JESSE GONNAM

Narrative: I was leading Wakeford Red Flight with Lt. Willits as my #2. When the group left the bombers, Wakeford White #3 called in 15 bogeys starting to attack the second box of bombers. We turned to attack them but were too far away. The e/a made a head on attack and knocked down one of the bombers, which had already shot down on e e/a. A big fight had already started below and ahead of my flight and I noticed two 190s make a right turn and head south. They tried to out climb us but we out zoomed them and I opened fire at about 375 yards. Hits were seen on both wings close to the fuselage and in the fuselage itself. Pieces from the tail flew off and the elevator came loose. This e/a spun down and crashed in a woods causing a large fire and smoke. I closed on the second e/a and fired about two bursts. Strikes were seen in the left side of the engine and wing roots. This e/a rolled over and went straight down burning and leaving a smoke trail. He crashed in the same wooded area about 3 miles from the first e/a. I made a left hand turn and a FW 190 crossed in front of me. I turned inside him and fired, seeing strikes in the engine area. He straightened out and I closed, still firing. Lt Willits passed in front of the 190 almost head on, and the 190 did a half snap turn and tried to fire. I did a climbing stall turn and dropped in behind him firing again. He went down and I fired one more burst and saw my tracers behind him. I increased deflection and fired a short burst. The e/a did a slow half roll to the right and crashed near a small town. He crashed in a field, hitting it at about a 45 0 angle and then slid into a wooded area where he burned up. I recovered at about 6,000 feet and then called Lt Willits and asked if he had seen the e/a crash, which he had. Climbing up we watched a bomber going down and counted eight chutes from it. The bomber crashed in an open field and burned. We then climbed to 23,000 feet and came home. I claim three FW 190s destroyed from the actual crashes that I saw. During this engagement I was firing an ammunition load of alternating, 3 A.P. and two incendiaries. Upon firing I noticed much greater killing affect than a previous firing of 100% incendiary ammunition. Pieces flew from the e/a, the tail being shot off the first ship and fire starting on the other ships. I believe from experience with both types of ammunition that the loading of AP and I is much more effective.