GEORGE MERRITT

I. I WAS FLYING CADET LEADER AND PROCEEDED NE OF BERLIN AT 1040 HRS. IT WAS OUR ASSIGNMENT TO ORBIT AND PICK UP THE BOMBERS. AT 1115 HRS ONE SQUADRON PICKED UP THE LEADING WING OF BOMBERS. FIVE MINUTES LATER THEY REPORTED 75 PLUS E/A IN THE VICINTY. I INSTRUCTED CADET SQUADRON TO FOLLOW ME. AS WE PROCEEDED IN THAT DIRECTION I OBSERVED 3 A/C EXPLODE IN THE AIR AT 26,000 FT, THUS INDICATING ENEMY ACTIVITY. I TOLD CADET SQUADRON TO DROP WING TANKS AND GIVE IT THE WORKS. AS WE DREW NEARER I OBSERVED SOME TEN PLUS E/A COMING OUT OF THE BOMBER FORMATION AND HEADING TOWARD DECK. THIS FORMATION WAS BROKEN AND AFFORDED SCATTERED TARGETS. WE PUT EVERYTHING TO THE FIRE-WALL, PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AT 26,000 FT AND STARTED AFTER THEM. THE ONE I SELECTED MUST HAVE BEEN GOING LIKE MERRY HELL BECAUSE IT SEEMED AN ETERNITY BEFORE THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF MY CLOSING ON HIM. AS HE BECAME MORE DISTINCT A SMALL STREAK OF SMOKE ISSUED FROM THE E/A, INDICATING THAT HE HAD EVERYTHING FORWARD. EVIDENTLY ONE OF HIS BUDDIES HAD TOLD HIM SOMEONE WAS FOLLOWING HIM. I RECHECKED MY THROTTLE QUADRANT AND BENT EVERYTHING FORWARD A LITTLE MORE. AT APPROXIMATELY 10-12,000 FT ALTITUDE AND FROM 6-800 YDS ASTERN, HE BEGAN TO SHOW UP RATHER NICELY . PREVIOUSLY I HAD SEEN NOTHING BUT HIS TAIL AND WASN'T TOO DARN SURE HE WASN'T A P-51. I WAS UNCERTAIN BECAUSE P-51'S AND E/A HAD INTERMINGLED AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE BOMBERS. IN ORDER TO MAKE THE IDENTITY CERTAIN I BEGAN SKIDDING AND OBSERVED DIRTY YELLOW CROSSES ON HIS FUSELAGE. I RETURNED TO A POSITION ASTERN OF HIM AFTER I HAD MADE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION. AT THIS INSTANT WE WERE AT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 FT, GOING PRACTICALLY STRAIGHT DOWN AT A SPEED OF 500 MPH . I COUNTED OFF 1 ½ RINGS DIRECTLY BENEATH HIM AT 200 YDS AND SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER FOR A TEST. I OBSERVED NO HITS SO PULLED SLIGHTLY THROUGH AND MADE CORRECTION. I CONTINUED FIRE AND OBSERVED STRIKES ON THE E/A, AND PIECES BEGAN TO COME FROM IT. AT THIS POINT THE E/A MADE A MANEUVER WHICH, IN MY OPINION, WAS NOT INTENTIONAL. THE E/A REACTED AS THOUGH SOMETHING HAD SNAPPED IT OUT OF THE SKY AND AWAY FROM MY SIGHTS. HE MADE NO TURNS AND COULD NOT HAVE MADE A PUSHOVER. HAD THE PILOT BEEN IN CONTROL OF THE A/C IT WOULD NOT HAVE DISAPPEARED SO QUICKLY. IT VANISHED COMPLETELY. THE DIVE WAS ALREADY PLENTY STEEP AND UPON LOSING THE E/A I NOSED OVER IN AN AT TEMPT TO KEEP IT IN SIGHT. THIS ATTEMPT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I APPLIED NEGATIVE PRESSURE TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT I WAS FORCED BACK AGAINST THE CANOPY FOR A FEW SECONDS. EVERYTHING IN THE COCKPIT CAME TO THE TOP. I THEN HALF ROLLED IN AN EFFORT TO PICK UP THE E/A BUT DID SO WITHOUT SUCCESS. I LAST SAW HIM AT APPROXIMATELY 6,000 FT. OBSERVING A CLOUD COVER OF FROM 5-7/10 AT 5,000 FT I PULLED BACK UP. AFTER RETURNING TO BASE I DISCOVERED THAT A SECTION OF MY RIGHT WING HAD BEEN STRAINED AND THE WING FURTHER DAMAGED AS A RE SULT OF MAKING CONTACT WITH PIECES OF THE E/A. AFTER DISCUSSING THE CONFLICT WITH MY WING MAN I LEAR N ED THAT THE TAIL SECTION OF THE E/A HAD BEEN SHOT AWAY. I B ELIEVE THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE QUICK DISAPPEARENCE. I CLAIM ONE ME-109 DESTROYED.