Thought this was cool
5 August 1943
On their sixtieth escort mission P-40 Warhawks furnished protection for B-25 Mitchells on a strafing raid over southwestern Sardinia today. Numerous hits were observed in the target area. There was no flak and no enemy aircraft activity. All of the fighters and bombers returned safely to their bases.
A P-40 Warhawk pilot returning from an escort mission today sank a German submarine about fifteen miles off the coast of Sardinia. 2nd Lt. W. R. Elliott, Box 449, Eunice, New Mexico, who is credited with the destruction of the submarine said, "The submarine was on the surface and there was no one on deck. There was a large swastika on the conning tower so I fired about sixty rounds into the top of it. I don’t think there was a single slug that didn’t go into it. After a big explosion the tail end went high. There was no wake; it went right down."
1st Lt. Lawrene J. Ritter, 93 Glen Road, Yonkers, N. Y., and 2nd Lt. Raymond E. Hartley, Jr., 5633 Oak Street, Kansas City, Mo. Also fired into the sinking submarine. Other P-40 pilots verified the sinking of the submarine and reported a resulting oil slick.
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Another
Copy: Hal Boyles story on the ME-109. (Associated Press) 30 May 1943
"U.S. Army ME-109"
That sign- enough to make Nazi Luftwaffe pilot grit teeth in rage – is painted on cockpit captured new model Messerschmitt which one P-40 group already using for practice flights to teach American aviators best way to capitalize on enemy weakness.
German plane painted olive drab and American star replaced swastika so overanxious anti-aircraft units won’t take it for clay pigeon.
Latest type Nazi pursuit ship sighted in wheat field twenty miles north Tunis last week by Major Robert L. Baseler of Philadelphia, Penna., and Columbia Lake, Conn., group operations officer during bombing mission.
"It appeared in good shape and we learned later that German pilot had been wounded in combat and died after landing ship in field," said Baseler. "We dropped down and looked it over and British commander of nearby field gave us permission to take it along. We removed wings and trucked it to our field where our enlisted men did a wonderful job putting it in shape. We got extra spare parts to fix it from German air corps supply we found."
Baseler who himself shot down one ME-109 and Macchi 202 in last two months, was first to test the captured fighter and said it performed well but he preferred fly own P-40.
"I am almost six feet three inches tall and I have to fold up like a pretzel to get in Messerschmitt. Besides it has poor visibility. I have lot more room in my P-40."
"But it is a very good plane. It handled fine, has world of speed and pep and climbs like a homesick angel. It really skates and is a good ship to get out of tight spot in a hurry. It is faster and climbs quicker than P-40 but doesn’t turn nearly as well – but it flies like a top."
Baseler said the Messerschmitt had been put through other comparative tests and be used to simulate enemy attacks to give pilots on home base idea what to expect on missions.
"When this bounces down from the clouds at them, our boys learn more in two minutes than they could from hundred silhouette lectures. Besides it gives us chance to demonstrate in flight the weaknesses of this type enemy fighter craft, and it definitely has weaknesses. It doesn’t stack up with new Spitfires."
The captured Messerschmitt has to be grounded temporarily when wheels stuck during one test flight. Captain Robert W. Myere, Holden W.V., brought it down to perfect belly landing which caused no damage except bent prop.
"It will be ready to go up again tomorrow," said Baseler.
