WWII Pilot Combat Report - Stanley Morrill

Stanley Morrill

56th Fighter Group 02/11/1944

HEADQUARTERS SIXTY SECOND FIGHTER SQUADRON AAF STATION # 365 , APO # 637 U. S. ARMY Personal Combat Report VIII F ighter C ommand F.O. N o . 240

a . Combat b . 11 Feb., 1944 c . 6 2nd Fighter Squadron d . Approx. 1 10 0 hours e . Vicinity Dison f . 6-7/10 cloud, tops 5,000'. H orizontal visibility excellent . g . Me 109 h . One Me 109 c laimed d estroyed . i . " I was flying Groundhog Red Three . W e were escorting two boxes of B-17's at 23,000 '. In the vicinity of Dison four Me 109's made an attack on the lower box of B-17 's and dove for the deck. As I turned and started down on them, I tried to call them in to the flight but my radio had gone dead. There were 4 yellow nose P-47's and two flights of White nose P-47's also diving close by me after these same Me 109's. I opened throttle and water injection in the dive and was closing rapidly on the last Me 109 when he pulled into a tight turn. I overshot him and started to pull up but he continued on top of the clouds at 5,000', which were about 6-7/10. I started down on him again and he turned left in a gradual bank. At this time I was indicating about 400 mph. and opened fire at 400 yds . still closing fast. I fired 2 bursts and saw no hits, but on the last burst I saw hits on the wing roots and fuselage. He had evidently cut his throttle as I shot by him to his right. I cut my throttle with the intention of making another pass at him, when his canopy came off and he bailed out. I watched the e/a slowly roll over and dive into a clear spot in the clouds and hit the ground in a snow covered field and exploded. I did not see the pilot's chute open as he went thru a cloud. I then opened water injection again and climbed back up to 20,000'. I claim one Me 109 d estroyed . "

STANLEY B. MORRILL, 1st Lt. , Air Corps . ARMAMENT REPORT Lt. Stanley B. Morrill 4 1 - 6 387 536 rounds API / T

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Stanley Morrill of the 56th Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Stanley Morrill's combat experience.

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