JOHN OLIPHINT

Breaking off escort as the bombers left Berlin, Blue Flight headed home. All along the route out we were continually investigating "Bogies" and in turn being bounced by other P-51's. So in the area of Wittengen , Germany I drove down upon 2 ME-109's that were climbing toward the bombers. I immediately opened fire on the wingman of the 109's. After two short bursts of deflection without good results he broke down and I was calling for my wingman to take the other as I latched o nto the tail of the one I had previously hit a few times in the tail. He did a lot of snape, spins , slow rolls, split- esses and dodging into and clouds but I followed him around getting short bursts in just as he would disappear in a cloud each time. I got angry because I couldn't blow him up as only pieces came off once in a while so decided I would get so close he woul d have to. I saw the other ME- 109 a couple of times during this chase but knew Lt. Thomson was after him so stuck to the one I was after. Several times I got good strikes inside the clouds. This chase lasted about five minutes until I saw him go over a cloud. I followed through it and caught him red-handed from about 800 ft. and started cutting his bottom out where it had previous ly been smoking and leaking. This set him on fire, so closed to about 300 ft. where the bottom blew completely out as I chopped up and down the left side of the belly, fuselage, cockpit, and motor. The fire blew gas and oil all over me and pieces chipped my wings and tail. As I pulled out of the mess my prop sliced off the left stabilizer though doing little damage to me. I then found myself flying pretty close formation. The canopy of the ME-109 was splintered, the engine dead and on fire from nose to tail. The plane was cut all to pieces, the pilot flopping about dead in the fire that blazed in the cockpit. I expected it to blow up any second so pulled away. The plane nosed down out of control the pilot fell out about 3000 ft. but didn't open a chute as I watched him hit in a field near where the plane exploded NE of Wittengen . I cleared my tail and pulled up to join the first element who were giving Lt. Thomson and myself beautiful cover. I CLAIM ONE (1) ME-109 DESTROYED.