World War II Chronicle: August 30, 1941
Click here for TODAY’S NEWSPAPER
Three aces
Pictured on the front page is 29-year-old German ace Werner Mölders who is currently the most successful fighter pilot in aviation history, having surpassed Mannfred von Richtofen — the Red Baron — in June. He commands Jagdgeschwader 51, the top-scoring wing in the Luftwaffe and Mölders reportedly has 101 victories. Click here for more about Oberst Mölders…
On page three is William R. “Wild Bill” Dunn, the first-ever United States citizen to become an ace. Dunn briefly served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army before joining the Canadian Army. Master Sgt. Dunn entered pilot training in 1940 and joined the Royal Air Force’s No. 71 Squadron — the first “Eagle” squadron. On Aug. 27 Dunn shoots down two Messerschmitt Bf-109Fs over Belgium, making five enemy planes and a shared probable kill. But he is wounded and spends the next three months recovering in the hospital. Dunn transfers to the U.S. Army Air Force and returns to Europe as a P-47 pilot for the 513th Fighter Squadron, scoring one more victory before war’s end…
Sports section begins on page 10. St. Louis Cardinals 32-year-old pitcher Lon Warneke — the “Arkansas Hummingbird” — has thrown a no-hitter against the reigning World Champion Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, Ted Williams’ batting average stands at .407 after hitting a homerun and a triple in three at-bats two days ago against Detroit. Williams also walked twice, and would finish 1941 leading all Major League batters with 147 walks. In fact, unless Williams is fighting (1943-5, 1952-3) or injured (broke his arm during the 1950 All-Star Game), he is either leading the league in walks or is very close to the top:
| Season | Walks | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 107 | 2 |
| 1940 | 96 | 5 |
| 1941 | 147 | 1 |
| 1942 | 145 | 1 |
| 1946 | 156 | 1 |
| 1947 | 162 | 1 |
| 1948 | 126 | 1 |
| 1949 | 162 | 1 |
| 1951 | 144 | 1 |
| 1954 | 136 | 1 |
| 1955 | 91 | 7 |
| 1956 | 102 | 3 |
| 1957 | 119 | 2 |
| 1958 | 98 | 3 |
| 1960 | 75 | 6 |
When Williams finished his career with 2,021 walks, only Babe Ruth had more (2,062). Williams walked once every 4.85 plate appearances compared to Ruth walked once every 5.15 times up. Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson have since walked more, but Williams still walked the most often:
| Player | PA/BB |
|---|---|
| Williams | 4.85 |
| Bonds | 4.93 |
| Ruth | 5.15 |
| Henderson | 6.09 |
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), August 30, 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-08-30/ed-1/