JULE CONARD

a . C OMBAT b . 2 7 JUNE, 1944. c . 48 7 TH FIGHTER SQUADRON d . 2000 e . No. of Noyon; 3000' to deck f . Hazy g . 4 FW 190's h . 2 FW 190's i . I WAS FLYING YELLOW 3. WE HAD DIVE BOMBED A MARSHALLING YARDS AND STRAFED TWO TRAINS . GROUP LEADER CALLED AND TOLD US TO JOIN UP AT ANGELS 12. CLIMBING OUT AT ANGELS 5 I SAW A BOGEY ON THE DECK. I CALLED IN TO YELLOW LEADER, LT. BERKSHIRE. HE WENT DOWN ON THE BOUNCE. I COVERED HIM AND HIS WINGMAN LT. CONSON, WITH MY ELEMENT LT. SEARS AND MYSELF. THE BOGEY TURNED OUT TO BE FOUR FW 190'S WHICH WENT INTO A TIGHT LUFBERY TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A TURN OR SO I GOT ON THE LAST 190'S TAIL. LEADING HIM A RADII AND A HALF, ABOUT 50 YDS . RANGE, I GAVE HIM A BURST AND MANY PIECES FLEW OFF HIS SHIP. HE STRAIGHTENED OUT AND JETTISONED HIS CANOPY AT 1000' . AT THIS MOMENT, HOWEVER, GLANCING TO MY LEFT, I SAW THE OTHER 3 190'S ON MY LEFT, SHOOTING AT ME. I REEFED IT INTO A SHARP STALL TURN TO THE RIGHT AND LOST SIGHT OF THE FIRST 190 I HAD HIT. THOUGH I DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE THIS 190 CRASH OR THE PILOT BAIL OUT, THE JETTISONING OF HIS CANOPY WAS PREPARATORY TO HIS BAILING OUT AND LT. SEARS STATEMENT CONFIRMS THAT THERE WERE 3 FIRES BURNING ON THE GROUND AND ONE PARACH U TE IN THE AIR AFTER THE COMBAT WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE 4 E/A DESTROYED. AT ANY RATE, JUDGING FROM THE PIECES THAT CAME OFF, THE 190 , IT WAS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF FLYING AND AFTER I BROKE OFF COMBAT WITH HIM, I DID NOT SEE HIM AGAIN AND THERE WERE ON LY 3 190'S LEFT IN THE COMBAT THEREAFTER. WITHIN 2 OR 3 TURNS I HAD ANOTHER 190 IN MY SIGHTS. HE SAW ME AND BEGAN TO CLIMB AS I FOLLOWED HIM, SHOOTING. AT ANGELS 3 HE BAILED OUT. MY SHOOTING AT HIM WAS ERRATIC; I THINK HE JUST DECIDED HE HAD HAD ENOUGH AND BAILED OUT AT ABOUT 3000'. LOOKING OUT I OBSERVED YELLOW 2 AND 4 CIRCLING. THEY HAD TAKEN CARE OF THE OTHER TWO 190'S. UNABLE TO CONTACT LT. BERKSHIRE, I CALLED YELLOW FLIGHT INTO REGULAR COMBAT FORMATION AND CAME HOME. CLAIM : 2 FW 190's DESTROYED