WWII Pilot Combat Report - WALTER BECKHAM

WALTER BECKHAM

353rd Fighter Group 09/23/1943

ENCOUNTER REPORT

A . Combat B . Sept 23 , 1943 C . 3 5 1st F i gh t e r Sq uadron D . About 0845 E . South of Nantes F . CAVU except for one band of cluds G . FW 190 H . FW 190s D estroyed . I . W as leading a four ship flight of P 47's, flying westward just south of Nantes, Spotted a lone FW 190 below us flying west also. Could'nt see any of his buddies around so dived on his tail. He probably never saw us as he made only a couple of very slight turns during the time we were approaching and firing. Fired from 300 to 500 yards mainly dead astern. The FW lit up like a Christmas Tree with flashes from strikes all over it. Pieces came off from all around the fuselage. It seemed that the prop came off. I pulled the stick back slightly to avoid possibility of running into the pieces. Lt.

F. N. King, my No. 4, saw the plane crash into the ground with a large flash. The pilot apparently went down with the plane. Combat took place at about 15,000 ft. and I fired from 63 to 65 rounds from each gun with no stoppage on any of the eight guns. After landing, I learned that Lt.

E. J. Albert, my No. 2 had also fired at the E/A from off my right wing, so expect that we were both striking him and that we should share the credit.

WALTER C. BECKHAM

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by WALTER BECKHAM of the 353rd Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of WALTER BECKHAM's combat experience.

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