was a storytelling masterpiece! The way you wove the actual voice and pictures into the narrative brought this story to life in a way I've only rarely experienced.
Hats off to the YarnHub team!
Man! This story is something else! First, it was nice to hear the person himself narrating what happened. Secondly, the choice of heavy metal music totally matches his attitude. This guy was CRAZY! I can really say this much! HE WAS CRAZY. Every decision making he did was beyond courageous but insanity! 1 vs 64, got lucky first time out, got back at it again? What? And he still got it out alive... and what? He went to chase after the smoking zero with his trim all wrong? What was he expecting? Could he still hit something with that kind of malfunctioning control surface? Then of course he was out of ammo and was hit again, but he got it out alive again! Then what? He flipped his plane upside down again and again to stay airborne..... but he EVEN landed that way by flipping!
He got the skill! He got the guts.... and he got the craziness! That's totally beyond rational thinking you see.
Thanks again for preserving history, and sharing such incredible crazy story of one skillful courageous and insane aviator!
I forgot to mention, you even match those gun camera footage with your rendering. That totally sent shiver on my back!
Under Earth - Speed Devil (Royalty Free Music)
What an amazing and well put comment. Salutes to the men in the sky in the water and on land 🫡
Fun fact: The Nagaghuli Air field where Lt. Adair landed, and later was awarded a medal, is known as present day Chabua Air force station. Around 15 miles from my home in Upper Assam. My hometown was bombed by the Japanese during WW2 and my grandparents told me all the stories about how Japanese bombers would hit different locations in Upper Assam.
Even he would be completely defeated if he were to fight against "Tetsuzo Iwamoto."
the smooth transitions between animation and real life footage, the action packed story, EVERYTHING just EVERYTHING is amazing about the content yarnhub makes!
Rolling the plane upside down to gain attitude was bad ass moment. Smart move.
pistons, upside down the faulty ones worked
hey friend, have a good day
@ have a good day too
When I was a kid, I built the "LuluBelle" P-40 from Matchbox. I didn't even know who was flying it and what this pilot did... But the skull looked cool ! ^^
Bro was playing flappy bird with a WW2 fighter plane 💀
Bro started play8ng flappy bird once he got smart 😭😭😭
I am from the place from where this encounter took place. The depiction of the scenery is perfect. It was called "The hump" and if you get shot down in this jungles, enemies will be the least of your worries, the green hell will swallow you.
Mad respect to all the airman on each side that mustered the courage to fly over this forsaken jungle.
have you ever found any cool artifacts?
@linux4425 Yeah, in the past, wreckages of WW-II aircraft were recovered from North East India. One of the recent discoveries was the human remains from the wreckage of a B24 bomber, nicknamed Hot as Hell that crashed in a remote corner of Arunachal Pradesh in January 1944. While the site was identified in 2006, the human remains were recovered only in 2016.
Despite the risks, flying over the Hump was necessary during the WW-II as the Allied Forces were building an aero-bridge to maintain the supply line for the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in China.
According to one estimate, more than 1,300 US veterans were lost in the China-Burma-India theatre. In recent years, several crash sites were located in Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura states of India.
@Dimapur Interesting. Do you know if the remains were identified?
@Mika These kind of good ideas are why I love the internet :D
So uou mean the animals will get you before the enemy
The first videos were like 2D and now it’s like a movie love the content btw
The P40 was a very underrated aircraft. Durable and packed a punch with 6 50 caliber guns.
Every video I’ve seen regarding them wouldn’t have even survivable in a zero.
@jakemocci3953they are not sturdily made.
The pilot made me laugh and cry at the same time.
I love the way you matched the gun camera footage with the animated video.
This is excellent, please keep up the good work by never letting these guys be forgotten,.
Every day is poppy day. 👍
Thank you
Hearing real anecdotes tend to elicit that "laugh and cry" reaction. Like the soldier who once started a battle by dumbingly using a hand grenade during a truce to try and hunt a fox for its pelt. Let's say that Lt. Adairs "what if I fly her _upside down?"_ moment is more of a big brain moment than THAT!
