CONFIDENTIAL

 

ENCOUNTER REPORT

A)

COMBAT.

B)

4 SEPTEMBER 1944.

C)

412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 373RD FIGHTER GROUP.

D)

1555 HOURS.

E)

4 MILES SE OF LUXEMBOURG.

F)

CAVU.

G)

ME-410
H) ONE HALF ME-410 DESTROYED.

I)

  I WAS FLYING AS TURMOIL LEADER ON AN ARMED RECONAISSANCE FLIGHT

AT 14,000 FEET IN THE SAARBRUCKEN AREA WHEN YELLOW FOUR CALLED IN

ONE BOGIE AT ONE O'CLOCK LEVEL. AS IT PASSED US AT THREE O'CLOCK

I NOTICED THE PROMINENT TAIL ON THE BOGIE AND I CALLED FOR AN IN-

VESTIGATION. AS RED FLIGHT CLOSED IN ON THE E/A HE MADE A CLIMBING

TURN TO THE LEFT AND I NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE RECOGNITION

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ME-410 EXCEPT IN THAT IT APPEARED TO HAVE

RADIAL ENGINES WHICH SUGGESTED THAT THE E/A MIGHT POSSIBLY BE A

JU-188. AT ABOUT 300 YARD RANGE I GAVE THE E/A A TWO SECOND 30

DEGREE DEFLECTION BURST AND HE IMMEDIATELY STRAIGHTENED OUT AND

WENT INTO A VERY STEEP DIVE. I CLOSED IN VERY RAPIDLY FROM DEAD

ASTERN AND FIRED TWO BURSTS OF ABOUT THREE TO FOUR SECONDS EACH

BEGINNING AT ABOUT 150 YARDS RANGE. THERE WERE MANY STRIKES ON

THE FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING AND THE LEFT ENGINE AND BELLY OF THE E/A

BURST INTO FLAMES. COWLINGS AND DEBRIS FROM THE E/A CAME FLYING

BACK AND HIT MY PLANE PUTTING A DENT IN THE LEFT WING, A 15 INCH

GASH IN THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND CRACKING THE CANOPY.

AS I BROKE AWAY THE E/A WENT INTO A SLOW DOWNWARD SPIRAL. RED

TWO CLOSED IN AND FIRED A BURST WHICH SET THE RIGHT ENGINE ON FIRE.

I CALLED FOR OUR AIRCRAFT TO CEASE FIRING JUST AS RED FOUR AND

YELLOW LEADER CLOSED IN AND FIRED A BURST AT THE E/A. AT THAT

TIME I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE REAR GUNNERS CANOPY BEING JET-

TISONED FROM THE E/A SO I CLOSED IN ONCE MORE AND SHOT A ONE SECOND

BURST BEFORE THE E/A CRASHED INTO THE WOODS ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTH-

EAST OF LUXEMBOURG.

 

I CLAIM ONE HALF ME-410 DESTROYED.

J)

  650 RDS .50 CALIBRE EXPENDED.

 

MICHAEL J. INGELIDO,

LT. COL., 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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last update: 25 Apr 09

 

412th Squadron patch image courtesy of Bruce Lowell and Bob Colangelo.