CADMAN PADGETT

( A ) Combat ( B ) 26, November 1943. ( C ) 3 3 5 Sq uadron , 4th Fighter Group ( D ) Approximately 1300 H ours ( E ) Hude, Germany ( F ) 3/10 L ow C loud , Good High Visibility ( G ) 2 Me - 1 0 9 's ( H ) 1 Me - 1 0 9 D estroyed 1 Me-109 No Claim Pending Assesment ( I ) I was flying as Green 1, at 31,000 feet in the vicinity of Hude when Green section turned n orth to cover stragglers of a box of B-24's which were flying west at approximately 24,000 feet. At this time I observed an Me-109 pulling up line astern of the rearmost B-24. In a diving turn to port, I closed to about 200 yards astern of the Me-109 and gave him a 2 second burst and observed strikes on port side of fuselage near cockpit. As I flew into his slipstream, my sights were momentarily thrown off and a large object, possibly his canopy, passed by to my starboard. Ilined him up in my sights again a nd gave him another 2 second burst, observing strikes and a large red flash at his port wing root and fuselage. A shower of fragments flew off E/A which immediately started tumbling downward and I broke off to starboard to avoid hitting him. As I passed him I noticed his right wheel down.(Fragment from E /A punctured leading edge of starboard wing of Green 2). Green section then climbed to about 28,000 feet to rear of bomber s and approximately 5 minutes after breaking off first attack, I noticed smoke trails at about 8 o'clock at our level. These 2 Me-109's flew parallel and to our rear for a short distance, then made a diving turn to starboard as if to attack the bombers or Green section from below. I led Green section in a 360 o turn to port and came out on the tail of the number 1 E/A as he zoomed up in a steep climbing turn to port. I fired a short deflection burst at about 200 yards while in a steep climbing turn but observed no hits. E/A flipped over and went down in the vertical dive while number 2 E/A made two a ileron turns to port and started off to the Southwest. Being short of petrol, Green section then headed toward home. C laim s: 1 Me - 109 destroyed. 1 Me-109 – no claim, pending assessment.