CONFIDENTIAL

 

373RD FIGHTER GROUP

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON

APO 151, US ARMY
24 DECEMBER 1944

A)

ENCOUNTER.

B)

23 DECEMBER 1944.

C)

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 373RD FIGHTER GROUP.

D)

1500 HOURS.

E)

VICINITY OF EUSKIRCHEN.

F)

CAVU.

G)

E/A, ME-109'S.

H)

CONFIRMING LT. GEORGE E. COOPER'S CLAIM ON 2 ME-109'S DEST.

I)

     ON THE 23RD OF DECEMBER AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HOURS I

WAS FLYING WING MAN FOR LT. COOPER, IN TURMOIL SQUADRON, ON

AN DIVE BOMBING MISSION.  WHILE ORBITING THE TARGET WE HAD

BOMBED, APPROXIMATELY TWENTY ME-109'S CAME DOWN THROUGH A

CLOUD COVER AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 YARDS DISTANCE FROM OUR

POSITION.  LT. COOPER TURNED INTO THEM AT 90 DEGREES.  I

OBSERVED HIM SCORE HITS ON ONE OF THESE E/A WHO HAD BROKEN

LEFT AND WAS CLIMBING.  THE HITS WERE IN THE ENGINE AND LEFT

WING.  I BELIEVE THE LEFT WING CAME OFF AND THE ENGINE START-

ED SMOKING VERY BADLY.  IT WAS APPROXIMATELY A 40 DEGREE

DEFLECTION SHOT.  WE THEN STARTED FOR ANOTHER ME-109.  LT.

COOPER WAS IN RANGE WHEN THE 109 SPLIT-ESSED.  LT. COOPER

SPLIT-ESSED RIGHT AFTER HIM.  IT WAS ON THIS MANUEVER THAT

I LOST LT. COOPER AND CAN NOT SAY AS TO THE OUTCOME OF THE

FOLLOWING FIGHT.  I DO KNOW THAT LT. COOPER MUST HAVE BEEN

IN A VERY FAVORABLE POSITION.

WILLIAM L. WILLIAMS,

F/O, 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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