Combat over Berlin March 4, 1944. The Cavalry

Glamorus Glen

March 4, 1944

Some of us never got word of the recall. The weather was stinkin’. There were only two of us P-51s escorting a box of bombers for the first US daylight raid over Berlin. None of us had gotten the recall. I spotted an Me-109 below me, dove on him and blew him to pieces: my first kill.

Several decades later in an interview, the lead bomber pilot called the two P-51s the cavalry. Bombers were exposed so they were thrilled to see me shoot down the deadly threat of the Me-109.

I also shot down a Heinkel 111 but never got credit for it.

As we were returning and I was low on ammunition, I broke silence to warn the bomber group I was coming in for protection and to tell the trigger-happy gunners not to shoot me down. Bombers have navigation equipment – so much better than dead reckoning when the weather is stinkin’.

I made it back safely to Leiston, my air base, elated with my first of five on a path to Fighter Ace.

Encounter report can be found here: https://chuckyeager.com/first-me-109-victory-4-march-1944

 

c. GCYI