[mayfair35]

Strafer:

Filip,
You did a nice job translating the information on those various missions in your blog listed at the bottom of your entry. I presume you know Michal from your country who also does a fine job in detailing such information.

On the 13th entry of your blog, entitled “Fighters decide not to strafe train” you mention it was probably fighters escorting the bombers from the 15th AF. You are correct. It was the 325th Fighter Group (Checkertails) from Lesina, Italy. The Group submitted claims for 1 He-111, 4 Me-323s, 1 FW-190, and 26 locomotives destroyed on the ground. We lost one pilot; however it was not due to enemy fire. Bill Margetts crashed due to an engine failure.

In one of your later entries, the question arose as to how pilots could tell if they destroyed or damaged a locomotive. Essentially if the boiler blew up (steam escaping) during our strafing run, it was claimed as destroyed. If it did not blow up, it was claimed as damaged. Since no one invited us to land and inspect the locomotive, there was no valid way to make a claim. Of course as stated, most of the locomotives were returned to service; however, we did not know that.

Cordially, Art Fiedler