Eugene Roberts

Narrative: I was leading my squadron and the group on a bomber escort mission to the Villa Coublay Airdrome on 24 August, 1943. We crossed the enemy coast at approximately Pointe D'Ailly at 23,000 feet, dropping our belly tanks in the vicinity of Rouen. From that point we climbed to 26,000 feet. We intercepted bombers at approximately Louviers, and as they were escorted by fighters, we passed over them, intending to S and fall in behind. I sighted two a/c at about one o'clock and below me, flying parallel to the bombers and below, climbing. We had crossed over the first box of bombers from port to starboard. The a/c passed beneath me, and I waited for them to come out on my port side, rolling up on my side to identify them. I observed that they were e/a, and I was in position to bounce them so I led my flight down in a diving attack from the rear. I initiated the attack at 26,000 feet, and closing, I was at approximately 22,000 feet. The two e/a were flying line abreast about 100 yards apart. I could not positively identify them so I held my fire until I was so close I could see the crosses on the fuselage of the port a/c/ I then lined up my sights on the a/c on the starboard side. This e/a went into a dive, approximately 30 degrees. I gave him deflection enough and at the same time pulled up directly behind him, firing all the time. I saw a number of strikes on the a/c, generally on the fuselage and tail, and saw pieces fly off. The a/c began to pull over to the right, pieces still flying off from it, and I closed so rapidly that I had to pull up. The e/a on the port side swung out and in attempting to pull in behind him, he tried to take evasive action. I was able to pull in directly on his tail at a distance of about 250 yards. I opened fire and saw a succession of strikes all over the a/c; he began to trail smoke and suddenly blew up, throwing off vast quantities of smoke and pieces. My vision was blinded by the smoke and I was force to pull up to avoid ramming him. I made a steep climbing turn to the left and rejoined the rest of the squadron, who were circling above. We sighted the second box of bombers and swung in behind them, S'ing over them on the way in to the target. Over the target there was a large amount of flak, and we left the bombers, orbiting 360 degrees to port and picked up the bombers as they left the target. The bombers flew into overcast so we turned to the starboard and joined the first box of bombers, and then as we sighted the second box coming out of the overcast, we made a 180 degree starboard turn and went back and joined the second box. We escorted them, S'ing over them to a point approximately Evr e ux , when we observed a straggler at the rear of the bomber formation about three miles, being attacked. Making another 180 degree port turn we flew back and circled behind this straggler. We observed approximately five e/a making the attack from six o'clock, and as we peeled off to attack, we observed the bomber fire a green flare. E/a, on sighting us, did half rolls and headed for the deck. We pulled to port over the bomber, circling in front of him, and as our gas was getting low we were forced to abandon him and head for home. Throughout the engagement we observed approximately ten (10) e/a, flying in two's and three's, but when we attempted to attack, they half rolled and headed for the deck, consequently we were unable to engage. From my observation it appeared that their attacks were very cautious, and e/a would not attempt to mix it with our fighters. I observed only one of my targets blow up; the second one. I observed numerous strikes on the fuselage of the first with pieces flying off the a/c. Other members of my squadron and flight observed the first e/a on fire and seemingly to explode and go down in a spin. I therefore claim one (1) FW 190 and one (1) ME 109 destroyed. EUGENE P. ROBERTS Major Air Corps STATEMENT OF F/O GLENN

H. KOONTZ I was flying Bayland White Two on Major Roberts' wing. We crossed coast and met bombers soon after dropping our tanks. We started crossing above them. Major Roberts saw two e/a behind and to the right of the bombers, and went in to a diving attack from 26,000 to 23,000 feet. He pulled up behind the two e/a, which were flying line abreast, and started