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    22 UNIQUE GIFTS FOR AVIATION ENTHUSIASTS AT @ PROP vs. JET Mustang ace takes onan Me 262 LIVES REMEMBERED ARE NEVER LOST VISION BOOK A TOUR YOU WILL NEVER FORGET! TRAVEL ON THE BATTLE Vey “o\ OF BRITAIN TOUR SEPTEMBER 16-24, 2020! Join uson our Battle of , 9} Britain Tour and relive the courageous exploits of airmen and civilians as they * es drove the Nazi war machine from the skies over England, From the troop evacuations ae 7 ot Dunkirk and the RAF airfields, to the London blitz and survival of St. Paul's wan Cathedral and the people of London, we will experience what Winston Churchill called, “their finest hour.” Our WWII tours are unrivaled in their historical accuracy! gTEPHEN AMBRoge este. 1979 HISTORICAL TOURS EXPLORE NOW AT STEPHENAMBROSETOURS.COM 1.888.903.3329 ; Nae} 8 Night Fighters in the 50 Great Day for a Battle of the Bulge Fighter Pilot Exclusiveinterviews and photosfrom __Kelly Grossbattles an the 422 squadhonisplotiandcrews Me 262over the Reich y Noren€. Tompson By Rabert# Dor 22 Point Blank! 5G Zero: Myth, Jugs over the Battle ofthe BUlge Mystery, and Fact By ms Buctote {test plot compares the [AGM5 Zero toUS. fighters By Corky Meyer 80 Flight Journal Gift Guide 2nost-worted ese ‘vition enthusiasts ‘3B Their Finest Battle of Britain SOtRp anniversary by Beret nan 4 Editorial 6 ‘Airdrop GG ‘Tailview Bullding an RC Blackbied ON THEEDVER: Proto ty Jt Obb/planeictuecon R THISPAGE:Aetne P17 metamorpnoseatrom the NUE tein Razorback to clter bubble coropes [Photoby tn dbs placate com eiiecifedabesesdy onto whores tn Se surat > apes ee EDITORIAL Le Herman Erst ‘rom the 422nd Night Fighters ‘Squadron and his R/O, 2nd Ed ‘ward Kopselride ‘thetwo-seater bleyee outto thet P-61. They "New mission ‘during the Battioot the Bulge (Photo courtesy oferman Emst) GREAT BATTLES REMEMBERED As America and our allies ‘commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we acknowledge a significant moment in history, with aviation at its core. Two of the most consequential and deadly ‘campaigns of WW II, one was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces, and the other, ‘one of the bloodiest confrontations of the war. In this issue, we're honored to share compelling personal accounts of the courageous crewmembers who flew the missions in these turning- point battles, We bring the Battle of the Bulge into focus through two lenses: the P-47D Thunderbolt and the P-61 Black Widow of the 42nd Night Fighters Squadron. In “Point Blank,” Chris Bucholtz describes how P-47 pilots overcame the many ways a Thunderbolt pilot could die to achieve victory at the Bulge. Historian Warren ‘Thompson brings us never-before published interviews with pilots and crew of the 422nd NFS, We're privileged to share these exclusive stories From the thrilling opening of “Their Finest Hour,” author Barret Tillman takes us into the Battle of Britain, In their own words, the airmen give us a revelation: The disparity between British and German pilots sent Brits Into that battle with an “inferiority complex,” that they were amateurs fighting deadly professionals. And yet, they committed to the mission, Tillman points out that fewer than one-third of the British population today even knows about this momentous battle, but Flight Journal is here to honor these distinguished heroes! (On the other side of the globe, as the Pacific air war unfolded, the infamous A6M Zeto ruled the skies! In “Zero: Myth, Mystery, and Fact,” Corky Meyer puts us into the cockpit of a vintage WW II Japanese Zero for ‘a cockpit checkout, and then takes us up into the sky for a point-by comparison with the U.S. Navy's Grumman Wildcat. As a test pilot for the Wildcat, this flight was both, exhilarating and deeply personal for him. In “In a Great Day for a Fighter Pilot,” Robert F. Dorr recounts the adventures of Capt. Kelly Gross, who survived the War and later met and befriended the German pilot he fought and shot down. Finally, our Gift Guide is our best yet! With a huge array of gifts at all price ranges, you'll find that special surprise to thrill all from the aviation nut to the fashionista. + Eo EDITORIAL Executive Etor. Ar Group Ocbra Cleghorn ators Gerry Varish Matt Boyd Copy ator ele Baas CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Tom Atwood, Walter Boyne, Chris Buchot2, dames P Busha, Ye Carlson, ‘Thomas McKelvey Cleaver Jack Cook, Robert S.DeGroat John bbs Farmer, Tony Gare-Frantzen, Pit Haun, Randy Sly, Frederick lohnsen,GeotreyP. ones. Ron Kepian Peter Lert ick Linares, John Lavery, George Marrett Peter Mersky, ‘Dan Paterson Stan it, red rice, Warren Tompson Barrett Tian, David ruby, Bamaby Wanfan ART ‘AA Director Batty KNero DIGITAL MEDIA ‘Web Producer Holy Hansen ADVERTISING Integrated Account Executives DavidPandy 203529,4604|producton@sragecom CONSUMER MARKETING Mast Grculaton Group. MARKETING & EVENTS Event Manager En DeFrancesco PUBLISHING ‘Group Publishers ovis DeFrancesco "Wonne Nt DeFrancesco, ‘on Facebook facebook com/Flehtleurnal ‘On Twittor oFightlournal Oninstagrame Fit Journal Vist us onine: ightournaicom ‘Comments may be sent: fighi@aragecom WRIGHT'S meEDIA REPRINTS AND LICENSING Contact Wright's Meda at arageawrightsmedacam (877) 652-5295 EDITORIAL OFFICES MAIL 88 Dairy Road, Witon,CTO6B97 USA EMAIL ighiaiaragecom INTERNET Flightounalcom ao Ces etna am he enduring legacy of family. nthe 1960s at just 15 eee neon etic joumey as goldsmiths, honing ther metalworking skis at Dee Te atl Cees PCR Re Mee eee bic jewely that combines age-old Etruscan metalsmithing Pe eae me car Preece Eee uO ee ean Se ee esd eet ee! ee cet eee ie ‘made by hand in al from polished 14K yellow gold and Cee een et ea ad ae Pas Ere ae tas cae Rute ce aren SOR eet ees Cue Tuy Ce uae aa ‘much, We prefer to keep our costs law so we can bring you the very be ere cer cnr Go erent Call today. There’s never been a better time to let your elegance shine. 