CONFIDENTIAL
COPY
PILOT'S PERSONAL ENCOUNTER REPORT
A. Engagement.
B. 13 November 1943.
C. 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group.
D. 1145.
E. After leaving target of Bremen.
F. Overcast with holes.
G. ME 109's.
H. None.
I. I was leading the yellow section of eight ships of which only three returned.
One had to abort, my wingman made the return journey on one engine and made a
belly landing. My ship was intact and O.K. Our Squadron was supposed
to have been top cover over the bombers, but due to the ensuing combat we did
not ever get into position. We intercepted the bombers 90 degrees to our
course just before they hit the target. As I was making a turn to the
right I noticed that there was a formation of about twenty Me 210's in fairly
close form action. I called Lt. Beall, leader of the other flight to cover
me while I went down. I looked back that he was covering my flight, but he
did not acknowledge over the radio. as I started down the formation
started breaking up and turning around, and 109's were coming in on me from a
higher altitude covering the 210's, so I broke my dive and turned into the
109's, which in turn broke down and out. I then made a turn back toward my
other flight. We then flew in a line for a short while trying to catch up
with the bombers, which we were quite a always behind. I then noticed the
other flight start down on a lone 190. I pulled over on top to protect
him. I noticed that Lt. Beall was getting strikes before the 190 started
any evasive action at all. The E/A then rolled over and went down, which I
did not see anymore. Lt. Beall's flight went down with him for a ways, but
I did not see them pull out at this time as my flight was jumped from both sides
by 109's. I turned into the closer ones, which broke off, and then turned
tot he other side and noticed a 109 on my tail end man. Over the R/T I
told him to break, and broke down toward the 109, who also broke. I then
tried to gain some altitude and had to break into an eight ship flight of 109's,
and I started turning with them with half flaps. I tried to get in a few
shots but was unable to get correct range and deflection. The 109
formation then broke down and out, and I noticed that I only had one man on my
wing. after making one three sixty I again attempted to catch the bombers
of which I did near the Dutch coast. I was very low on gasoline, and
landed at Hartwick (sic.) with twenty gallons of gas. I did not
notice any attacks on the bombers, mainly because I was probably too far behind.
The 109's seemed to be escorting the 210's, whose formation we had broken up and
who never did catch up with the bombers.
/s/ & /t/ CHARLES O. JONES,
Captain, Air Corps.
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CONFIDENTIAL