Hugh Chapman
361st Fighter Group 05/08/1944
COMBAT REPORT
A. COMBAT
B. 8 MAY 1944 F.O. 331 8FC
C. 376TH FIGHTER SQUADRON
D. 1040
E. VICINITY NIENBURG
F. CLEAR
G. ME 109
H. 1 ME 109 DESTROYED (PILOT BAILED OUT)
I. I WAS TITUS BLUE FOUR ESCORTING FIRST BOX OF 3RD TASK FORCE. NUMEROUS
E/A WERE REPORTED ATTACKING THE FIRST BOX. BLUE FLIGHT WAS AT 25,000
FEET AND WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO INVESTIGATE.
THE E/A WERE REPORTED AS BEING AT ABOUT 15,000 FEET SO WE DOVE TO
APPROXIMATELY THAT ALTITUDE. ON THE WAY DOWN, I SAW SEVERAL PARACHUTES
AND THEN A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 FW 190’S AT OUR TEN O’CLOCK SAME LEVEL.
HAVING ADVANTAGE IN SPEED, WE BROKE INTO THEM AND THEY IN TURN BROKE
THRU US HEAD ON. IN THE MELEE I FOUND MYSELF SEPARATED FROM THE FLIGHT
AND SOME DISTANCE FROM INITIAL ENCOUNTER.
I NOTICED A SMALL GROUP OF PLANES ABOUT TWO MILES AHEAD AND CROSSING
AT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES TO ME. I FELL IN TRAIL AND CLOSED RAPIDLY.
THE MAIN BODY FLIPPED AND DISAPPEARED BUT ONE LONE STRAGGLER WAS
UNFORTUNATE IN HESITATING WHILE I DELIBERATED JUST WHAT HE WAS. AFTER
SATISFYING MYSELF THAT IT WAS A ME 109, I FIRED FOUR OR FIVE SHORT
BURSTS 0-5 DEGREE DEFLECTION, OPENING AT 300 CLOSING TO 100 YARDS,
OBSERVING MANY STRIKES ALONG LEFT WING ROOT AND FUSELAGE. ON THE
SECOND BURST, CANOPY WAS EITHER JETTISONED OR BLOWN OFF. VERY LITTLE
EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN AND I BELIEVE IT WAS DUE EITHER TO PILOT
INJURY OR SEVERE DAMAGE TO E/A. THEN CLOSING RAPIDLY, I WAS FORCED TO
BREAK UP AND TO THE RIGHT. AT THAT MOMENT THE PILOT BAILED OUT AND E/A
FELL OFF INTO A SPIN. JUST AS PILOT OF E/A BAILED OUT, I NOTICED A
BLUE NOSE P-51 MARKED HO-F DIVING DOWN, SEEING PILOT BAILED OUT, HE
JOINED ME AND WE CROSSED OUT TOGETHER. CAMPANY WAS APPRECIATED.
CLAIM ONE ME 109 DESTROYED.
J. 612 RDS ENPENDED
A.C. NO. E9-V 42-75166
HUGH D. CHAPMAN
2ND LT., AIR CORPS.
Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Hugh Chapman of the 361st Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Hugh Chapman's combat experience.
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