1-888-444-5949 Cr ee tte eee eee ee SRY HOW TO SPEAK ITALIAN WITHOUT SAYING A WORD? DO ae tee Nae ea will call “bellissima”. Handcrafted BA ee Le ae “magnifico”...as is the price. ahead “Tove the Avia neclace. Is the perf length, light DLE ee ee ee noticed no matter where or whas I wear it with,” — Angie, El Cajon, CA Ceti ae nee ee ee eo Pe ents Co ee La ea Ret accel Fe one eae es ated ‘tunningly affordable $95 with FREE SHIPPING er Me UR AE a ‘tunningly well priced at $595 with FREE SHIPPING ($1,295 value) Save $700 Cae en er eee me a ED Pigaiir ‘We welcome your The Spitfire Mark XIV (14) had the larger Rolls- Royce Griffon engine with a five-blade prop. To y knowledge, there were no Mark XIV (14) Spits with a Merlin engine, Barry Bertrando, Avondale, Pennsylvania ‘Thanks for setting us straight. Careful readers like ‘you Keep us on our toes!—DC Untold Story Your article ‘Untold story” (Flight urna, December 2019) stiered many contlicting comments snd Corky ina Spitfire emotions in my tired old mind. eae Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed read- I was a pilot in the 35th Fighter Bomber remem Ing the December issue of Flight Journal! Especial- Squadron, 8th Fighter Bomber Group (K-13, ly enjoyable was the article by Corky Meyer and Suwan) from June 1952 to January 1953, fy- his reaction to lying the Spitfire, an aireraft that ing those “war-weary F-80s." As such, Iwas not 1 believe almost everyone has fallen in love with! impressed with General (“don't disturb me at a However, in reading the photo captions, Icame _ dinner”) Barcus. Shortly after taking command ve across a nit (probably the smallest nit ever): on_ of Fifth Air Force, he set a policy that “If you got page 10, the photo states the Spitfire was armed hit over enemy tereitory, abort immediately and with eight Browning. 30-alibermachine guns. head South to fend terior.” Well, entered PREEDODE. As far as 1 know, the Spitfire was never armed a bomb run at 12,000 feet against an artillery feesbok contours with .30-caliber machine guns, but with .303-cal- ‘ber machine guns. Robert Taylor, Ventura, California installation on top of a mountain. At about 8,000 feet, I got hit by enemy fire. I saw the flash, heard the bang, and felt the shock. I shook the controls, and they were all right. My engine man Roman Numeral Mix-up ‘was operating normally and I saw no smoke, So, ncaa understand that tying to Keep all the mark 1 put my crosshairs back on the target, continued Seton numbers of Spitfire variants straights nearly a the bomb run, and released my bombs. My to science in itself with all the variables, like engine type, wing type, armament packages, high-back or cut-down tear fuselage, number of propeller blades, non-clipped or clipped wings, ete, With this in mind I believe that there is a “mix-up” in the Roman numeral mark number for the Spit- fire pictured and described in the photo caption, ‘on pages 12-13 of the December 2019 issue. The Jate-war Spitfire produced with the US.-built Packard Merlin engine was the Mark XVI (16) not the Mark XIV (14), as stated in the caption. 1,000-pound bombs blew the artillery installa- ton right off the mountain, I was put in fora Distinguished Flying Cross for that mission. But, Instead of being approved, it came back from Fifth Ait Force with the comment, “If this i true, court-martial this man." I didn't get court-mar: tialed but I never got my DFC either, It wasn’t that I intentionally disobeyed General Barcus's order; the thought of aborting simply never oc- curted to me. Lt. Col, Alfred J. D’Amario, USAF, Ret. Bad Kitty History 1 Great article an the night kiler Tigercats! I warked as the line boylgofer ‘et Sis Flying Service in 1963. I was learning to fy, and I soloed in January 1963. By September of 1965 I had my Commercial Single Engine License. Our parts airplane was F7F-3P NBIT8C. The photo of the fuselage in the cradle was taken in November 1964. The photo of the off-airport recovery is in the ‘mid-1880s; think she ran out of fuel in the pattern. Tha man inthe blue shirt is Harry Chaffee. TThave fond memories of my years at Sis‘; the education and exper fences have been invaluable in my fying since then--28,000 hours and still working. ‘Steve Dillman junslinger 29" RUN 1867 Be One of the First Lock in Your Price on the NEW 2020 U.S. Silver Dollars ch yet, milion of collector and Pinedo ecu struck Ameria Eagle Siar Dol Toya perhaps the ret ‘del colleed sive ulion cin inthe Word and ight now he OS. nt Preparing to ulead ther brand-new Joab mistage! Silver is Rising. 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THOMPSON The Battle of the Bulge was the final German offensive campaign on the Western Front in World War IL. Hitler's orders were to split the Allied Forces and halt Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp, and so the ac- tion was slated for the densely forested Ardennes regian of Belgium. The Germans began their assault on December 16, 1944 with over 400,000 troops, together with 1,400 tanks and other military assets. By January 25, 1945, when the attacks were finally subdued, close to 85,000 Ger- mans were dead and the Allies had lost nearly 20,000 lives during the actions. These staggering final figures show that the Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought in World War IT, and the second deadliest campaign in American history sn launched at the onset of ‘winter, with brutal weather that severely limited tactical reconnaissance. This, combined with Allied overconfidence, gave the Germans the opportunity to build up a significant force to begin the ‘campaign. It was the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron (442nd NFS) that took on the Luftwaffe at night over the Bulge. They scored a total of 17 kills