The Wilmington Morning Star

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Flying Fortress Destroys 7 Nazi Fighters In Raid

LONDON, Nov. 27.--A first-hand account of how a single flight of United States Flying Fortresses whipped a flock of attacking German fighters and destroyed nine of them over the Bay of Biscay in last Monday's raid on the U-boat base at St. Nazaire, France, was given today by the men who participated.

One Fortress, alone, piloted by First Lieut. William J. Casey of San Francisco. accounted for seven enemy planes in 12 minutes and two others fell victims to the gunners of other planes in the hour-long fight.

Casey and his mates said the flight, commanded by Maj, Harry Holt of Chevy Chase, Md., W a s jumped by a strong formation of Focke-Wulf 190s as it neared the target. Despite intense opposition. Casey's plane was guided to its target by the navigator, Second Lieut. Walter C. Leeker of St. Louis, Mo., and by Bombardier Lieut. Albert G. Smith of Phoenix, Ariz.

When the formation turned for home over the Bay of Biscay, the enemy planes which had been at- (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
FLYING FORTRESS DOWNS 7 GERMANS
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tacking from long range closed in, sometimes pressing their attack to as close as 50 feet.

Casey's log showed that the first Nazi victim was picked up by the sights of tailgunner Sergeant Parley D. Small, a farm boy from Fairfield, Ia. He gave it a long burst and the enemy fell apart in the air, the pilot taking to his parachute.

At almost the same instant another fighter attacking from astern got a single burst from waist gunner Staff Sergeant Reginald D. Harris of Houston, Tex., and spun into the sea.

Six other Focke-Wulfs attacked in unison. Ball turret gunner Sergeant Joe Bowles of Roanoke, Va., promptly shot one down in flames, and at the same instant Sergeant Wilson C. Elliott of Knoxville. Tennessee, a former shipping clerk, loosed' a burst that sent another fighter down trailing flames. Harris raised his bag to two when he shot up another fighter so badly its pilot was forced to bail out.

From the ball turret Bowles also got another clean shot, and his opponent blew up and plunged into the sea. The last Nazi, attacking from above, was a victim of Pvt. Allan F. Meaux of Madison, Wis., who fired two bursts from the port waist gun and saw the enemy crash into the water.