JOSEPH KRUZEL

A. Combat

B. 13 June 1944

C. 374th Fighter Squadron

D. 2050

E. Vicinity of St. Brieuc

F. 5/10's clouds. Base 3000, tops 8,000

G. Me-109

H. 1 Me 109G Destroyed

I. I was flying Noggin White Leader leading the Group and providing close and area support to the B-24's in an area about 50 miles west of Rennes. Before combat began, my second section (Noggin Yellow and Blue Flights) dove down on a bounce, but a few minutes later lost sight of the bogies they went after – this section then began a climb to altitude to rejoin me. While about 25 miles South of St. Brieuc, this same section was at 18,000 feet still climbing and slowly catching up to the last box of B-24's who were then on their bomb run. At this time I had the rest of the Group orbiting just ahead of this last box of B-24's, when the second section called that they were being bounced out of the sun by 15 Me 109's. I immediately released my external tanks and headed for the e/a – arriving in the area, I observed Noggin Yellow and Blue Flights tangling with some Me 109's at about 12,000 feet, also saw six plus e/a circling at around 20,000 feet. A few of these top cover e/a dove on down but two flights, one of three e/a and one of two, continued circling at 20,000 feet. Instead of following the few that went down, I used full power and my wing man and I climbed toward the two 109's that were in a left turn. We were slowly closing on these two while the other three Me 109's, who were 2,000 feet above us, steepened their turn and began a pass at us. The three that were coming down on us were getting a little too close, so at pretty long range I measured off a ring and a half and gave the second one of the two e/a I was following a three second burst from about 500 yards – I immediately observed hits on the e/a's right wing and cockpit and last saw him in a fairly steep dive trailing a thick stream of grayish smoke. While I was shooting at the e/a I was following; Lt. Downey, my wingman, broke into the other three that started a pass on us – these three in turn broke away from him and started a dive away from the area of combat. After my pass, I turned sharply in an attempt to find and cover Lt. Downey as he chased the last of the three e/a down – but in the overwhelming number of P-51's that appeared in that area I lost sight of both Lt. Downey and the e/a that I had hit. A few minutes later I assembled the Group over the same area at 15,000 feet and set course for home. Lt. Downey, incidentally, got that hun he went after.