Evening star., 1943-03-30
Goering' S Best Pilots
lin AbbeviIIe Area
Trouble u. ). Planes
YelIow-Nose Focke-WuIfs
Keep Flying Fortresses
On Hoir-Trigeer Alert
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent


LONDON tBy MaiD. Stationed
at the big Axis fighter base near
Abbeville, about 40 miles southeast
Of Dunkerque, are the crack fighter
pilots of the German Air Force
the so-called "Goering's yellow
noses"
There they are across the path
Of American Fortresses crossing the
French coast to bomb the Lorient
pr st. NaZaire submarine bases, or
to attack objectives further inland.
The yellow noses" are able to keep
watch over a vast extent Of sky to
attempt to intercept the daylight
raids in which the 9th Air Force
bombers are specializing.
The noses of the flghters-nearly
all believed to be Focke-Wulf 1905,
the most recent of Germany's newly
designed planes to go into quantity
production-are painted brilliant
yellow. The squadron is alleged to
date back in direct line to Goer-
ing's own squadron of the World
War. They carry the same insignia,
and the pilots are rumored to be
selected personally by Hitler's right
hand man. Americans refer to them
as ''the Abbeville kids"
Elite of Nazi Flyers.
But, it is generally admitted, they
are absolutely the elite of the Ger
man flying corps, sent there in spite
of the dire need on the eastern front
and in North Africa, especially to
block the path of the 9th Air Corps
"a tribute to the enormous damage
that is being done to the German
bases along the Atlantic. The yell
low noses are believed to have in
creased in number during the last
few weeks.
The Abbeville base has been
bombed over and over again by the
Americans and great deal of DAM
age has been done, but it has been
impossible to keep the yellow noses
long out of commission.
whenever you get near Able
vile, there is sure to be fight" as
one flying officer expresses it.
This is in marked distinction from
most other places over the CONT
nent, where even the Focke-Wulf
try to avoid a clash with other
fighters, having been ordered, 1t is
believed, to conserve their num-
bers for the great battle of Western
Europe which Hitler fears in the
spring.
Once past the Abbeville barrier.
| American pilots say, their worst
worries are over and there is a
decided tendency for the flyers they
meet over Germany itself to be OBJ
vious second raters-either begin
ners or men not considered good
enough for the fighting fronts. They
seem inclined to take few chances
of getting hurt.
Know All the Tricks.
But the Abbeville men obviously
are old hands who know and use
every trick in the game, who can
maneuver plane with almost alb
solute mastery and whose favorite
trick seems to be to fire with accu-
rate aim while in a roll. a position
in which an attackin plane offers
! the least and most difficult target
| for the enemy
I And, say the Americans, the
/ Focke- -Wulf seems marvellous
plane, at least in the hands of these
men. although examination of some
F-Ws shot down has led to dis
counting many of the claims made
for it last fall when it was ssGer-
many's newest secret weapon" But.
they say, it is difficult to differ
ertiate the performance due to the
plane itself and that due to the skill
of the pilots.
The yellow noses have accounted
for more than their share of the
Americans lost over France. but in
turn good many of their own
number have been shot down and it
is hardly believed possible that Ger
many can keep up indefinitely re-
placement of such crack pilots.
But they have taught the Ameri-
cans to take no chances with them.