I saw this video twice now, the first one I saw as the video and in school today I was reading the book “wings of war” and pages 115 to 123 told this exact story and that’s when I saw the video the second time to double check bc I found it crazy that I watched/read the same story 3 times. Anyway I just wanted to share that 🙂
Bro fought a stack of planes
That's what makes someone a damn fine man. Knew his duty and gave it his all to protect those on the ground, knew when he was in over his head, always kept his cool, always thinking. Even when damaged, he was ready for more. What a madlad!
I wont lie, it brought tears to my eyes. What an absolute legend!!!!
Some Japanese have overpowered 75 American planes with just one plane.
That man is a legend! ‘Well what the hell so i attacked him’😂 thank you for your service
God i love it when you superimpose actual footage or audio over your videos! This was amazing!
Being in a crisis where your life and achievements are at stake will certainly make you smart, I guarantee it.
What an amazing pilot. And a man of my own heart. Even with a damaged plane and desperately trying to get home, he saw the enemy and said "What the hell?!"
this guy was an insanely good pilot
Funniest thing about this is the fact that number 4 is consider bad luck in Japan because it pronounce similar to the word of Death. So his 44th sorties would be doubling the death to be death-er and this mad man still survive that by literally flipping his bird. Fate has some sense of humor
This comment is legendary, I'm gonna show my dad XD
yea, exactly!
I remember my late grandpa once said me that he saw planes fighting over the skies while he was in the rice fields.
I am from ASSAM, my Grandfather was a part of the British Indian Army that recruited young men from Assam, especially from the Ahom, Bodo and other tribal communities. My granfather joined in 1943 and was stationed in Burma until the end of the war in 1945. He was a soldier and a field medic. May he rest in peace. 🙏🏻
Awesome that his family helped out with this. Keeps history alive
Greatest Yarnhub video ever. Gets so much adrenaline into the viewer, and the story is legendary! Beautiful!
Man I was shocked because I am from Assam and I had never ever imagined that I would find my states name in this channel. I made me so happy man
This better than speed lives
"It was certain death, but he pushed that thought away" what amazing fighting spirit.
The amount of times I facepalmed on this video lol he was such a character. I loved every minute of this. When he said "oh what the hell" after seeing the damaged Japanese plane and turned around after being damaged himself, I chuckled a bit. But when he said "I got smart" and flipped the plane, that made my day lol I never laughed so hard with a historical video. I would've loved to meet this gentleman.
“You need to wait for your squad” weak aura
“FUCK IT WE BALL” strong aura
I didn't think you'd animate the flaps and elevators too, amazing animations
Lmfao when that song kicks in at 4:00
I just discovered this channel yesterday and I can't get over it, watched over 5 videos already at full length, I'm definitely addicted guys.
My goodness the animation is so breathtakingly lifelike. Best history channel on RUclips.
“And then I got smart” the only thing I’ll be able to relate to with this badass
I live just near the Assam border, spent Some years near the airfield mentioned! My uncle was an engineer in the Indian Air Force back in the 60's and 70's.
Heard this story couple of Times.
Thanks for portraying it Yarnhub!
Love from India!❤️
Say to your uncle that his service is appreciated even here in the Philippines!
An note: We are now finding out the contributions made by INDIA in the fight against the "Axis". Thanks dear Indian friends!
8:17, And then I got smart, followed by the soundtrack , it's so cool , sent shivers down spine : )
He farted at 4:29😂
😂This guy is just like the biggest gamer ever cuz he acted like a normal gamer but with his own life on the line. 🙌 Huge respect for him.
@Mika Well War Thunder is only milsim in sim mode obviously but I guess if I'd die irl when my pilot dies ingame I'd probably act different than how I act ingame.
I think serious or even try hard in dc-10 or war thunder simulation mode could make a cockpit and put themself irl mood, would be stressful tho. It's like a simulation exam for pilot using navy or commercial airways cockpit simulation machine.
Man I’ve been missing the show “dogfights” for years. This is a fantastic follow up. Well done, Yarnhub for telling these stories.
My uncle was stationed in Burma during WW2. He learned about radios and electronics in the Army. Pretty good for somebody who never finished high school.
Did he know general Aung San or heard of it?
my grandad was there as well
Tom Cruise wasn’t even alive back then.
Balls. All The Way!
