Van Changler

4th Fighter Group 11/06/1944


HEADQUARTERS

FOURTH FIGHTER GROUP

APO 558  U S ARMY

 

PILOT’S COMBAT REPORT

2ND BOMBARDMENT DIVISION F.O. 1291A

 

A. Combat                         E. Hinden Area

B. 6 November 1944.               F. 5/10 @ 5,000 Feet

C. 336 Fighter Squadron           G. Fw190

D. 1130 Hours                     H. 1 Fw190 Destroyed

I. Narrative:

   I was Becky Green leader in a show to Minden.  After passing the target and starting back, I took my section down to investigate an a/c flying at about 5,000 feet, towards Minden.  I saw that it was a Fw190 and I fired my first burst at him to drop tanks.  My wingman and I observed strikes on that burst and one immediately following the first.  The Fw190 then split-essed through the clouds and I lost my NO 2 when I followed him.  The e/a flew through clouds at first but they were so thin I could see him from about 200 yards, so I fired two or three bursts in the clouds, observing some strikes.  He then quit flying in the clouds and tried putting up a fight.  I overshot him once and we made a couple of headon passes after that and then he tried to turn with me, but seemed to be afraid to rack it in that close to the deck because I turned inside him easily.  I fired another burst and saw strikes in the wings and tail.  He jettisoned his canopy then but did not bail out, so I fired another burst and saw strikes around the cockpit and then I overshot him.  As I went by he bailed but it looked as though he hit the tail and his chute did not open.  The 190 had a speckled belly and a brownish black back.  My NO 4 man saw the plane go into the ground in a patch of woods under the spot where the pilot bailed.

I claim 1 Fw190 Destroyed.

 

 

                                                VAN E. CHANDLER,

                                      1st Lt., AC.,

                                                Pilot.

 

CONFIRMATION

     I was flying Becky Green 4 on a show to Minden.  Becky Green leader started to lose altitude rapidly so I dropped tanks but was still behind.  Just on top of a layer of cloud I saw an airplane make a head-on pass at Green leader, but immediately Green leader turned on the tail of the other a/c.  The top of the plane was a muddy black.  As soon as Green leader got on his tail the a/c split-essed through the thin layer of cloud, whereon Becky 2 joined 3 and 4 and we orbited once.  I was looking below for Becky Green leader and saw a plane

 

(page ended)

 

 


Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Van Changler of the 4th Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Van Changler's combat experience.

Combat Reports

Van Changler's official WW2 combat report of 11/06/1944
Van Changler's official WW2 combat report of 01/01/1945

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