WWII Pilot Combat Report - DONALD DILLING

DONALD DILLING

352nd Fighter Group 11/26/1943

ENCOUNTER REPORT . C APT . DONALD K. DILLING.

a . C OMBAT . b . 26/11/ 43. c . 487 FIGHTER SQUADRON . f . 20 MILES E/O GRONINGEN . g . Me 109 h . 1 M e 109 . i . I WAS LEADING AS YELLOW THREE. 20 MILES E/ O GRONINGEN AT 1310 HOURS, ALTITUDE ABOUT 23000 FEET. MAJOR MEYER WHO WAS LEADING MY FLIGHT LED US DOWN TO ATTACT TWO Me 109's THAT HAD JUST MADE A PASS AT TWO B-24's THAT WERE STRAGGLING. MAJOR MEYER DESTROYED THE SE C OND OF THESE Me 109's AND PULLED UP TO THE RIGHT IN A CLIMBING TURN WHEN HE WAS ATTACKED BY A THIRD Me 109 FROM A HEAD ON POSITION. I WAS FLYING BELOW AND WELL BEHIND THE MAJOR AND WAS ABLE TO GET TWO SHORT BURSTS INTO THIS E/A AS HE PASSED. THEN I TURNED LEFT SHARPLY AND GOT INTO POSITION DEAD ASTERN OF HIM AND ABOUT 200 YARDS AWAY. I OPENED FIRE AND SAW MANY BURSTS IN BOTH OF HIS WINGS AND IN HIS FUSELAGE. AT THIS TIME HE HEADED FOR THE GROUND WITH A SLOW AILERON ROLL. I FOLLOWED HIM CLOSELY AND FIRED ANOTHER LONG BURST. HE STOPPED ROLLING AND I APPROACHED TO WITHIN ABOUT 75 YARDS FIRING ALL THE TIME, OBSERVING STRIKES IN THE WING ROOTS AND FUSELAGE, HE MADE NO FURTHER EVASIVE ACTION OF ANY KIND FROM THERE ON BUT FELL VERTICALLY TOWARDS THE GROUND GIVING OFF QUANTITIES OF BLACK SMOKE. I WANTED TO FOLLOW HIM BUT WAS GETTING TOO LOW SO BROKE AWAY AND CLIMED BACK INTO FORMATION. MAJOR THERRIAULT AND LT. McPHERSON SAW HIM GOING DOWN. I CLAIM O NE M e 109 D ESTROYED .

CAPT. DONALD K. DILLING C AP T . AC . S ERIAL 42-8447 M ARKINGS. HO–S A MM O . E XP . 1013 AP I. ROBERT H. BERKSHIRE L T. AC . Asst. S-2 O FFICER.

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by DONALD DILLING of the 352nd Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of DONALD DILLING's combat experience.

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