and one enemy plane damaged. It was their stint during this short period that put the total kills a smy aircraft, making the 42nd the top fighters after dark ‘These two aircrews recorded many kil during the war Left toright Lt John Anderson and his R/O, Lt. James Mogars Capt. Robert Elmore andbis R/O, 2nd Lt Leonard Mapes. Anderson had two ks and Elmore had four ls. (Photo courtesy of Robert Elmore) Pers Double Touble own by it Lc Robert Blinder, had four ls ring the wa with ‘woof his kis coming late December 1944 during theBattle ofthe Bulge. This scene was akenright sterthe 422d set up in Florenes, Belgium. (Photo courtesy of Bob Bondar). “AllHell Broke Loose” In early September 1944, the 422nd NFS had. just moved their P-61A Black Widows from the air base in Chateaudun, France to the new airbase at Florennes, Belgium (known as A-78), which had recently been captured from the Germans. By early in November, winter weather had started to build up, and on the night of November 26, all hell broke Jose. On this particular night, P-61A Double Trouble was up with Lt, Bob Bolinder and Lt. Robert Graham. They were flying a defensive patrol over the area that the American VIIL Corps was occupying. Halfway through the mission, their ground-controlled interception, GCI Marmite (Marmite was the radar station that was monitoring their patrol), radioed that there was an unidentified aircraft at a distance of 13 miles, Lieutenant Graham gave his pilot the vector, and closure was quick. At a distance of three miles, the radar observer's (R/O) airborne intercept radar picked up the bogey, and they continued to close in until they were at point-blank range. There was still ‘no positive visual identification, and in an effort to pull up underneath, the P-61 overshot its quarry. Lieutenant Bolinder immediately did a tight 360 but lost the target! Backing off, they waited for GCI to pick it up again, which didn't take long. With the new information, they closed in on the target again and this time drew to less than 100 feet, allowing a positive visual—it was a Heinkel He 111 flying at about 180mph. Lieutenant Bolinder picks it up from there: “The enemy aircraft suddenly peeled off sharply to port and did a 360 tum, which rolled him right back on his original course. As Isteadied, I lined him up and gave him along burst with my 20 mm cannons. [The P-614 did not have the .50 caliber top turret at this time] The distance between us at this point was about 400 feet, with the enemy aircraft ahead and slightly above us. My first burst hit him along his port wing root. | fired a total of four long bursts into the He 111 and was forced to pull up abruptly to avold flying debris. Three seconds after pulling up, the enemy aircraft exploded and fell to the ground with pleces of it scattered over a wide area. 1 did not see any parachutes and the explosion was so violent that the crew would have had a hard time trying get out.” This had been the 422nd!s frst kill, and the first enemy aircraft destroyed during the brief but intense Battle of the Bulge. ‘Threat Lurking in the Shadows ‘There was a serious threat to the Allied aircraft lurking in the shadows. Back in July 194, the Germans had let it be known that they had a jet aircraft. It turned out to be the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. Accurate ‘guesses were that it could do 600mph and that the American's P-S1 Mustang was no match for it. On the night of November 15, 1944, the team of Cpt. Robert Elmore (pilot) and R/O Lt. Leonard Mapes recorded a first while flying in their Shoo Shoo Baby: a nighttime confirmation of the night-flying Me 163. At the time, they were near Bonn, Germany. Lieutenant Mapes comments on that mission: “picked the bogey up and he was coming. toward us at a terrific speed and he was quite abit higher than we were, As it was about to pass over us, he made a hard 180-degree turn. 1 could not find him on my radar but remember seeing him, and it reminds me of a piece of, pie-shaped figure with a long tail of flame coming from the rear end, I was busy keeping Lieutenant Elmore [informed] about it, when all of sudden the flame from the rear quieted down to just a glow and the Me 163 began to spiral down, coming straight at us.” ‘Te crew oftheP-61A ‘Shoe Shoo Baby pose at ther basen Belgium Lett torigh R/OLt Leonard Mapes, crew chit P Nich ‘splot Lt Robert Eimore. (Photoby John Anderson) [Afightof three P-61smove Into the Buige area. Every oneofitsplaneshad nose ‘2rtpalted on thefuselage. ‘The A22nd scored a record of T7kllsand one probable ‘during the time thatthe ‘German's fought inate December 1944.(Photoby John Anderson) 12 Flightlourratcam Mapes continued, “I could see intermittent bursts of fire from its nose, which meant he as fring on us. As [kept telling Lieutenant Elmore what he was doing, he started taking hard evasive action. All of a suclden, the Me 163 broke off and went into a just about straight up climb with a long tail of flame shooting out from its rear end, We never could get into a position to fire our cannon. But we stayed in the area and went below the cloud layer and managed to strafe several trains. This was the first Me 163 to be sighted by a night fighter, according to our squadron's knowledge. A few day’ before ours, there was an in-the-air encounter; rocket-powered German aircraft were observed by American bomber crews while in a mission over Germany.” Fire, Fog, and “Category A” Damage ‘That same crew was also in the air on the night of December 22, 1944. They had taken off from Airfield A.78 in a P-61A [#5563] on a patrol area that encompasses the Meuse River and St. Vith to Malmédy. After some time on patrol, they were given the location of a bogey hheading straight for them at 7,000 feet and a range of eight miles. After much maneuvering around they gota visual but could not identify