361st Fighter Group 09/27/1944
ENCOUNTER REPORT
A. Combat
B. 27 September 1944
C. 376th Fighter Squadron
D. 1015
E. Vic Eisenach
F. 5/10 Cumulus to 5000 ft.
Air to air good
Air to grd good
G. FW 190’s
H. 2 FW 190’s Destroyed
I. I was flying Titus White Two on an escort mission to Kassel. Bombers were attacked by many FW 190’s from above. At the time we were between the two boxes of bombers and saw the Jerry as he headed for the deck through the clouds. My leader, Lt. Bocquin, tacked on to one and got several strikes before he made the overcast. When we broke out, the pilot had bailed out and the plane was spinning in. Lt. Bocquin spotted another and gave chase just under the clouds, got good hits, probably killing the pilot and the plane went straight in and blew up. About the same time, I found another FW 190 almost in front of me, so I went after him. I got some strikes on him and he promptly bailed out. Lt. Bocquin started a turn to take a picture of the burning plane when I saw a FW 190 coming in on his tail. I told him to break right so the Jerry broke about the same time. Lt. Bocquin ended up at about 60 degrees from him and very close and gave him a short burst and the pilot bailed out. Just before this I saw Lt. Hanley get strikes on one and he bailed out in the near vicinity. We then headed back to where some others of our squadron was fighting. I saw a small gaggle going 180 degrees to us and we started to break after them, but ran into ____ got behind them. I still had a wing tank so Lt. Bocquin broke off after one single. As we did so a single P-51 was chasing a 190 and we gave him cover. His guns jamed and Lt. Bocquin gave chase getting hits until his ammunition ran out. I then gave chase. The pilot flew closer to the trees than I have ever seen any plane fly; in fact he hit them three times. As a last resort he let down full flaps. I saw it in time and let mine down. I chased up until he filled about ¾ of my sight and gave him a long one. He dove straight into the trees and blew up. We had very little gas left by this time. We started home and three other planes joined us, making it a flight of six. All during the fight I had my left wing tank on without knowing it. The Jerries weren’t very eager or I would have been in a bad way had they resorted to a luffberry. But, my ship still outran the Jerry even with the tank. The Jerries would bail out rather than fight. All in all I saw Lt. Bocquin get three and Lt. Hanley get one, all destroyed. I claim 2 FW 190’s destroyed.
J. 528 rds expended
A.C. E9H 44-14219
HOMER G. POWELL,
2nd Lt., Air Corps.
Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Homer Powell of the 361st Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Homer Powell's combat experience.
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