CONFIDENTIAL

 

373RD FIGHTER GROUP

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON

APO 151, US ARMY
24 DECEMBER 1944

A)

COMBAT

B)

23 DECEMBER 1944

C)

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 373RD FIGHTER GROUP

D)

1500 - 1530 HOURS

E)

15 MILES SOUTH OF EUSKIRCHEN

F)

CAVU.

G)

E/A, ME-109'S.

H)

TWO ME-109'S DESTROYED.

I)

    I WAS FLYING TURMOIL YELLOW THREE ON A DIVE-BOMBING

MISSION NEAR THE RHINE. WE HAD JUST FINISHED OUR BOMBING

RUNS AND WERE SETTING COURSE FOR HOME WHEN TWENTY PLUS ME-

109'S PASSED OVER US APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET ABOVE US AT

ELEVEN O'CLOCK. I BROKE INTO THEM SELECTING ONE AS MY TAR-

GET. THE ME-109 STARTED A TURN TO THE LEFT. I PICKED UP MY

LEAD AT ABOUT FORTY DEGREES DEFLECTION WHEN I OPENED FIRE.

STRIKES APPEARED ON THE WINGS AND COCKPIT AND THE CANOPY

WAS JETTISONED. I CONTINUED TO FIRE AND OBSERVED MORE ST-

RIKES ON THE 109 WITH SMOKE AND ORANGE FLAME COMING OUT.

I THEN SAW ANOTHER ME-109 TO MY LEFT SO I BROKE INTO HIM.

HE STARTED A TURN TO THE LEFT. PICKING UP MY LEAD AT ABOUT

FORTY-FIVE DEGREES AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YARDS I OPEN-

ED FIRE OBSERVING STRIKES ALL OVER THE 109. HE THEN JETT-

ISONED HIS CANOPY AND ROLLED OUT OF HIS TURN STRAIGHT AND

LEVEL. I CONTINUED TO FIRE AT APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED

YARDS AND SAW BLACK SMOKE AND YELLOW FLAMES COME OUT. THE

THE PILOT THEN JUMPED AND OPENED HIS CHUTE. AT THIS TIME

TRACERS PASSED IN FRONT OF ME. I BROKE TO THE LEFT AND SAW

THREE PARACHUTES FLOATING DOWN. I BELIEVE THE THIRD CHUTE

WAS FROM ANOTHER ME-109 THAT WAS ON MY TAIL AND SHOT OFFBY

MY WINGMAN, LT NOYES. AS LT NOYES AND I WERE THE ONLY P-47'S

IN THE AREA WITH NO OTHER FRIENDLY A/C IN SIGHT I THINK

THE ME-109 WAS DESTROYED BY HIM.

     I CLAIM TWO ME-109'S DESTROYED.

DAVID L. KING,

1ST LIEUT, AIR CORPS.


 

 

 


Declassified
On public record at the National Archives
Courtesy of David Schwartz - Nephew of 373rd CO (15 Aug 43 - 17 Nov 44) William  H. Schwartz, Jr.

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