the bogey because of the position of the moon. Captain Elmore said, “We pulled off to one side, and at 500 fect identified the aircraft as a Me 110, flying on a course of 300 degrees at 8,000 feet and speed of 190mph. Dropping, back to dead astern and at 100 feet, I started firing with one long burst of 20 mm cannon fire, causing the aircraft to explode in midair.” Five days before this mission Captain Elmore had shot down a Ju 88, so this was their second, Kill along with a V-1 they had shot down, Lieutenant Mapes went on: “Flying through the debris and flames from the explosion caused Category A damage to our aircraft, Our left engine was on fire, hawever | maintained control of the aircraft. We were going to bail out, but it appeared the left engine fire was burning out in a dive to accomplish the same! Finally it did go out but the engine ‘was inoperative. On one engine, which was not running at 100 percent, we were ready to retum to base when we were advised that every base in our area was socked in zero! We were informed that a Royal Air Force base at Brussels had barely minimum ceiling so we headed for it. We had never been there but found the base through my radar interpretation and GCI help. At this time, we ‘were extremely low on fuel and the ceiling was around 100 feet, but I was able to get us on the ground safely. The next morning they showed us high level obstacles that we flew through; smoke stacks, high buildings, water towers, etcetera.” Wow! A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors! Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in! “I love this computer! Itis easy to read and to use! | get photo updates from my children and grandchildren all the time.” — Janet F Have you ever said to yourself “I'd love to get a computer, if only | could figure out how to use it.” Well, you're not alone. Computers were supposed to make our lives simpler, but they've gotten so complicated that they are not worth the trouble, With all of the “pointing and clicking” and “dragging and dropping” you're lucky if you can figure out where you are. 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Call now toll free and find ‘out how you can get the new WOW! Computer $ BBB. for special introductory pricing, ‘The Tennessee Ridge Runner Mission ‘On Christmas Eve in 1944, the P-61s were running at full speed as they had already shot down six airraft during the frst week of the Bulge, Pilot Ist Lt, John Anderson was up with his R/O, Lt. James Mogan, flying in their Tennessee Ridge Runner after taking off from Airfield 4-78. Their patrol area would be between the Meuse and the German border. There had been a lot of trafic coming ‘through this region, After about 30 minutes, of patrolling, GCI vectored the aircraft onto a bogey. Within a few minutes Anderson saw navigation lights and shortly thereafter, his R/O stated that they were three miles behind the unidentified aircraft, Anderson took over the pursuit, Closing to 800 feet, with the target at 12 o'clock, 50 degrees, they identified the target as a Junkers Ju 88 Schnellbomber. It was flying on a course of 200 degrees at 5,000 feet. It was showing an airspeed of 170mph and its pilot was taking violent evasive action, pulling. Up to 12 o'clock, 10 degrees, two bursts were fired at 500 feet with strikes on the right wi at roots. Lieutenant Anderson recounts: “Guns t jammed, whereupon the enemy pilot tried to drive the hostile aircraft in to the ground Dut failed. The P-61 pilot fought him down to 500 feet. When our guns cleared and fire Pere cere td eeeatiraeaee aera the winter monthe, especialy when ene aeeetod eae ec "Bulge. (Photo by Raymond Anderson) {StL John W. Anderson et) ands R/ 2nd. James Mogan standby the P-6IA Tennessee Ridge Runner at thelr base inBel= pum Anderson woul score to kills aginst ‘German araft and one V-Tkl (Photo ‘courtesy of John Anderson) COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE EDUCATE INSPIRE HONOR ‘The Commemorative Air Force® (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, inspiring and honoring through flight and living history. The fleet of over 170 airplanes is spread across the U. S. and is maintained and flown by volunteers. These World War Il aircraft fly in order to honor the legacy of the Greatest Generation. Through historical reenactments and programs such as CAF RISE ABOVE®, the CAF educates and inspires young people to “rise above" their own challenges by using the real stories of heroes from American aviation history. Learn how you can support and participate in the CAF at www.commemorativeairforce.org. CONTACT U! FOLLOW US ONLINE Cre WL Vey PUM LU Roles MeCN Zeca? | Oe NIGHT FIGHTERS IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE again opened up. Strikes were obtained on the right engine, which started to smoke. Fire was continued until ammo was exhausted, but the Ju 88 would not explode, though debris were ‘lying off the aircraft and his navigation lights went out. When our ammo was exhausted, we broke off combat and when last observed, the JU 88 was a 1,500 feet and losing altitude ina lazy orbit.” Although no explosion was seen, it was determined probably destroyed. Combat terminated at 1955 and no parachutes were seen to open and no combat film exists. However, Anderson was given credit for the Kill as the plane hit the ground minutes later. \V Corps area between the bomb line and the Rhine River. At 2245, after unsuccessful chases under Marmite control, we were told that a bogey was located at 20 miles out, headed ‘west. Several vectors brought us within range, and at three miles my R/O took over the chase. (Our target was flying at 4,500 feet with an IAS of 190mph. The intruder was weaving gently, in kind of a weak evasive action, A visual was obtained at 2,500 feet, and upon closing to 800 feet, the bogey was [identified as] a