Mike,

Here is some information from my Copyright manuscript that I am preparing for publication on "ATI and Operation Lusty". It is an interview with the late Myron Parker who was in charge of ADS men assisting Dornier factory workers with refubishing the Do335s.

Parker: "After landing at Oberweisenfeld the Do335 was stored in a hangar. Padell made a second test-flight to Nuremberg-Roth airfield and returned.

"Several days later arrangements were made to provide a P-51 escort from a USAAF unit at Oberweisenfeld for a ferry flight to Cherbourg. The two Mustang pilots were rude to Padell and behaved as if he was still the enemy even though he was a civilian. Padell had our trust and ATI allowed him to ferry the aircraft to Oberweisenfeld.

"The P-51 pilots briefed him on the flight plan: They would take-off, circle the field, then he would take-off as they flew over and position himself between them for the ferry flight. I told Padell to ignore the escort pilots and to leave them 'in the dust'.

"The P-51s made their pass across the field and Padell took off, climbed up between them and continued his climb at high power until he was out of sight. He flew at his optimal cruise speed for the range required. En route a flight of US fighters approached, and fearful of the sitatuion, he applied throttles and left them behind.

"We later learned he was on the ground at Cherbourg 45 minutes before the P-51s flew over the field and then returned to Munich. A C-47 returned Padell to Oberphaffenhofen."

Norman Malayney