CADMAN PADGETT

A . Combat B . 1 2 August 1943. C . 3 3 5 th F i gh t e r Sq uadron . D . 0 927 H ours . E . West of Duren . F . Very low scattered cumulus cloud . G . Me 1 0 9 G . H . 1 Me 1 0 9G D estroyed . I . I was flying as Red 3, and had just completed a 180 o turn to p ort to position myself behind and above the bombers who were flying west just west of Duren. Just prior to this time many enemy A/C approaching the bombers from the rear saw us and peeled off their formation and dived out of sight. One of them, who must have taken us for friendly A/C, started to formate on us at our exact altitude on our starboard side. I saw his cross and Lt. Boyles saw a large chevron between the cross and the cockpit, pointing forward. The large bulges under his wings were very plain. I did a slow turn to starboard, a slow turn to port and closed in behind him. I sat there for a few seconds lining up my sights. When I had closed to within 150 yards of him I fired about a two second burst and saw many, many hits on his fuselage ……he lit up like a Xmas tree. I closed to within 50 yards and fired a one second burst. Immediately something exploded so violently that he was completely obscured from my vision. I broke away sharply up and to port as I couldn't see him through the smoke and was afraid of ramming him. From the color of the explosion I am positive that I had hit his radiator. Lt. Donald Ross, flying Red 2, saw the entire engagement, saw his glycol explode and saw him dive down in a huge cloud of gray-white smoke. Lt. Paul Ellington, flying Blue 4, saw a pilot bail out of a Me 109 in the immediate vicinity and at this time. This A/C was diving steeply, smoking badly and streaming glycol. He believes that this was my kite because I was the only one to fire at this time. He did not see the chute open. I claim one Me 109G destroyed.