Ju 188 by observing the fuselage and pointed ‘wingtips. We pulled to 12 o'clock dead astern of the enemy aircraft, when | opened fire at WE PULLED TO 12 O'CLOCK DEAD ASTERN OF THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT, WHEN I OPENED FIRE AT 600 FEET. THE FIRST BURST OBTAINED STRIKES, ON THE RIGHT WING ROOT, CAUSING THE JU 188 TO START A GENTLE TURN TO PORT. A SECOND BURST EXPLODED IN THE RIGHT ENGINE ‘This photograph was taken luring the Bulge when ‘snow hadbanketed the ‘countryside. These P-615 ‘areready to take of to ‘Score tpi victories ‘during that te nite December 1984, Tey were ‘operating rom an alld InBelgum,(Photoby John A Christmas Like No Other ‘The squadron scored three kills between December 24 and 25, 1944. This was a very difficult time to keep the aircraft flying due to the required maintenance and heavy snowstorms. The outstanding performance by their ground crews could never be overstated. ‘The aircrews never let up in their effort to slow down the German attempts to make a run in the Bulge. Lieutenant Anderson tells of their next mission, which was a day later, on Christmas Day 1944, This time it involved. the Ju 188 night fighter with his R/O, James Mogan. Anderson remembers, “At 2111 hours, wwe took off to fly a defensive mission over the (600 feet. The first burst obtained strikes on the right wing root, causing the Ju 188 to start a gentle turn to port. A second burst exploded. in the right engine, splattering oil all over the canopy of our P-61. I continued firing, and the final burst caught the left wing, outboard of the engine. The debris from this hit caused Category A to the Ju 188, The bandit fell off to port on his back, constantly losing altitude rapidly. We continued port orbit and quickly saw the enemy aircraft explode as it hit the ground, Combat terminated at 2300 and no parachutes were seen to open." This gave Tennessee Ridge Runner another confirmed kill. A Critical Flaw The most critically weak component for the Black Widow's effectiveness was its radar. A lack of parts and reduced efficiency of each radar unit had jeopardized even the few that remained in the air. There were thousands of Allied aircraft used daily over the entire European theater. The two squadrons that operated with the Ninth Air Force (422nd and 425th) had a total of less than a dozen ‘workable aircraft that were not waiting in line for major repaits. The impact of the inability to be up at night, in force, was validated at the end of the war by accounts of Germans who had been captured in the early spring of 1945, Ifthe P-61s had been able to maintain a 90 percent in-service rate during those critical months, the enemy would have paid a very high price in manpower and equipment. For some reason, the 422nd was able to get a lot of sorties up around Christmas, as they got at least 11 confirmed shootdowns during the four-day period from December 24 to December 27. ‘The Final Flare One very unusual mission was recorded by Black Widow ace, Lt. Herman Ernst and his R/O, Lt, Edward Kopsel. They were flying in their assigned P-614 called Borrowed Time. On this mission, they had the squadron’s Intelligence Office, Lt. Phillip Guba, riding in the empty gunner’s seat. Lieutenant Ernst recalls what happened on that mission: “We were flying at 8,000 feet in a westerly direction toward our base. Lieutenant Guba noticed an aircraft below us at 2,000 feet with its red and yellow navigation lights on. This was new to ‘me, and it was dropping flares! I peeled off ‘and quickly reached the unidentified bogey, approaching from the rear. {pulled in behind. him toa distance of about 1,500 feet. With the help of night glasses, Lieutenant Guba was able to positively identity the aircraft asa Ju 88. By this time, the enemy aircraft had altered course to true north and was flying straight and level at 2,000 feet with an airspeed of 250mph. At that moment, we were spotted, and the German pilot initiated violent evasive action. I still had him in my sights and the gap was steadily closing. From 500 feet directly behind, | gave him a short burst. I observed many hits over the targets fuselage About that time, the Ju 88's dorsal turret 3 iS opened up on us as I moved to the right side to prevent us from over-shooting. I dropped slightly low and began lining him up again, and squeezed off three short bursts. The hits caused both of the Ju 88 engines to explode and the bomber fell away to the left and down, It impacted with the ground in a huge ball of fie. A second before it hit, I vividly remember seeing it fire off another red flare!” Lic Eimst few too close tothe V-the shot down andthe resultsae shown here. He managed toreturntobase. The ‘Squadron plots shot down a atl of five Vis before mov~ ingto thelr basein Belgumand the begining of the Bulge (Photo courtesy of USAF Historical archives) ‘ett. Herman Est poses Inthe plot's seatbetere {akeotEmet fished tours anace with ve ils andaV-1 He wasthe festpot nthe squadron tostoot downa V1 which wasn uly 15,1944. Photo courtesy of Herman Ernst) NIGHT FIGHTERS IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE -61Lady Gen was own by st Lt Robert A. smith ‘andbisR/0, 1st Lt Robert. ‘Teemey. hey scored three tories during the Bulge. Analy geting more than sii (Phote by Gerald Balzer) Lady GenHunts Ground Targets The 422nd NFS had become proficient in other things besides hunting night flying intruders the crews had developed a knack for hunting dlown targets on the ground, disrupting the enemy by targeting train locomotives and railroad tracks. The Black Widow Lady Gen not only shot down five enemy aircraft, but also destroyed five locomotives. The crew of the Lady Gen was Ist Lt, Paul Smith and his R/O, Lt. Robert Tierney. They would be responsible for covering a large patrol sector that was known to be busy with enemy air traffic