Quince Brown

Pilot: Captain Q. L. Brown Combat 84th Fighter Squadron 12 April 1944 1310 hours Near Duren, Germany Very bad ground haze. 4-6/10ths middle cloud. 8-10/10ths high cloud at 24,000 feet. Visibilty bad. ME 109's. FW 190's One (1) FW 190 destroyed. I was leading Bayland Yellow Flight. When in area of R/V with bombers we went through cloud and my flight got lost from other flights of the Squadron. While flying at 23,500 feet, just after we R/V'd with B-24's that had turned about and were heading out somewhere in the area southeast of Aachen, Germany, about 18 ME 109's passed over and about 2,000 feet above us, going in opposite direction, they flying toward the east. We dropped belly tanks and I led my flight in a 180 degree climbing turn. As we got into sight of the ME 109's, they were joined with an equal number of FW 190's. All were flying the same type of formation as we do, The e/a passed over us again with about 1,000 feet altitude advantage. They started climbing in a right turn. I used 45 Hg. and in a climbing turn of 130 to 120 MPH, I was out turning their whole formation. The ME 109's broke and then the FW 190's scattered all over the sky and all headed for the deck. I picked a FW 190 that still had his belly tank and was overtaking him so fast that I thought I would over run him. I followed him through clouds down to about 5,000 feet. I took about a 15 degree deflection shot at him and saw strikes from the left wing tip, working up to cockpit. I then closed to 350 yards dead astern, gave him a short burst, and the e/a exploded. I was so close that I flew right through the flame and pieces of a/c. I circled once to pick up my flight and saw the e/a crash near a small road about 10 miles west of Duren, Germany. These e/a had not yet engaged the bombers, and their while formation was broken up scattered by my flight. I claim one (1) FW 190 destroyed.