could a "badly smoking" P47 ...stop to smoke?

[Flyingkag]

Hey all,

working about a lost in airfight P47, I have following question:

That P47 was supposed to have been touched by german Me109 at about 1500 meter high, and seen "smoking badly" by witness (wingman) before being MIA...

But a ground witness saw it - a short time later- very low just some seconds before the final crash, and the plane didn't smoke, according to his (seeming very strong) statement.

Could someone have an explanation about it?

Is it possible that such a probably heavily damaged plane - "smoking badly"- could be "OK again" in flight and let one witness observe a "not smoking" incoming plane one minute later?

Thanks for any possible help and explanaition,

regards,

Mathias