LAWRENCE DUDLEY

A . Combat B . March 2 , 194 4 C . 3 5 8 t h F i gh t e r Sq uadron D . 1420 h ou rs E . S.E. of Charleroi F . 3/10th Cum. G . FW 190 H . 1 FW 190 destroyed , shared with Lt Fussell. I . We had just left R/V point and were vectored inland when we spotted 2 190's headed N.E. I judged these e/a to be diving from app. 18,000'. Green Flight Leader peeled off on them. I was flying Green #4. The 190's were flying in an element of 2, similar to our own. We got into firing position at app. 13,000'. Green leader took the lead plane and told Green #3 and myself to take the second. One e/a broke to the left and the one we followed broke to the right. I was app. 200 yards behind Green #3 and observed numerous hits and flashes on the e/a's left wing from his fire. Green #3 was closing in so rapidly that he had to break left. The 190 then broke right and that put me into good firing position, since I was on my element's leader's right. I started firing from 400-500 yards and saw by my tracers that my burst was short, so I ceased firing and used a greater deflection. This time I observed hits on both wings. I decided I was too far away so I ceased firing again until I had closed to app. 250 yards. This time I noticed concentrated hits on the cockpit and especially the forward part of the cockpit. I saw parts flying off while I was firing and the plane gave a jerk as if the control were shot away, with smoke pouring from it. The last I saw of the FW 190 was at 10,000'. It was in a spin, going straight down and smoking. Blue Flight gave us excellent cover during the entire engagement. Since my element leader, Lt Fussell and I both poured effective and concentrated fire into the e/a, I claim 1 FW 190 destroyed , shared .