January 1, 1945 Combat Log:

I was leading Red Flight.  As we were taxiing out to the strip I saw some air activity east of the airfield.  The squadron consisting of three four-ship flights, was taking off singly.  As I started down the strip, Colonel Meyer called the Controller and inquired about bandits in the vic. As I pulled my wheels up, the Controller reported that there were bandits east of the field. We didn't take time to form up, but set course, wide-open, straight for the bandits. There were a few P47s mixing it up with the bandits as I arrived. I ran into about thirty 190s at 1,500 feet. There were many 109s above them. I picked out a 190 and pressed the trigger. Nothing happened. I reached down and turned on my gun switch and gave him a couple of good bursts.

As I watched him hit the ground and explode, I felt myself being hit. I broke sharply to the right, and up. A 190 was about 50 yards behind me, firing away. As I was turning with him, another 51 attacked him and he broke off his attack on me. I then saw that I had several 20 mm holes in each wing, and another hit in my oil tank. My left aileron control was also out, I was losing oil, but my pressure and temperature were steady. Being over friendly territory I could see no reason for landing immediately so turned towards a big dogfight and shortly had another 190 in my sights. After hitting him several times, he attempted to bale out, but I gave him a burst as he raised up, and he went in with his plane, which exploded and burned. There were several 109s in the vic so I engaged one of them. We fought for five or ten minutes, and I finally managed to get behind him. I hit him good and the pilot baled out at 200 feet. I clobbered him as he baled out and he tumbled into the ground.

 

At this time I saw 15 or 20 fires from crashed planes.  Bandits were reported strafing the field, so I headed for the strip.  I saw a 109 strafe the NE corner of the strip.  I started after him and he  turned into me.  We made two head-on passes, and on the second I hit him on the nose and wings.  He crashed and burned east of the strip.  I chased several more bandits but they evaded in the clouds.  I had oil on my windscreen and canopy so came back to the strip and landed.

 

 

All of the e/a were very aggressive, and extremely good pilots.  I am very happy that we were able to shoot down 23 with a loss of none.  We were outnumbered 5 to 1 with full fuselage tanks.  The P-47's on this field did a fine job, and helped us considerably.  The co-operation among our fighters was extremely good and we did the job as a team.

 

Claim: two Me109's destroyed, two FW190's destroyed.

 

William T. Whisner, 0798190

Captain, Air Corps,

352nd Fighter Group