31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

If anyone has the book "In A Now Forgotten Sky" could they tell me whether the three claims of Bf 109s destroyed on this date (by Col. McCorkle, Lt. Brown and Lt. Riddle) were separate or a shared one?

Thanks.

Re: 31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

hello Nick,
I will get back to you soon .

Alex

Re: 31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

Hi Nick,

They each made seperate claims for Bf 109s on that day:

25.06.44, Col Charles Milton McCorkle, HQ 31st FG, Me-109, 43-48N, 5-03E, Avignon, area, 09:56
25.06.44, 2/Lt. Carl H. Brown, 307th FS, Me-109, 43-48N, 5-03E, Avignon area, 09:56
25.06.44, 1/Lt. Robert E. Riddle, 307th FS, Me-109, 43-48N, 5-03E, Avignon area, 09:56
25.06.44, ?/Lt. John J. Smith, 307th FS, Me-109 prob, 43-48N, 5-03E, Avignon area, 09:56

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Re: 31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

Hello Nick,

Page 253
June 25th Col McCorkle, leading the Group but flying with the 307th covered the B24's of the 49th Bomb Wing bombing bridges and M/Y's around Avignon, Fr. Near Avignon the formation ran into nine enemy fighters that stayed to test lances with the 307th. The Col got his 11th victory confirmed, and Lt. Riddle became an ace, shooting down his 5th Jerry.Lt. Brown destroyed one enemy fighter and Lt. Smith lay claim to one probable and one damaged.
So it would seem that they were separate claims.
All the best
Alex

Re: 31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

Thanks everyone, I had Frank Olynyk's claims list but was suspicious of the identical time and location of each.

It may not come as a complete surprise that German losses were lower: one shot down (pilot killed) and one forced landing (pilot injured).

Re: 31st FG claims on 25 June 1944
 

Nick,
American claims are rarely explicit as to the time and location of a specific combat. This is especially true when all that is available is a mission report covering an entire squadron or group. But even in 8th AF where we have all the combat reports (Personal Encounter Reports) there is rarely an attempt to differentiate the times and locations of individual combats. They all seem to occur at the time and location of the initial sighting.

Frank.