MANUEL MARTINEZ

Just after making landfall, my flight leader, Captain Richie, had to return. I was then Stedman White Leader. Just after we sighted the bombers near Munster, we encountered heavy flak . My wingman, Lt. Schreiber, called and said he was hit, so we headed for home. I saw about 8 plus bandits pass behind us, starting a turn to the left. Then I looked around to check my wingman's tail, and two FW 190s were coming in on him from a 4 o'clock position. I called them out and broke into them; and we started a rat race. I fired a short burst, but could not see an y strikes. I suspected the other Jerries were about to join the scrap, so I called to my wingman and to Lt. Wilkinson (Stedman White 4) to hit the deck. I dove down to the deck myself. I flew in clouds for some time, changing course at intervals. After the cloud dispersed, I was flying just above the treetops . As I approached an air base near Antwerp, I saw an ME 109 on his final approach., dead ahead, and with his wheels down. I opened fire from about 275 yards and an air speed of 300 MPH, closing to about 100 yards dead astern, and slightly below the e/a. He was about 200 feet off the ground. I noticed numerous hits just below the wing on the underside of the aircraft. It then blew up, burst into flame and rolled over on its back. I passed directly over the e/a as it fell flaming, and believe it hit just about on the edge of the runway. I passed so closely over the top of the e/a that oil spattered my wings when he blew up. I then broke left to miss the airfield and ground fire. My turn carried me about mid-field, and I noticed five or more twin-engine ships which I believed to be ME 110s. Behind the ships was a camouflaged emplacement of some kind. I opened up on one of the aircraft and noticed quite a few strikes on it just forward of the tail. I continued home o n the deck and crossed the French Coast somewhere near Ostend. The time of my attack was about 1100 hrs. The airfield was in the Antwerp area. I claim one ME-109 destroyed and ME 110 damaged.