RAYMOND MYERS

A . Combat B . March 2 , 194 4 C . 3 5 8 t h F i gh t e r Sq uadron D . 142 o H ou rs E . N .E. of L i ege F . 3/10th s Cum. G . Me 109 H . One Me 109 destroyed , shared with F.O. McGinty. I . I was leading Red Fli ght of Trooptrain Squadron heading

E. at 23,000' looking for the last Combat Wing of B-24's. We spotted 3 Me 109's at 1420 hours heading N. about 500' below us and 2 other e/a about 4 o 'clock low to us. I dispatched Green Flight to bounce them with Blue Flight to cover while my Red Flight went on to bounce the 3 Me 109's we spotted with Yellow Flight to cover us. We turned in to them in trail from out of the sun and I called my flight to close up so that we could get all three and in about 3-4 minutes we closed. They took no evasive action from the very start of the bounce until we closed. I singled out the straggler who was on the left hand side and started firing from dead aster n from about 300 yards, riding in his prop wash all the time. He then cut his throttle and I cut mine but had to stop firing at 50 feet or less. I came so close to him I almost chewed his tail off and then pulled up to the left, slid over to the right and came back down on him with about a 20 degree deflection shot. He was last seen in a steep dive apparently out of control and smoking. I was at about 10,000'. Lt Blair, who was below us and flying Red #2 at 8,000', saw a plane in this attitude pass him and go straight down, smoking. I later saw two of the three e/a we bounced crash. Yellow Flight of Trooptrain furnished excellent cover throughout the engagement. In view of the burst into the Me 109 at point blank range, his uncontrollable dive at such a low altitude with white smoke pouring from him, Lt Blair's confirming his violent descent, and seeing two of the e/a crash, I claim one Me 109 destroyed. From all indications F/O McGinty, Red #4 in my flight and I, encountered the same Me 109 and are sharing in the claim for its destruction .