James Jones

a . Combat b . 10 Oct . , 1943 c . 62nd Fighter Squadron d . 1515 hours e . Vicinity Altenberge f . Hazy, 2/10 cloud over target, visibility fair g . Fw 190 h . One Fw 190 claimed destroyed i . "I was leading the second element of Blue Flight and we had started to position ourselves on the bombers, who were on our left. White Leader made a 15 degree turn to the right , reporting the bombers in trouble, and our flight went down. I saw one Fort on fire and apparently going back inland, with two Fw 190's circling it. One made a turn and began an attack on it so I went after him but the distance between us was too great and I lost him. Upon looking up, I saw two more Fw's coming at Blue Four and myself from about 9 o'clock so I yelled at Blue Four to break to left, which he did. I hesitated a few seconds (my tail was clear and I thought that I might get a chance to get on the Jerrys' tails) then did a sharp orbit to the left looking for my wing man, but I had lost him. Climbing back towards the Forts I spied an Me 210 about 2,000' below me, going in the same direction as the bombers and, about 1,000 yards behind it, there were two P-47's preparing to attack him. About 700/800 yds behind the Thunderbolts there was a third a/c that I took to be the third ship in the flight. I continued to climb and, as the P-47's passed under me, I saw that the third ship was an Fw 190 positioning himself to attack the Thunderbolts. This ship had a bright red nose, dirty brown fuselage and carried a belly tank underneath. I let him pass under me, then kicked hard rudder and made a diving, dead astern attack upon him. Apparently he saw me for, as I opened fire at 500 yds, he made a turn to the right. He then straightened out and, as I followed him, still firing, he started a barrel-roll. As he rolled over on his back, about 300 yds away smoke began pouring back and he pulled the ship through the roll and started down in a violent spin. I followed him visually, meanwhile doing a slow, left climbing turn, and, at about 10,000 ft, the pilot baled out but I observed no chute. The ship continued to spin until it crashed into the ground, between two large patches of woods and in the left hand corner of one of them. I claim one Fw 190 destroyed ."