Shooting pilots in their parachutes

[Mark R.]

Not necessarily the Desert War, but in Tunisia I have found ONE instance - mentioned only in a post-war commercially published history and not wartime records: 17 April 1943 - The 1st Fighter Group lost two P-38G-10-LO aircraft, respectively piloted by Capt James Harman of the 94th Fighter Squadron and Lt Robert B. Anderson, shot down by enemy fighters west of Palermo. The group history by Mullins (p. 59) alleges that Harman was strafed in his parachute and killed. I am also going through ALL the USAAF bomber and fighter mission reprots/unit records (with major gaps in the terribly documented PR and OBS groups) for that period and so far have not encountered any other reference to such incidents. Nor do the Americans ever mention strafing German pilots in their parachutes. If my memory serves, Doolittle was the 12th AF commander during this period. Needless to say, there are no official orders for USAAF pilots flying in Tunisia to fire at bailed out enemy airmen. Seems like these alleged incidents appear to have happened more frequently later in the war.