particularly since the start of the German offensive. Lieutenant Smith remembers one mission well: “About 40 minutes into the patrol, Marmite’s GCI vectored the crew of Lay Gen toward a bogey flying at 7,000 feet (2,150 meters), which was 3,000 feet below the normal altitude for a P61 on patrol. Dropping the nose, Lieutenant Smith eased close enough to get a visual on a Ju 188 twin-engine bomber, a type frequently encountered during the Ardennes offensive. It was produced in fewer numbers than the Ju 88 and could fly at more than 300mph while carrying a bombload of up 6,600 pounds. This made it a very dangerous threat to Allied ground troops.” ‘Smith continues: “Having recieved GCI's go-ahead, I set up my attack while Lieutentant Tierney took over the pursuit on his radar scope. It was possible that the German aircrew knew that they were in an area patrolled by American night fighters because the Ju 88 kept ‘making abrupt course changes. These moves probably did not constitute evasive action as such, but represented defensive maneuvers intended to lessen the chances of being shot down. The air speed remained at 240mph and his altitude was steady. By the time I had locked on and pulled up into firing range Lady Gen had obviously been spotted. The JU 188's, pilot had already started violent evasive action, which consisted of peeling off, weaving, and sudden changes in altitude. It was ike trying to track a yo-yo in the dark. Closing to less NIGHT FIGHTERS IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE than 200 feet in a hard turn to port, I fired a burst of 20 mm cannon fire with 60-degree deflection. With the element of surprise compromised, an easy straight and level shot ‘was out of the question. The cannon rounds exploded on impact with the Ju 188 canopy area, The intruder straightened out, prompting another quick burst of fire from Lady Gen, this, time with 30-degree deflection. The round converged on the Ju 188's starboard wing root, triggering a minor explosion and fire. The aircraft went into a gentle climb, before falling off on its starboard wing, Circling the now descending bomber, both Tierney and | kept a wary eye on it as its pilot tried in vain to pull out of the dive, A minute later it hit the ‘ground and exploded.” It should be noted that while day fighters, could spot their targets two to three miles off and set up their attacks, night fighters had to Identify the target by getting to point-blank range, then backing off long enough to get their target lined up for their first shot. * Warren E. Thompson is the author of several ‘books on military aviation history. As a member of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron Association, hhe had the opportunity to interview many of the pilots and crewmembers who participated in the Battle of the Bulge. We are honored to be the first to publish them. aaa) NIGHT Cay the many types essed Prego nt een Pen Er areas eee Coens Part had to use their Drees) Pict ars eit L&.Col 8 Johnson Inthe cockpit ofhis P-GIANoLovelNo ‘Nothing!at an base InMaupertus, France Infate August 144 He was the command Ingotfier of 422ne during ther entre ‘mein Wort War (Photo courtesy of Oris Johnson) +4 FREE BURGERS! COMBO PRICE $6999 Nee co a POs uisiaa pee een rae TC a oli ys Jugs Over the Battle of the Bulge BY CHRIS BUCHOLTZ AP-47D Thunderbolt pilot had many ways to di flak; German fighters: engine failure at low altitude; pre~ mature detonation of his own bombs; hitting trees or power lines while strafing; and terrible weather-weather that led to midair collisions, takeoff and landing accidents on icy airfields, pilot disorientation and fatal spins, and collisions with hillsides disguised by low-lying clouds. BLANK! y ‘Te eight-gun battery ofthe P-47 was as imposing ‘everything else about & The guns coulddelver '30 pounds of metalon targetn thee seconds, ‘he huling R-2800 could rank outin excess of 2,000 horsepower without breathing hard yet ts pilots saiditanded so easly they coud flout thelr ‘paperwork on short al. (Photo by John Dibs/ planepicturecom) POINT BLANK THE THUNDERBOLTS DIVED, AND THE CONVOY TURNED INTO ACHAOTIC MASS OF BRAKING, SKIDDING TRUCKS AND PANICKED TROOPS SPILLING FROM THE VEHICLES. they were strafing American troops and radioed a warning to Sloan. With no hesitation, “Sloan dived straight Into the mess to drive them off our troops,” Sallee said, and he led his four planes to the aid of Sloan’s flight. “If | ever asked for divine ‘guidance, it was then. In the short time that ‘we took to lose altitude and get rid of our ‘bombs, we were obliged to make head-on passes asthe enemy turned to meet us. The head-on pass is suicide, as the cannon on the wy 190-was lethal.” Sallee shifted his light over slightly, putting the sun at his back and blinding the Germans to his Thunderbolts for a precious split second. The Germans’ aim failed them, and the P-47s wheeled in pursuit. “The Fw 190 I had challenged broke off and started a Lufbery circle," Sallee continued. “He ‘was on my tail and L on his. He finally broke ‘when he saw I was gaining on him, and he ‘went into all sorts of aerobatics to lose me. At one point, he went into a spin. When he started a circle on me again, I gained enough lead to open fie.” Sallee squeezed off short Dbursts as he started to outturn the Fw 190; his gun camera “picked up the tremendous turning as the tracers made a tight arc pattern under my large coving,” he said. “He suddenly straightened out and cut his throttle, thus making it possible for him to take a shot at me.” Sallee frantically tried to shed speed, “even, firing my guns, as that slows you 10mph, and. Tended up right beside him.” From just 40 feet away, Sallee could see the German pilot slumped forward in the cockpit. “I shot no more and watched the Fw head straight down and explode.” As Sallee was clawing to regain