The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
Col. Ben Davis, r. Reports
Continued from Iage 81

I
! Sicily and these were our most
acuve days. On every TRIP We were
attacked nv superior numbers o.
fighters. The .ac,ics employed by
Tic enemy fighters were 10 draw
of the escorts so they could get 10
the bombcrs. Actually they were
no. PARTICULARLY interested in shoot
ling doNn enemy gh:ers. SO VIC had
10 take some action 10 prevent them
from shooting Us down
y would like % say just word
about the German air force It's
tactics have changed quite a BIT
since the Tunisian campaign. It's
pilots are not as eager as they used
to be: they have undoubtedly lost
the best Of them and they no Longer
press Their attacks. as hear they
did in the past. Whereas formerly
,hcy would stay down and lap il up.
they now make one ineffective pass
hand, the pilots OF my squadron
who we're initially uncertain OF
themselves. had now developed a
very strong fighting spirit and were
eager for an opportunity TO meet
the German and really fight it out
AN interesting sidelicht in this
connection is perhaps the growth
OF religious feeling among tho
pilots. Toward the end OF tho
Scilian campaign ! had very little
trouble getting together an audience
for tho visiting chaplain. Colonel
Pinnel He always had nucleus
OF pilots 10 speak TO- Lieutenant
Bowling. one Of my pilots was shot
down by flax in the Mediterranean
and forced to sit in his dinghy for
"a hours and he said to me: You
know. Colonel Davis. when you sit
out there that long. shivering from
cold at night and trying to hide
from the heat OF the sun by day
and always hoping against hope
that somebody is going to see you
and pick you up, you just pray
automatically"
Dreamed Of Battles
"After the middle OF July we had
a squadron OF pilots whose fondest
dreams we're no longer about the
girls back home. Instead they
dreamed about German pilot who
would be foolish enough TO slug il
out in aerial combat At our chosen
altitude We had the better arplane,
/ but the German has learned his
! lesson and now makes his pass from
out OF the sun. coming down at $50
OF more miles an hour and gets
ON out. We get a fleeing shot as
he passes by.
The most interesting engage
mcnt took place on bomber escort
n ssion 10 Sciacca, Italy Actually,
4 i. probably shouldn't have been as
interesting as il turned out 10 be
The controlling factor is that the
leader OF the bomber formation
couldn't get his bomb bav doors
open on the frs; run over the
target This necersj'ated his going
around two more times and il gave
enemy fighters who d dnt know
We were coming the opportunity
10 get of their airdrome and come
up and get US We actually saw
enemy fighters scramble and climb,
and they really do climb
Our ships were close escort for
the bombcrs that day and We were
tight with them, The bottom, me-
dunn and top cover was provided
by another group o. fighters. so
NC absorbed all OF the attack Of
this 20-plus Mel O.. Nacchi POPS
and WHO'S and IN ,ha. day We
lost couple OF aircra', We def
nitelv DESTROYED one OF The enemy
probably DESTROYED \ covplc more
and damaged three. We believe that
one or our pilots is a prisoner OF
war lrc dental'y, on that day. Cen
era, Eisenhower visited our feld
and dur.nr his stay congratulated
Captain Hall. ono o. our flight
commanders. on his and our frs.
noe, ~, r. = ,.s,..,,.