Robert Berkshire

352nd Fighter Group 05/30/1944


 

ENCOUNTER REPORT

 

LT. ROBERT H. BERKSHIRE

 

a.  COMBAT,

b.  MAY 30, 1944

c.  487TH FIGHTER SQUADRON

d.  1145 - 1230

e.  MAGDEBURG AND ULZEN, 27,000 TO 4,000

f.  SLIGHT HAZE

g.  ME 109, FW 190.

h.  1 ME 109, 1 FW 190 DESTROYED

i.  I WAS BLUE LEADER.  WHEN APPROACHING TARGET AREA I NOTICED SIGNS OF E/A ATTACKING THE FIRST BOX OF BOMBERS.  WE WERE WEST OF THEM AT THAT TIME AND PROCEEDED IN THE DIRECTION OF THEM AT FULL THROTTLE.  BY THE TIME THE FLIGHT REACHED THE AREA AND AFTER WE HAD BOUNCED A FLIGHT OF FOUR HEADING FOR THE DECK THAT SUBSEQUENTLY PROVED TO BE P-51s, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE ATTACK WAS OVER.  I SWUNG SOUTH WHEN ABOUT 25,000 FEET AND NOTICED A SINGLE SHIP, 4,000 FEET BELOW, COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.  I DOVE DOWN AND IDENTIFIED IT AS A ME 109.  WHEN HE SPOTTED ME HE SPLIT-ESSED FOR THE DECK AND I FOLLOWED, ROLLING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.  I CAME OUT AT ABOUT 400 YARDS RANGE AND OPENED FIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 250 YARDS.  AFTER SEVERAL BURSTS I SCORED SOME GOOD HITS AND IN CLOSING UP TO ABOUT 75 YARDS KNOCKED PIECES OFF THE SHIP, AND THE CANOPY WAS JETTISONED.  I PULLED UP BESIDE AND ABOVE THE E/A AND WATCHED THE PILOT STRUGGLE OUT OF HIS HARNESS, APPARENTLY HAVING A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY DOING SO.  HE FINALLY BAILED OUT AT 15,000 FEET.  I DO NOT THINK THAT HIS CHUTE OPENED BECAUSE WHAT LOOKED LIKE TWO PORTIONS OF THE WHITE CANOPY SEEMED TO DROP FROM HIS PACK.  I LAST SAW HIM ABOUT 3,000 FEET BELOW, THE SHIP CONTINUING ITS DIVE AND SMOKING DENSLY.

THE FLIGHT, LTS. MORAN, CONARD, AND MYSELF, REORGANIZED THEN PROCEEDED NORTH TO REJOIN THE BOMBERS AND WHEN WE HAD ARRIVED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF THE BOMBER TRACK, IN THE ULZEN AREA, I SAW A WAVE OF 8 FIGHTERS PROCEEDING IN A NORTHERNLY DIRECTION.  I TURNED WEST TO INTERCEPT THEM AND SAW ANOTHER WAVE WHICH CONSISTED OF 12 PLANES.  THEY SAW US AND STRUNG INTO FILE CIRCLING LEFT IN A TIGHT LUFFBERRY.  WE ATTACKED, COMING IN ON THE TAIL END OF THE DAISY CHAIN AND IDENTIFIED THEM AS FW 190s.  WE HAD COMPLETED ABOUT A TURN AND A HALF WHEN WE WERE JOINED BY SOME MORE 51s.  I WAS JOCKEYING FOR POSITION WHEN I SAW A P-51 FIRING AT A 190, MISSING HIM AND BREAKING, SO I MOVED IN BEHIND AND BEGAN FIRING AT ABOUT 250 YARDS, 0 DEGREES DEFLECTION, GETTING STRIKES ALL THE TIME.  I CLOSED TO ABOUT 50 YARDS WHEN IT LOOKED AS IF THE WHOLE ENGINE FLEW APART AT 4,000 FEET.  HE BURST INTO FLAME AND PLUNGED DOWN AND I BROKE RIGHT AND UP BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED 20MM BURSTS AROUND ME.  BY THEN THE MOB HAD DISAPPEARED.  BLUE THREE, LT. MORAN, AND I WERE REJOINING WHEN HE CALLED IN AND STARTED DOWN AFTER A S/E SHIP PREPARING TO LAND ON AN A/D BELOW US.  I STAYED UP AND WATCHED LT. MORAN COME IN BEHIND THE E/A, THEN ON ITS APPROACH AT 500 FEET, HIT IT AND CONTINUE ACROSS THE FIELD.  THE E/A BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CONTINUED FLIGHT ACROSS THE A/D PERIMETER TO CRASH INTO A PLOWED FIELD BEYOND.  WE REJOINED AND CONTINUED HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT.

CLAIM: 1 FW 190, 1 ME 109 DESTROYED.  (SUBSTANTIATION OF LT. MORAN’S CLAIM OF 1 ME 109 DESTROYED)

 

SERIAL# OF A/C:               6593                       MARKINGS:        HO-U                                     AMMO. EXP:      352 I.  236 API.

 

ROBERT H. BERKSHIRE

1st Lt. AC.

 

SEYMOUR JOSEPH

1st Lt. AC.

S-2 Officer

 

 

 


Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Robert Berkshire of the 352nd Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Robert Berkshire's combat experience.


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