VIRGIL MERONEY

Meppen , 20,000' (to) 0' Clear. ME 109 or ME 209 1 ME 109 or ME 209 dest royed . Narrative: I was lead ing Blue Flight. We made rendezvous with the bombers on time and conducted our escort without incident. No attacks were made until after the group leader ordered everybody out, at which time our squadron was at the rear of the bombers and on the same level—about 20,000'. Three ME 109s came out of the sun with a lot of speed and made a 90 0 attack on the rear bombers, breaking away in rolls. I called them in and went after the lead two as they stayed together, the third having broken in a different direction. Our speed was not great as we had been escorting at reduced throttle, so it took me some time to close in on the e/a's. When I was still about 1,000 yards away, two other P-47's came in very fast from my left, but the leader of the two e/a's Chandelled and I followed him as the other two P-47's continued after the e/a wingman. I made an attack, firing a short burst at 400 yards and 90 0 , trying to make him break, as he was trying to get in position on the two P-47's chasing his wingman. I was successful, for he broke for the deck and I was able to close to 300 yards. I fired several bursts at him at treetop level. When I got some hits he pulled straight up and by cutting my throttle I stayed with him and fired another burst at 100 yards, getting many hits. Big pieces fell off the e/a, and it was covered with flames. I overtook him and as I pulled up on his right wing he jettisoned his canopy. I was sitting right on his wing and got a good look at him. The nose was extra-long, and big, so it may have been an ME 209. It was painted in the usual colors with dark slate top and light underside, with crosses on both wings and fuselage. In front of the cross on the fuselage was a dash and then some black chevrons pointing towards the nose. The pilot was trying to get out of the burning plane. As he was still alive I skidded underneath to give him another burst but before I got my sights on him he bailed out and immediately opened his chute. The burning plane spun down and crashed. My wingman, Lt. Ross, had been with me all the time and we climbed back up with full throttle and joined our squadron at 21,000 feet and continued home. I claim 1 ME 109 destroyed .