Walker Mahurin

a . Combat b . 9 September 1943 c . 6 3r d Fighter Squadron , 56 th Fighter Group . d . 0817 hours e . 10 miles South of Beauvais f . Thin cirrus at 3 2 ,000 f ee t , vis. good . g . F W 190 h . One F W 190 D estroyed i . It was just before the Forts reached the target at Beauvais and we were heading West in front of them at about 24,000 feet when I first sighted the Jerries. Approximately 20 of them were approaching the bombers head-on at about 17,000 feet from the Paris area. I called the Group C.O. and told him their position and also told him I, Postgate Red leader, was starting down. My flight (Lts. Peppers, Egan, Hall and myself) throttled back , got up-sun, and started down on the Jerries . When they saw us they split and hit the deck. We broke away and climbed back to the right, this time heading Northwest. I sighted two FW 190's flying line abreast about 1,000 feet below and in front of me. We again went after them. I closed to about 600 yards and the one on the left saw me. He split out while the other started to turn to the right. I tried to get deflection, but was unable to. I straightened out and let him fly through my fire at about 100 yards. I broke off to the right and when I again saw him he was falling like a leaf with very large objects coming off the plane. I think the canope came off, part of his wing, and the pilot came out. We started a climb from 17,000 feet while turning right. My No. 4 (Lt. Hall) reported a FW 190 on his tail. I looked behind and observed a Jerry about 1,000 yards off. I instructed my No. 4 to fly straight ahead and I turned back on the Jerry. This put 3 members of my flight and the Jerry in a turning circle, with my No. 3 and the Jerry below my wing man and myself. Each time I attacked the Jerry he would start down, and each time I broke away he would come out on the tail of my No. 3. By this time the Jerry had called his friends, because I observed about 10 FW 190's circling about 3,000 feet below us and climbing up to join the fray. I called for help, giving my position to the bombers. We kept the turning circle going, while climbing up. Suddenly about 20 P-47 's came back about 3,000 feet above us and the Jerries broke away. Our return trip. was uneventful. I claim one F W 190 D estroyed .