speed, “another Fw came down on me. I turned into him—the only defense I had was, again, a head-on pass. Then it started all over again. This time there were more aerobatics on his part, while I chopped my throttle and waited; then, again, around and around at full ‘war boost’ throttle with water injection. In a dogfight, the pilot must make the tightest turn possible. A P-47 must be kept at the very edge of a high-speed stall using full power, It could be done by using the trim tab to help take pressure off of the stick so you could get the feel back. There is too much horsing back on. the control otherwise.” ‘The German pilot sensed that Sallee was dropping back and started to climb. Sallee’s wingman, Lt. Louis Bauer, cleared his tail, giving Sallee a last chance at the Fw 190, “Lwas able to get enough long-range hits [AtChievres, Begum during ‘theBatleof the Bulge InDecember 1944, capt George. King taxes 2 =870-25-RE Thunderbolt (44-2057) the 386th Fighter Squadron, 365th Fighter Group the Hel Hawks” past an M45 quad ‘S0-calberantaveraft ‘emplacement (Photo cour- {ey of Robert Dott) POINT BLANK ‘Snow oro be skies ‘meant missions. Here men ofthe 365thFighter Group ‘hore alast-minute briefing (Photo courtesy of Robert F.Dor) to set him on fire while he was gradually outclimbing me. It was a bright white fire, as Thad probably hit his oxygen bottles. Bauer confirmed my second Fw as pieces fel off it.” Lt. Ray Murphy turned into an Fw 190 and opened fire with a deflection shot. “My strikes sparkled behind his cockpit and set the fuel tanks aflame,” Murphy said. “I flew alongside and could see the pilot slumped in his seat The Fw 190 then dived into the ground and exploded, I got strikes on another Fw 190, but suddenly my P-47 was hit by 20mm ground fire that exploded in my engine.” Despite the hit—probably friendly fire—he nursed his plane back to Etain. Murphy's second kill was not confirmed until a review in 1991 Lt. Barton Williams bagged two as well. “BT's film showed him on the deck shooting down one Fw 190, sliding over the hill into the next valley and downing another!” recalled Lt, Robert Searl, “The film was a fighter pilot’s dream come true—a whole valley full of enemy aircraft in full-throttle retreat just ahead at our 12 o'clock position.” Another Fw 190 fell to Lt. Frederick W. Bly. ‘There was one loss: Lt. Sloan. He had just ‘mortally damaged an Fw 190 strafing the troops when his P-47D was raked by fire from the Gls on the ground, and he bellied in on the front lines. His fate was unknown until he unexpectedly returned to the group three days. later As the 379th was tangling with the Fw 190s, a group of pilots met at Etain to discuss a special mission. They included the crew of a C-47 and two glider pilots. The surrounded paratroopers at Bastogne were in dire need of medical supplies and personnel, and the mission called for a single C-47 to tow a CG-4 Ioaded with supplies and nine medics. Initially, four already airborne P-61 Black Widows were to escort the glider and tow plane to Bastogne. Instead, it was decided to use the alert flight of P-47s from the 377th, led by Maj, Berry Chandler, The mission organizer told them to weave back and forth in front of the 130mph glider/tow tandem and “take out anything that fires.” ‘Tt was quite comforting to see those Thunderbolts weaving in front of us,” C-47 pilot Capt. Raymond H. Ottoman wrote, “About halfway between the IP and Bastogne, we saw gunners swinging thelr guns onto us and expected a hosing of machine-gun fire, but they were apparently nervous about our escort and held their fire.” Ottomann soon saw Bastogne, then spotted the panels marking the location of friendly forces. He flashed the green light and the glider cut loose, landing inside the perimeter; the medics and supplies helped save the lives Of countless Gis at Bastogne. The four Thunderbolts joined with another 377th fight and continued their mission, strafing German emplacements neath However, by now the flak gunners ha regained their courage, and Chandler, the recently appointed deputy group commander, was hit, “I observed [Chandler] and flight make their bomb,” said Lt. Jack Taylor. “I saw his napalm bomb go off, but I did not notice his 500-pound GP bombs explode.” Chandler vwas hit before he could drop them; he was heard to say over the radio, "I'm hit and going in—give ‘em hell!” Taylor “noticed a streak of fire about three or four miles from the target, which at first I thought to be someone else's bombs.” In fact, it was Chandler's plane, which slammed into the ground at a shallow angle and exploded, killing the popular Chandler instantly. "MY STRIKES SPARKLED BEHIND HIS COCKPIT AND SET THE FUEL TANKS AFLAME, I FLEW ALONGSIDE AND COULD SEE THE PILOT SLUMPED IN HIS ‘SEAT. THE FW 190 THEN DIVED INTO THE GROUND AND EXPLODED.’ December 28 On the way home after the 377th’s first mission of the day, Lt. William Davis spotted some hidden traffic, and “When we went down lower for further identification, there were swarms of Tiger tanks and other vehicles,” recalled Maj. Loren Herway. “We called this into the controller, who was totally surprised and asked for a double verification.” ‘Asa direct result of the report, the 378th bombed a concentration of 35 to 40 vehicles hidden in the woods east of Hanaville, claiming seven tanks, six half-tracks and three trucks destroyed, then strafed and knocked out 17 trucks near Wiltz. This was the 1st SS Panzer Division, which was preparing to launch a final assault on Bastogne. Pilots reported the tanks were lined up two abreast on the road and that the crews were seen hurrying out of their vehicles before they could be destroyed by the P-47s. “Willie's eagle eye resulted in blunting the German surprise on Bastogne,” Herway said. ‘The hg alnays came out of thefactory nbare alumi ‘humor OD and were palnted Inthe fel