Donald Bryan

B . 29 January 1944 C . 328th F i gh t e r Sq uadron D . Approximately 1 15 0 E . Vicinity of Namur F . 10 /10 at 4000 ft G . FW 190 H . 1 FW 190 D ESTROYED – shared with Lt Quinn I . I was flying Blue One position in Turndown Sq. Several Minutes after the Group Leader had called everyone out I came up behind the lead box of bombers and saw an E/A, an FW 190 making a stern attack from above on the bombers . He did a half-roll and chandelled up to the left to about 23000 ft. Being at 21000 ft, I climbed and turned into him. As he was preparing for another attack on the bombers he didn't see us until we were head-on. I got ready for a head on pass but he didn't press his attack and he turned about 10 o to my starboard. Giving him about ¾ ring deflection I opened up at about 600 yds closing and increasing my lead to about 200 yds, at which point I couldn't keep him in my sights. I saw strikes on the starboard side of his fuselage. We went into a sort of rat race, and then he dived. My No 3 man was also firing. Going straight down I got in from dead astern and firing, saw many strikes on him – some of which may have been the effect of the firing of my No 3 man (Lt Quinn). As my gun sight had gone out, I had to use the iron ring and bead. The E/A pulled out very sharply and then half-rolled again. Getting on his tail I again fired and saw hits and pieces flying off. I closed to dead astern and about 200 yds off and firing saw many more strikes and finally set him aflame. We were going straight down and I pulled up at about 6000 ft. He went through the overcast burning badly. On landing it was found that a piece of his plane had hit the right wing of my A/c. I c laim 1 FW 190 D ESTROYED – shared with Lt. Quinn, Turndown Blue 3 . J . Ser No of A/ c : 4 2 - 8 381 A/ c Markings : PE- B