John Wilson

Combat B . 1 3 April, 194 4 C . 3 5 7 t h F i gh t e r Sq uadron D . 1 42 0 E . Augsburg F . 3/10's cumulus from 6,000 to 8,000 feet G . Me 109's H . 1 Me 109 destroyed I . ACCOUNT OF COMBAT: I was flying Blowball Blue1. About two minutes before we reached the target area, several bogies were reported slightly low at 12 o'clock. I saw six of these directly below Red Flight (Blowball) and my flight with 3 planes and Yellow flight with two planes, were told to attack. The planes were identified by this time as Me 109 ' s. I picked on one behind and to the right of the others and a ttacked him from about 4 o'clock and above. He evidently saw me coming and turned into me. I was able to turn inside of him, however, and when he saw this, he started for the deck. I got in behind him in a dive of about 70 degrees and gave him about a 3 second burst from about 250 yards. There were many strikes on both wing roots and all around the fuselage and canopy. He started smoking immediately and I then overshot him, pulling up and to the right of him. As I looked back, he started a gentle spiral to the left, smoking profusely. The last I saw of him, he was down in the clouds, spinning towards the ground. When I last saw him, I would estimate his altitude was at 8,000 feet. I claim 1 Me 109 destroyed. JOHN

H. WILSON , Captain , A ir C orps . Statement of 2nd Lt. Howard K. Hillman I was flying Blowball Blue 2. I followed my flight leader, Capt. J.H. Wilson down on a bounce on several Me 109' s , and saw him attack one Me 109. I saw many strikes on this aircraft and after Capt. Wilson broke off his attack, I positioned myself to attack, but did not fire as the 109 was smoking very badly and was turning to the left in an uncontrolled spiral. As this E/A continued to spin, he smoked more and more, and I saw no point in attacking an aircraft which I considered destroyed. I am convinced that this Me 109 of Capt. Wilson was destroyed. HOWARD K. HILLMAN, 2nd Lt., Air Corps.