The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-21

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hour.
The P-4o is a comparatively slow
plane and its fighting has to be done
defensively. because the Messsr-
schmitt. with It's superior speed. can
pick the angle and time OF attack.
Put the P-40 has on: great advant-
age; IL can make tighter turns The
flight ysnked hard on their con-
trolls and turned into the German
onslaught.
Dryden Sprays Formation
Dryden, after his turn, found HIM
self far out beyond the edge Of the
melee, with the bombers passing
sedately 5000 feet above his head.
SO he reared up above them and
then dove down across the tail Of
the formation spraying them as he
went, and continued right down
into the dog-fght below.
Three of the P-40's were making a
lufberry, a slow. spiraling circle in
which each plane protects the
others. tail. From that defensive
circle,Slike covered wagons gath
cred around square against Indians
on the plains, the defenders can
shoot out as the enemy speeds
around on the outside. Dryden
shook Focke-Wun on his tail and
snusged into the lufberry, circling.
firing his guns as the Germans
fiicked across his sights.
Leo Rayford was having troubles
OF his own. Two FWs kept at him.
and when he turned into one, the
other would get burst in at him.
One burst hit and his right wing
shuddered as a 20-mm cannon she'll
exploded there. Rayford was fight.
ing grimly, taking the long gamble
against the two Germans, when
Spann Watson appeared on his
wing from nowhere. Watson opened
up at long range. He hit the out
side German. and the two planes
broke away out OF the fight.
Ashley Nabs Naxis Plano
At the initial turn, Willie Ashley's
plane had gone into a spin and he'd
lost considerable altitude. When
he pulled out, he started spiraling
up to rejoin the others. Suddenly
ahead Of him he saw another plane
on the loose. He edged in to in
vestigate. 1t was q Focke-Wulf.
Ashley got in good and close be-
fore letting go with his entire
works. He saw that his tracers were
. going too FAR in front, so he cut
. down on the lead until he saw the
tracers hitting home. He sprayet
the German from end 10 end. ans
it began . long smoking glide -
ward the sea- gN
FL The pilot followed The fallin
German plane a. FAR - he dared
but the air behind him was still
full OF nachine-gun fire and spit
ting planes. He wheeled and climb.
> ed to make sure there was no ons
on his tail, and when he looked
down once more there was no sign
OF the German. Ashley climbed 10
rejoin his flight.
Germans Quit Fight
The six American planes spiraled
In formidable porcupine formation,
and the German fighters left of and
sailed toward Italy. Meanwhile the
jittery enemy bombers had jetti-
soned their loads into the sea, with
out attempting a run over the is.
land, and were making for home.
Once again the P-40's joined com
psny front. flying wing to wing in
extended horizontal order, and re-
sumed their patrol over Pantelleria.
A few minutes later they were re-
iieved and headed for home, flying
below the formation of Spitfires
coming out to carry on the daylight
vigil over the island.
There is nothing very new In this
story. Six untried pilots from q
squadron new to action meet the
enemy and do rather well against
him, beating of superior forces
without loss to themselves and with
probable loss to the enemy. They
h=ish their patrol, alive with new
confidence, and fly home to dinner.
II must have happened time and
time again in this war to thousands
OF fighters. There is nothing new
except that all the pilots are Ne.
groes and the entire squadron, hy.
ers and ground crew. commanding
officer and buck privates. are Ne
groes.
coo Negroes In Fight
Over the Mediterranean, six
Americans OF this race for the hrst
time in history fought for their
country in an aerial battle against
the enemy.
1t. Col Benjamin %. Davis. Jr.
commanding officer OF the squadron,
who flies with his men, was grad
uated from West Point in 1895. He
is 80 years old, tall and wiry. and
has that peculiar tenseness you find
among Ayers. Son OF Brig. Gen.
Benjamin o. Davis. now on duty in
the ErO the colonel formed the
. squadron himself and bears the
large weight of responsibility.
He hiss told his men that he's
not interested in commanding just
another squadron. He wants a
, crack OUTFIT or nothing.