Evening star., 1943-06-14
Ammunition Gone, D. C.. Flyer
Bluffs German Attackers
1t. Embrey Flies
Straight for Nose
Of Enemy Planes
BY THOMAS H. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

STRATEGIC AIR FORCE STA
TON, North Africa.-Just off his
32nd mission over the Mediter-
ranean is fighter pilot and Flight
Leader Ralph C. Embrey, 2ll5 r
street NV, Washington, who has
packed lifetime Of thrills into his
many hours of concentrated sea
sweeps in the last six months.
1t. Embrey has just been credited
with his second victory obtained
the other day over Sardinia when
German fighter came straight at
him and he fired at it head-on.
The German passed directly over
his cockpit and exploded.
II must have killed the pilot"
1t. Embrey says. because his plane
was out of control and I had to
push the stick forward hard to
keep him from running into me-"
Most of 1t. Embreys service has
been on sea sweeps which fly a
rectangular course over the Medi-
terranean. Thus far he has es-
capped any injury, although he spent
a bad half hour few days ago
when. his ammunition exhausted,
he was In flight of six which was
jumped by II German fighters ar
ranged in two particular forma-
tions, one above the other between
the American planes and the de-
clining sun.
Fly in Circles.
The particular formation as flown
here is an arrangement Of planes
moving in circle, one always on
the tail of another. so there is no
possibility Of an enemy getting on
anybody's tail. This day one for
nation was circling to the right
and the one above it to the left.
Looking up at the Germans. they
appeared like two gigantic whirling
wheels.
With only six planes. two of which
under these particular circumstances
had to be kept out Of similarly
Whirling wheel It was impossible
for the American planes to keep
closed circle. The ferries were
" a htSiIilb Ioi q IlldilNO W olFS oIl
anybody who got cut of the whirl-
ing wheel and actually knocked
down two in 1t. Embrey's night.
With no ammunition they could
only put up blum defense. When
German succeeded in getting on
the tail OF one Of them another
American, in most cases 1t. EN-
brev on this occasion. would go
straight for the Germans nose. This
maneuver usually succeeded in scar
ing of the enemy.
There is no doubt" 1t Embrev
saws, that the Germans are afraid
Of the P38 and will jump one only
when they can get on its tail They
will not fight unless they have every
advantage"
Circle Waiting for Bombers.
This formation. he explained. "is
favorlte American fighter one
when the P-38s escort a bomber
group to target. The fighters are
instructed to stay out OF the fax
area as they are defenseless against
anti-aircraft fire They stay Just
outside and circle about in these
alternately whirling wheels. in which
they are relatively safe from attack,
while they wait to pick up the
oombers again and bring them home.
1t. Embrey flies nameless ship.
This is due to a personal superstition
His first ship was named the Casse-
opeia and everybody who few it ex-
cept himself was either killed or
injured. He associated this with the
name and ever since has refused to
have one painted on his ship al
though he found the other day that
the crew leader had painted the
names OF two girls, one on each
engine.
Il assume he SAYS. "the engines
and not the plane are named and it
hasn't caused any trouble vet"
A new member OF 1t. Embrev's
flight Is It. Ralph L. Hoagland, 1902
Irving street NE