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Old 23rd April 2017, 13:03
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Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1,071
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Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF

Extract from mission report 218 303 BG.

As we headed back home, going over the Baltic Sea, we flew over the Danish island of Falster and immediately over the island of Lolland Maribo. At this point, the tail gunner of this new crew, Staff Sgt. E.S. Brown, reported on the intercom: "Tail to Pilot, there's an ME-310 coming up behind us. No, I believe it's a 110." "Are you sure it's not a B-25?" I asked, knowing of the twin rudder configuration. "No, it's definitely a 110 and he's closing." The Ball turret gunner, Staff Sgt. J.A. Czerwonka, confirmed that it was indeed an ME-110. "How far back?" I asked. "About two miles and closing." the tail gunner answered. Well," I said, "we are on our way home and haven't fired a shot, so let him have it." With this, the tail gunner and ball turret gunner started firing. After thirty or forty seconds of almost continuous firing, the ball turret gunner yelled on the intercom, "He's diving away! He's going straight down. He's picking up speed and still going straight down! He's crashed! He's crashed! I didn't see any parachute!" It seems evident that someone in our group hit the pilot from nearly one mile away, and after we landed I put in a claim for the Ball Turret Gunner, Sgt. Czerwonka, only to find that several claims were made for this same airplane. I thought Sgt. Czerwonka should have gotten credit, since we started firing first, and the plane was hit while still a mile away. However, the powers that be finally awarded the "Kill" to Staff Sgt. Richard L. Smith who was tail gunner for 1st Lt. Bob Moreman flying Low Load in the 359th Squadron. I've never been able to figure out how the tail gunner on the lead plane could shoot down an enemy fighter coming in from the rear of the formation with all the twenty or so other tail gunners firing at the same plane from positions further to the rear and hundreds of feet closer to the action. But, he was on the lead plane.

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