From 2D to animations that look like actual movies
I'm amazed at how we can watch this high quality animated documentary for free. The animation has improved a lot.
even in life death situation, he was able to get an perfect idea. That's awesome and a great presence of mind.
Yeah, I can't imagine flying left to right. Fast and hard, bullets flying over you. What helped him do these is his love for his people and home. He was worried about his people in the base so he was hyped up about knocking the enemy planes out of the blue sky.
I don't know wheather you guys would believe this but there is a japanese crashed WW2 aircraft in Sri Lanka. It had hit a big rock according to the legend. When I was a kid my dad told me about that and he said there were some remains of it until few years back. He don't know wheather it's still there. But he showed me a place where there used to be a big tree that was planted by the villagers and had the ring of the aircraft nose around it. I don't know what happened to the pilot or anything about aircraft. Tried do some online research and it didn't help either. I'm hoping investigate it soon but we are not sure weather the parts of the aircraft are still there.
Bro really said upside down ie the way
Okay. You've upped your game again with the real voice, guncam images and the production of just an incredible story of a badass war hero. My thanks to the Adair family, your sharing of events long ago have brought them to life once. It will let people know why Philip Adair was part the greatest generation.
Thank you for the kind words, this kind of thing is why we put so much work into preserving our heritage, and Yarnhubs talented animation team certainly made it that much better.
7:08 Zoolander moment:
Unbelievable he said " Now I got Smart" the Man was Genies the Entire Flight!!!! Amazing Skill and Talent!!
There's another "Lulu" who uses 44! Lewis Hamilton
8:33 When he turned it upside down, the P-40 looks like a Harrier lol
I've seen hundreds of pictures over the years and even built a scale model of this plane and its distinctive skull emblazoned on it's nose. I had never heard the story of it's pilot. What a legend. From singlehandedly taking on an entire bomber formation, to pulling a negative-G barrel roll that would have knocked out/disoriented your average pilot, trolling a damaged enemy fighter plane when he was out of ammo, then flying home inverted because his elevator trim was stuck in the downward setting, this guy could do it all.
The heavy metal background music was a great addition. It honestly got a laugh out of me while that was playing and he's just lazily flying inverted.
Adair: "Oh, what the hell!"
Adair moment later each time: "Oh crap, I got myself in kinda mess here".
he was on this earth for 97 years, and let me tell you... that was the story of his life XD
@linux4425 You're grandfather was a very brave and daring man. I'm glad to have heard his story which I've never encountered before. Definitely was a once in a lifetime event in his long life. Salute!
@BattleAxe1345 Thank you, he loved talking about this. I can't even imagine the look on his face if he were to read this comment thread
I have to say the inverted flying, problem solving… brilliant and some ‘ace’ achievements. Great snippet of history. Thank you.
He did 4/5 times and i have ♾️IQ
Adair really said nah I’m not finished 8:15
The story, the action, the voice of the Philip R. Adair along with the rock and roll music against the Japanese is just over the top in my opinion and I love it.
1:32 :those snare pops and the music change had me clapping and rubbing my hands together! Hands freaking down, this is the best video I’ve seen from you guys! The animation looks amazing, the cuts with the archival photos are absolutely top notch, and the volume of the music with the archival audio was absolutely genius!
These animations are literally next-level for a RUclips channel. You guys can literally make a full feature film and it would be a hit
He really hit the Elytra maneuver towards the end to keep his height. Absolutely brilliant.
WOW, this fighter pilot had a real warrior's attitude.
Include audio from an interview elevated this video, and it was already good to start with.
I also love the facial close ups and the expressiveness around the eyes.
Man, Thank god i found this channel, in many history documentary they never talk about this thing. How lucky i am to found this channel.
Subscriber+
Respect+
Then bro forgot to activate his tech tree 💀💀💀
that pilot is a genius! great story!
Damn this is fantastic content, it is amazing to see how far your channel has come over all these years, keep up this high quality work!
Hell of a production, folks! Thank you for keeping these stories alive!
And it goes without saying but hot damn the quality of these videos keeps getting better and better and better!
This is one of the most badass stories I've ever heard in my life
Man got Balls of Titanium.
This man was a friend of mine. I am very proud to have known his heart and kindness.
the DARE DEVIL #44