Evening star., 1943-03-14
Nazi Fighter Planes
Give Stiff Battle
10 Fortress Raiders
Toke Quick Advantage
Of Thick Cloud Cover
Near Amiens Bombing
Ry GLADWIN HILL.

ATA UNITED STATES BOMBER
STATION IN ENGLAND, March 13.
American Flying Fortresses. with
a big Allied Spitfire escort, today
roared over the Channel for the
second straight day and bombed the
railroad yards at Amiens, behind
the French Coast.
In thick cloud cover they fought
a stiff battle with German fighter
planes on their way back home.
Nazi Marshal Goering's Focke-
Wulfs, which had stayed at a re-
spectful distance during the two
previous Fortress-Spittire raids this
week, took advantage of the thick
atmosphere to pounce on the Allied
armada just as it left the target.
Take Starch Out of Nazis.
The initial German attack drew
some blood and battered up some
of the Fortresses. but soon the Allied
fighter pilots were chasing the
Focke-Wulfs right through the
bomber formation and Fortress gun
ners were spraying them with So
caliber fire that took the starch
out of the Nazi defense.
Two of the days heroes are For
tress Co-Pilot Lloyd Patterson of
Ontario, Calf. and Bombardier 1t.
Paul V. Williams of Dublin, Tex,
who managed to bring their Fortress
back to safe landing at the base
after German 20-mm. shell
crashed against the corner of the
cockpit, injuring the pilot.
Patterson took over the plane while
Williams crawled up from the nose
compartment and treated the
wounds in the pilots face and shoul-
der, caused by shell fragments. Will
liams also helped Patterson, who
was cut on the face by flying debris
He ought to get the Distinguished
Flying Cross" said the navigator,
1t. Charles Spare, jr.. of Hollywood,
Calf He was there helping two
wounded men with no oxygen at
$4,000 feet IAN altitude in which
oxygen is considered essential to
maintain consciousness.
Il talked to the pilot and told
him to answer me by nodding his
head or shaking it," said Williams,
who before the war drove a truck
for wholesale grocery firm in Dub
lin.
Bandages Pilot.
II put bandages on his face and
on his shoulder and held them on
very tight. I would say, Nod your
head if your shoulder is still bleed
ing or Shake your head if your
face is still bleeding and in that
way I worked on him until he was
as we'll off as we could make him."
Two Focke-Wulfs came up on us
all of sudden" Navigator Spare
said, "the first one before I had a
chance to see him. Then I heard
a crash and knew we had been hit
by 20-millimeter shell. Then the
second one came at us. I couldn't
get my gun to cover him in time but
! held down the trigger and let a
stream 60 in his direction and he
went off.
Patterson did a wonderful Job
bringing the ship back. The pilot
knew enough about what was go
4llS W USll 1llIil w IlS ~ Ill Ull
the proper runway"
1t is quite trick to land a Fort
ress single-handed because usually
the pilot has the co-pilot reading
the diminishing altitude out to him
every few seconds.
"All Pat said as we were coming
down." Williams related, was, Are
you sure this is the right field? ..
Are you sure this is the right field?'"
Makes Smooth Landing.
Patterson brought the ship into
q smooth landing. In spite of his
injuries, the pilot was able to climb
out of the ship and walk to a bar.
Another hero on the same ship
was the top turret gunner, whose
arm was injured by flax early on
the trip.
He rode that damn gun half
way over the Channel on the way
back after we'd been to the target
and everything before he let us
know he was hit" Co-Pilot Patter-
son said
The Germans weren't nearly as
tough as they have been" said
Sergt Albert T. Smith, tail gun
ner on a Fortress piloted by Capt.
Jerald Price of Estes Park, Colo.
Il only saw about half a dozen en-
emy planes, if that many. The Spit
fires were keeping them plenty busy.
1t was a hell Of good escort"