Evening star., 1943-09-13
Outnumbered Yonks Down Five
Messerschnitts in Epic Battle
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
AN ADVANCED P-38 FIGHTER
BASE IN SICILY, Sept. II De-
layeO O.-Playing to a full house
the entire United States invasion
fleet in the Gulf of Salerno-10
tight-lipped American youths flying
P-38 Lightnings demonstrated once
and for all today their personal
supremacy over the German Air
Force and their planes superiority
over Germany's best fighter-the
Messerschmitt 100.
They slugged it out with more
than twice their number, choosing
to fight when there was ample
time to flee. .
Out of the resulting maelstrom of
planes which kept ground troops
goggle-eyed and seamen breathless
for II minutes, five fell to earth
all German. Not a single P-38 was
lost.
Except for a 24-10 edge in
strength, the battle was waged on
completely even terms. The planes
met at-the same altitude, each seek
ing the other. Performance, fire
power, tactics and men dictated the
result. sa.F
Victory Was Clean Cut.
The test was one of the best and
the victory was one of the most
clean cut of the war.
1t. Gerald Rounds of Fenton,
Mich, flying his 72d consecutive
mission over enemy territory with
out taking the time out for a trip
home which is permitted pilots who
complete SO missions, led the for
nation and bagged one plane-his
fifth. In so doing he became an ace
Others who sent Messerschmitts
crashing to earth were 1t. Clarence
O. Seltez of Gladwin, Mich; 1t.
William A. Clark of st. Louis, 1t.
Sam McGuffin of Manhattan Beach,
Calf, and Flight Officer Vele NJ.
Tilley of Spencer, S. Oak.
All belong to the famed Timber
Wolves, a hard-hitting squadron in
P-38 group commanded by 1t.
Col. George L. Macnicol of Memphis.
Tenn, who was the leader of the
recent epochal strafing raid on
massed enemy planes at the cluster
of Foggia airports in Southeastern
Italy.
"WelI Done" Flyers Told.
Today's battle took place over a
coastal strip IS miles southeast of
Naples in full view Of scores of
American invasion craft After it
was over the ground controller re-
layed to the pilots a radio message
from the naval commander in
charge
well DONE" 1t said simply.
The P-38s had been completing
a patrol over one section of the
beach when they we're warned of
the superior force of oncoming Ger
man fighters. The Yankee flyers i'm
mediately started in search of them.
1t. Rounds, describing the result
ing action, said the Lightnings
pulled into "a very tight lufberry"-
a defensive circle in which the
planes. banking almost vertically,
supported each other while whirling
around, some one way and some the
other.
Dropped Belly Tanks.
THE Germans attacked in pairs" :"
the new ace continued, land some of
us would peel OF for a minute, fire
few bursts and get back in the
lufberry. They were trying to break
us up and every time they came near
we really worked them over. We had
to stay there and fight, but we
weren't worrying about it because
we had full gas tanks-more than
they had. Our belly tanks, used
while on patrol, were dropped the
minute we started off to attack.
They dropped of, one by one, and
after about 10 minutes, when they
had lost five, they decided they had
had enough and started for home.
We let them CO."
The hydraulic system for the
landing gear was shot out of his
plane, so 1t. Rounds slid to a per-
feet crash landing on reaching the
home field.
Plane Damage Slight.
A mechanic in the ground crew,
telling Of the crash landing, said: !:
He just called down and said, I
sure hate to do. this Then he peeled
off as If nothing was wrong and
came In. The plane stopped in 100
yards. Besides bent propellors, 1t
doesn't seem to be damaged at ALL"
The nine other airmen in the fight
felt that it demonstrated conclusive
ly that P-38's ability to turn inside
a German opponent and better gun
mounts and fire power made it q
markedly superior plane.
"Initially, the Messerschmitt is
faster and more maneuverable, 1t
Clark said. But other things are
more important. Today's results show
how much"
1t. Seltez was glad OF the opportu-
nifty to Slug it out with them, toe to
too. We usually are escorting bomb