P-38J 42-104284

Not Known

ASN - O-737735
06 June 1944 - Joined the 38th Fighter Squadron
23 June 1944 - Killed in Action
MACR No. 06247
Captain Clair Des Voignes reported: "I was leading Hellcat White flight in the vicinity of Dreux, France. I observed flak in the area where Hellcat Blue flight was flying. At approximately 1400 Hellcat Blue was told to break left. I broke to the left. I observed no E/A so made the break a complete 360. I called to the squadron to make a 360, reassemble, and resume course. While making my second 360 I observed where a plane had exploded and gone down on fire. Neither the plane or the pilot were observed. This plane was later identified as that flown by 1/Lt. Grant H. Cory."

Hellcat Blue flight was lead by Captain Snell. His wingman was Lt. Gould, the element leader, (#3) was Lt. Cory and Cory's wingman was Lt. Silk. The 38th Sqdn. was being led by Capt. Des Voignes and his wingman was Lt. Callaghan, the element was led by Lt. Littlefield and his wingman was Lt. Robert Hoffman. The mission for the Group, led by Major Kelly, was to glide bomb the railroad embankment and bridges at Sens, France. The three squadrons of the group put up 49 P-38s for this mission. They took off at 1135 and landed at 1512.

After bombing, the Group turned north and west near Paris, encountering flak, which ceased as four Me-109s came down out of the sun on the rear of Hellcat squadron at 10,000 feet near Dreux. Four more Me-109s serving as top cover came in but broke away before we could engage.

Two men were lost; Cory to flak and Hoffman to enemy aircraft. Lt. Cory was from Montana. His name is on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Military Cemetery and Memorial, St. James, France.
(Reproduced with the kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield, from the author's book, Double Nickel, Double Trouble.)