CONFIDENTIAL

373RD FIGHTER GROUP

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON

A)

B)

C)

D)

E)

F)

G)

H)

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.