one for the Db

[John Beaman]

We are always trying to ID victim and victor, so here's one you may not have on a Db:

On October 2nd, 1944, sometime after 2:00 in the afternoon, Captain Valmont J. Beaudrault of the 386th was flying in the vicinity of Dusseldorf. He came upon a lone Me-262 "with a blunt nose (???)" he dived after it and began chasing it. It flew on for a few minutes , but did not leave him in the dust, it then seemed to lose power and began slowing down, he closed to fire, but it kept weaving and jinking. he closed further and just before he was about to fire, the 262 made a violent evasive maneuver, lost control and smashed into the ground, completely destroyed.

This would appear to match the following:

Me 262A-1a, 170069, Lauer, Ofw. Hieronymus. 3./KG(J) 51 (Kdo.Schenk), gelbe N, 9K+NL, KL+WW, 02-Oct-44, WIA due to Luftkampf with a P-47 from 365th FG. Ran out of fuel, crashed and exploded., 1st 9th AF claim against 262., Smith/Creek, Me 262, II, p.373; Foreman/Harvey, Me 262 Combat Diary, p.326; Jurleit, Strahljäger im Einsatz, p.170; Aéro Journal # 1, p.25, LW Colors III, p.100 txt., bei Rheine


Running out of fuel would match the "slowing down" comment. This is courtesy of Roy Southerland who is working on a history of the 365th FG.