486th FS, 352d FG, Capt. S. W. Andrew vs Fw-190. 30.04.44.
During the next two missions the 332nd added another five aerial and two strafing victories to its scoreboard. One of these kills stands out for providing a moment of sheer horror for the pilots of the 486th FS. The engagement, which occurred on 30 April, began ordinarily enough, with the Fw-190 pilot taking evasive action in an attempt to shake Capt Stephen Andrew off of his tail. As the P-51 pilot closed on his prey, the macabre sequence of events began. Capt Andrew’s report tells the story: ‘On resuming the chase I closed to 200 yards and less and opened fire. I did a pretty sloppy job of shooting - I was deflecting and shooting off-line. There had been a party the night before which I blame for that. However, I did get a few strikes, and I think I damaged his engine because he seemed to suddenly lose power. That caused me to overshoot, and I found myself flying in tight formation with him on his left wing. ‘The enemy pilot had his head down as if he was checking his instruments. I noticed that the elastic band on his goggles was white. He raised his head and saw me - I would have waved if he had given me the chance, but he peeled away and I re-opened fire from very close range. This time he jettisoned his canopy and stood up in the cockpit. When he bailed our he was swept directly into the hub of my prop. I was too close to avoid him. There was quite a violent jar and my engine ran rough, so I called my flight around me and set course for home. 'An examination after landing revealed considerable damage to the spinner and prop. There was a slight dent in the port wing root, and there were bits of flesh in the air ducts, and a small piece of bone stuck in one blade of the prop. A piece of the enemy pilot’s blue coveralls, about six inches square, was stuck on the bolt that helps hold the spinner on. I put it away to remember him by. ‘My flight gave me excellent support during the engagement, and I genuinely appreciated their presence during our return.’
During the next two missions the 332nd added another five aerial and two strafing victories to its scoreboard. One of these kills stands out for providing a moment of sheer horror for the pilots of the 486th FS. The engagement, which occurred on 30 April, began ordinarily enough, with the Fw-190 pilot taking evasive action in an attempt to shake Capt Stephen Andrew off of his tail. As the P-51 pilot closed on his prey, the macabre sequence of events began. Capt Andrew’s report tells the story: ‘On resuming the chase I closed to 200 yards and less and opened fire. I did a pretty sloppy job of shooting - I was deflecting and shooting off-line. There had been a party the night before which I blame for that. However, I did get a few strikes, and I think I damaged his engine because he seemed to suddenly lose power. That caused me to overshoot, and I found myself flying in tight formation with him on his left wing. ‘The enemy pilot had his head down as if he was checking his instruments. I noticed that the elastic band on his goggles was white. He raised his head and saw me - I would have waved if he had given me the chance, but he peeled away and I re-opened fire from very close range. This time he jettisoned his canopy and stood up in the cockpit. When he bailed our he was swept directly into the hub of my prop. I was too close to avoid him. There was quite a violent jar and my engine ran rough, so I called my flight around me and set course for home. 'An examination after landing revealed considerable damage to the spinner and prop. There was a slight dent in the port wing root, and there were bits of flesh in the air ducts, and a small piece of bone stuck in one blade of the prop. A piece of the enemy pilot’s blue coveralls, about six inches square, was stuck on the bolt that helps hold the spinner on. I put it away to remember him by. ‘My flight gave me excellent support during the engagement, and I genuinely appreciated their presence during our return.’