Photos
when everything said no, they said yes
101 Squadron of the Israel Air Force in May 1948
On May 29, 1948, the "Israel Air Force" consisted of four cobbled-together Nazi-surplus fighter planes that tended to shoot off their own propellers. Nonetheless, this was about all they had with which to defend Tel Aviv. The women and men on the ground south of Tel Aviv had fought valiant delaying actions, even though they were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. In so doing, they traded their lives for the time needed to assemble the airplanes.
In the tradition of fighter pilots everywhere, the four pilots – Lou, Modi, Ezer and Eddie – decided on a powerful name for their tiny squadron. They called themselves "The Angels of Death," after the story in Exodus. When the Angels of Death appeared in the sky over the invading Egyptian army, raining fire upon them, the sheer force of their spirit shocked the Egyptians into abandoning their attack.
United States Air Force Air War College bio of Lou Lenart. 101 Squadron bio of Lou.
101 Squadron bio of Modi Alon. Modi was Lou's wingman on May 29, 1948. On returning to base, the spindly landing gear malfunctioned and the plane was totaled.
101 Squadron bio of Ezer Weizman, who later became head of the IAF and then President of Israel.
101 Squadron bio of Eddie Cohen. Eddie was the youngest of the four pilots, and flew last in the formation of four planes. His plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in flames – but not before he completed a bombing and strafing run.
These are the four pilots who flew that day, the first mission of the Israel Air Force. They were supported by a heroic crew of mechanics, transport pilots, and troops on the ground.
A great source of information about the 101 Squadron of the Israel Air Force is 101 Squadron.com, the site is a labor of love and is a treasure.
More pilots and crew . . .
This is the insignia the pilots created to go with their "Angels of Death" squadron.
