Well I was thinking more about this story.
(http://homepage.mac.com/ravnhaus/Stegall/strut/JimL41944.jpg)
The L4 / Me 109 Incident
Notes of Major James R. Stegall - Retired United States Army, Italy - Early Morning - December l943
The 36th Division was making the initial assault on Mt.Maggiore. I was flying an observation plane, an L4, along with an observer and directing artillery fire on German positions. There were plenty of targets to fire upon as the assault by the 36th caused a lot of activity on the German side. Their artillery was firing at our troops which allowed us to fire on their positions. We were so engrossed in our adjusting and firing that we were lax on watching for enemy aircraft. Suddenly, something slammed into the side of the plane. I looked to the left and saw white tracers flying by close to the plane and red tracers out toward the end of the wing. I immediately put the plane into a steep dive, diving as hard as I could toward the top of the mountain range to get close to the ground where I could use evasive maneuvers to keep from being hit again. The ME-l09 circled east and out into the valley, I circled inside of his turn. I saw him turn back toward me and I thought I was a dead duck! He circled back but did not fire at me. Instead, he slowed his aircraft and flew up right beside me. Here was this ME-l09 with the Iron Cross on the side and Swastika on the tail almost flying formation with me. We looked at each other. I didn't signal or wave and neither did he. Frankly, I was too scared to wave. He then flew on off to the north. I flew south skimming the top of Mt. Lungo and back to our landing strip. The engine and aircraft were shaking, not from fright, but because some of the fragments had hit the propeller. After we landed, we found that a 20 millimeter projectile had blown away three quarters or more of the left wing strut yet it held together as we dived hard and were able to continue flying. Fifty caliber bullets had hit toward the end of the wing. The propeller was riddled as was the left wing and had to be replaced. The main lift strut had to be replaced so we cut out the part hit by the twenty millimeter shell. I still have it in my possession.
(http://homepage.mac.com/ravnhaus/Stegall/strut/strutpapa.JPG)
Well I was thinking more about this story.
(http://homepage.mac.com/ravnhaus/Stegall/strut/JimL41944.jpg)
The L4 / Me 109 Incident
Notes of Major James R. Stegall - Retired United States Army, Italy - Early Morning - December l943
The 36th Division was making the initial assault on Mt.Maggiore. I was flying an observation plane, an L4, along with an observer and directing artillery fire on German positions. There were plenty of targets to fire upon as the assault by the 36th caused a lot of activity on the German side. Their artillery was firing at our troops which allowed us to fire on their positions. We were so engrossed in our adjusting and firing that we were lax on watching for enemy aircraft. Suddenly, something slammed into the side of the plane. I looked to the left and saw white tracers flying by close to the plane and red tracers out toward the end of the wing. I immediately put the plane into a steep dive, diving as hard as I could toward the top of the mountain range to get close to the ground where I could use evasive maneuvers to keep from being hit again. The ME-l09 circled east and out into the valley, I circled inside of his turn. I saw him turn back toward me and I thought I was a dead duck! He circled back but did not fire at me. Instead, he slowed his aircraft and flew up right beside me. Here was this ME-l09 with the Iron Cross on the side and Swastika on the tail almost flying formation with me. We looked at each other. I didn't signal or wave and neither did he. Frankly, I was too scared to wave. He then flew on off to the north. I flew south skimming the top of Mt. Lungo and back to our landing strip. The engine and aircraft were shaking, not from fright, but because some of the fragments had hit the propeller. After we landed, we found that a 20 millimeter projectile had blown away three quarters or more of the left wing strut yet it held together as we dived hard and were able to continue flying. Fifty caliber bullets had hit toward the end of the wing. The propeller was riddled as was the left wing and had to be replaced. The main lift strut had to be replaced so we cut out the part hit by the twenty millimeter shell. I still have it in my possession.
(http://homepage.mac.com/ravnhaus/Stegall/strut/strutpapa.JPG)
great story ty sir