Robert Johnson

a . Combat b . 10 October, 1943 c . 6 1st Fighter Squadron , 56 th Group d . 1 5 30 hours e . One Me-110, one FW-190 , Nort h of Munster. f . Hazy g . One Me-110, One FW-190 h . One Me-110 destroyed, one FW-190 d estroyed i . I was flying as Keyworth Blue 3. We had just made r/v with the bombers and crossed over to their left still going in the opposite direction, when Captain

G. W. Johnson, my flight leader, suddenly pulled left. We were then at about 30,000 feet. We peeled left and down with him into a bunch of Me-110's and FW-190's. I would say there were at least 30 or 40 of them. I picked an FW - 190 flying at 5 o'clock to a Me-110. The 190 saw me and rolled over so I took the Me-110. I missed him for some time and then saw a few strikes. I r a ised my sight on him as he pulled up in a left chandelle. I ran right up his tail and m y left guns blew him apart. I flew through the fire and oil and a few pieces coming from him with my left wing. I pulled straight up looking behind me, below coming in at the same level as the bombers, on their tails, were three FW-190's in a sort of "V" formation. I turned my nose nearly straight down, making a head on attack at them. The one on the right pulled up to the right and started firing at me. Again I missed, so I gave more lead on the center FW-190. I saw strikes about the engine and cockpit and then I had my left rudder cable severed by the FW-190 who was firing on me. I pulled up and around and saw the FW-190 I had fired on burning and the pilot bailing out. I never saw his chute open. I was trying to find out how to fly my ship with no left rudder. Finally I found I could fly it with the trim tab, so I headed home. I saw another FW-190 shortly after which ordinarily would have been a perfect set up, but I couldn't get at him, and he tried to jump me. I gave the engine wide open throttle and left him, joining up with another P-47. We then landed at Boxstead . I claim o ne Me-110 and one F w -190 d estroyed .