fr the group and squadron, 362nds three ‘owing colors were red forthe 377th (E4-X),biue forthe 378th(G8-X) an yelow for the 379th (B8-X). {ne colors couldbe covering Just theron ofthe cowing forthe entre cowling. Met group marking was aredtall nda black stipeather ‘every they simply kept theblack horizontal band and patted everthing Shove red. (Photoby Uwe Glaser) Lt Gene Martin prouly poses witnisP-470in ‘rl 1945. During the Battie the Bulge was Just Bonnle."but yen" ‘waslater added to com Imemorate is crew chef's rewborn daughter (Photo ‘courtesy of ack Cook) POINT BLANK January 2 After more bad weather, the group was back over the battlefield, Eight P-47s of the 378th under Capt, Wilfred Crutchfield targeted German troop concentrations southeast of Bastogne, where they knocked out a tank, 12 horse-drawn vehicles and eight guns. No planes were Iost this day, but, as was oft the case, many came home with flak damage. “The sergeant in charge of maintenance told me that I had received a 20mm in my supercharger and that Iwas very lucky to be alive,” said Capt. Joe Hunter. “I vowed that I would return home the next time I was hit. As Juck would have it, it happened the next time went up—the very next day.” ‘This came on a mission where the squadron destroyed seven trucks and a large part of the town of Benon. Flak damaged Hunters Thunderbolt before he could find a target for his bombs. “When I got back to the base, 1 was directed to a bomb disposal area,” he said. “Only one bomb would drop despite all my effors, The runway was covered with snow. When I started to put down flaps to Jand, only one flap was down, I went around and decided to try to land without any ‘laps, When I touched down at about 130mph, Thad only one brake. When the end of the runway neared, spun around—but stayed right side up!” January 22 During the previous 20 days, weather limited the group to just 24 missions over the collapsing front, When the weather improved, Crutchfield discovered 1,500 German vehicles concentrated around Prim, Germany, part Of the retreating 6th Ss Panzer Armee. The group went on a rampage, destroying 315 trucks, seven tanks, 15 horse-drawn vehicles, numerous heavy gun positions and seven half- tracks. ‘The day's score came at a heavy cost. Capt. Carroll A. Peterson's 379th found the roads near Hosingen, Luxembourg, clogged with tanks, cars and trucks—and a large amount Of mobile flak, “We crossed in and [Peterson] {identified several convoys of enemy vehicles below,” Lt. Brandon Nuttall reported. After two strafing passes on the vehicles, the Thunderbolts wheeled and came back for a third attack on several tanks. Peterson made one evasive turn to the right, then pulled up to the left to go in again. “At the top of his pull-up, around 1,500 feet, I saw his plane jerk violently,” said Nuttall, “It continued its arc and caught fire almost immediately, burning fiercely from the cockpit back. Flame covered the rear fuselage and tail. At around 1,000 feet, | saw the canopy jettison and maps blow out Of the cockpit. The ship went into a slow spin. and crashed into the side of a small valley.” Peterson, one of the group's original pilots, was killed, Seeing Peterson go down, Lt. Ron Hamby assumed command. About five minutes later, while hunting for more targets, flak damaged. Louis Bauer's engine. “I advised him to bail ut because the area was very mountainous and there was a 500-foot ceiling, but he chose to ride it down,” said Hamby. Bauer was killed. when his Thunderbott crashed. At about the same time, Howard Sloan led Red Section down to strafe and, “as we pulled off the target, Theard Red Three (Lt. Chester B. Kusi) say 470 42-29262 Dally RABBIT. This aircraft was Nown by Captain Nel Stanley of 391s Fighter Squadron. 365thFighter Group nthe European Theatre of Operations during the lat ‘months of WWIL Although amassive airplane compared toother WWII Fighters, theP-47 Is often mentioned asthe easiest ofthe breed te land iustatlonsby Tor Tals) ee ea eet ee nari ete peace rte ar Orca} 0 oN THE GROUP WENT ON A RAMPAGE, DESTROYING 315 TRUCKS, SEVEN TANKS, 15 HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES, NUMEROUS HEAVY GUN POSITIONS AND SEVEN HALF-TRACKS. that he was on fire and was going to ba Sloan said. Kusi was killed during his a to jump. Shortly, lak smashed into Lt. John K. McMahon's P-47D, and it too crashed, killing the pilot, and Lt. Rodney Percy was hit at low altitude and his plane went down as well. The 379th’s ordeal wasn’t over. Ray Murphy's “Chief Seattle” suffered two 40mm, and one 20mm hit, which blew out a tire, fractured the hydraulic system and knocked two cylinders off the engine. “I managed to keep my crippled plane in the air for the 75- flight home," he wrote. “The airstrip ‘was covered with ice, and as I touched down, seven tons of Thunderbolt on a blown tire veered off the runway, plowing into a snow wvered field. I cut the switch to prevent fi and climbed out without a scratch!” The day's events left Ralph Sallee with no roommates in his four-man tent. Bob Doty, a survivor of a Christmas Eve flak hit that forced him to bail out, saw the shaken Sallee and asked him why he seemed down, and Sallee told the veteran pilot. “He smiled at the situation and said, ‘Sallee, my heart bleeds for you.’ It sure broke the atmosphere,” Salle said, “Then Percy, my best buddy, walked in carrying his chute. Percy had been hit and hhad to bail out at $00 feet, which is just about minimum, It was in no man’s land, and he had to see a GI truck to know which way to run.” The next day, the group struck the same area as the day before, destroying or damaging 264 trucks, four tanks, four bridges and several antiaircraft positions. The group's efforts— and sacrifices—did not go unnoticed. An official message from Gen. Otto P. 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