WWII Pilot Combat Report - John England

John England

357th Fighter Group 04/13/1944

ENCOUNTER REPORT 1ST LT . JOHN B. ENGLAND, O-7 39 263 A . COMBAT B . 1 3 APRIL 1944 . F.O.# 298 , HQ , VIII FTR . COMMAND C. 36 2 ND F T R . SQD N . , 357 TH FIGHTER GROUP D. 1 605 D.S.T. E. W. OF MANNHEIM --LUDWIGSHAVEN , GERMANY F. 6/10 OVERCAST. CUMULUS TO 28,000 FT. G. FW 190 H. PILOT BAILED OUT

I . I WAS ELEMENT LEADER IN JUDSON RED FLIGHT AT 15,000 FT. WE HAD LEFT THE BOMBERS ABOUT 35 MINUTES BEFORE AND WERE FOLLOWING JUDSON WHITE FLIGHT HOME WHEN I SAW LT. LEONARD CARSON ATTACKING AN FW 190. WE MADE SEVERAL TURNS AND THEN BEGAN SPIRALLING DOWN, GOING AROUND THE CLOUDS. DURING THIS TIME I LOST TRACK OF MY FLIGHT LEADER AND HIS WING MAN. AS WE WERE HEADING DOWN I SAW TWO FW 190'S ABOUT 1,000 FT. BELOW ME. I STARTED AFTER THEM; THEY SAW ME AND BEGAN TO DIVE. I PULLED UP TO WITHIN 150 YDS. AND FIRED A SHORT BURST AT AROUND 10,000 FT. AT 5,000 FT. WE WERE STILL GOING STRAIGHT DOWN; I GAVE HIM ANOTHER SHORT BURST FROM ABOUT 140 YDS., OBSERVING SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT. AFTER THE FW 190 BEGAN A GRADUAL PULL OUT, THE PILOT BAILED OUT, GOING BETTER THEN 450 M.P.H. I PULLED OUT TO THE RIGHT, GRAYING OUT AT ABOUT 1,000 FT. I DID NOT SEE THE PLANE CRASH AND THE LAST I SAW OF THE PILOT, THE PARACHUTE WAS JUST POPPING OUT OF ITS CASE. I CLAIM ONE FW 190 DESTROYED.

J. 200 ROUNDS JOHN B. ENGLAND, 1ST LT., AIR CORPS

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by John England of the 357th Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of John England's combat experience.

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