(1 Fw 190 destroyed)

 

 

I was flying Yellow 3 in a section of four aircraft of Nalgo Squadron, engaged on an armed reconnaissance. We had just parted company with Red section & were orbiting the Cloppenburg-Quakenbruck area, looking for suitable targets to attack & to give Red section time to get away from us when I sighted approximately 10 aircraft engaged in a dogfight 1000 feet below & 4 patrolling above them. Yellow section was at approximately 8000 feet, the same height as the 4 aircraft. I informed Yellow Leader but received no reply from him as he and his No. 2 appeared to be making for two of the aircraft. I engaged one of the other two. After a prolonged turning match, during which neither of us seemed to make any progress towards getting into a suitable position to open fire the E/A climbed steeply & stopped turning as rapidly as he had been doing enabling me to get into a position to open fire. I fired a 3 second burst from 200 yards, 1 ring deflection but observed no strikes. The E/A then did a semi-stalled turn & I closed to 150 yards dead astern & fired a 3 second burst with no deflection, observing strikes on wings & fuselage. The aircraft caught fire, spiraled down & crashed in an open field, burning out on the ground. The pilot did not get out. By this time I had got completely separated from the rest of the formation & as my oil pressure was down to 50, my radiator temperature 130 & oil temperature 95 I decided to return to base. The engagement was carried out with radiator flap & 20 degrees of flap down, long range tanks being jettisoned on sighting. No cine camera used.

I claim 1 FW.190 destroyed.

S/L P.R. St Quintin