359th Fighter Group 08/09/1944
ENCOUNTER REPORT
LT. COL JOHN B. MURPHY
Combat
9 August 1944
370th Fighter Squadron
1115 to 1130 hours
Vicinity of Gunzburg
Fair
FW 190
One (1) FW 190 destroyed in air
I was flying at 26,000 ft level with the bombers and on the port side when I sighted a formation of E/A approaching the bombers from 1100 o’clock at 28,000 ft. I started climbing towards them. They passed over me without attacking either my formation or the bombers. I followed them, still climbing. Approximately a mile behind the bombers they started a circle when I met them head on and fired as I passed slightly under them. I made two head on passes like this, snap shooting as I passed them but concentrating mainly on their top cover of about eight E/A. On my third pass I reversed my turn since the top cover was being engaged by other P-51’s and closed on the tail end of the larger formation of about 20 Me 109’s and FW 190’s. I fired a long burst at a FW 190 while I was slightly below him. I didn’t recall seeing any strikes at the time but was fairly sure that I had hit him by the shock and shudder of his plane. I temporarily diverted my attention from him and fired at another. A few seconds later I noticed the first that I had fired at had his right wheel down, so I gave him another long burst and scored many strikes along the left side of the fuselage with the larger concentration above the left wing root. He rolled over after this and I did not attempt to follow him down.
I claim one (1) FW 190 destroyed in air.
Ser No of A/C: 3604
A/C Markings: CS-U
Ammunition expended: 1,244 rds of API.
JOHN B. MURPHY
Lt Col, Air Corps.
359th Ftr Gp,
Col Murphy got on the tail of a Me 109 and the wheels came down when he fired at it
JOHN W. WILSON
2nd Lt, Air Corps
359th Ftr Gp.
Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by John Murphy of the 359th Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of John Murphy's combat experience.
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