This narrative is about the third to last day in which the Luftwaffe was successful enough to anticipate a critical target, skillfully place a very large reaction force of German Fighters at key spots in a bomber stream and inflict a loss greater than 10% of a 8thAF attacking force.

The First Task Force, comprised of five Combat Wings of the First Bomb Division, would lose 27 of 268 bombers this day.

On April 24, 1944 the 8th AF directed all three Bomb Divisions to attack the Munich area airfields and manufacturing targets, the Friedrichshafen area airfields and the Gablingen/Leipheim airfield targets. The Eighth would put up 716 bomber 'effectives' with the largest force of 268 B-17s in 1st TF attacking Erding, Landsberg and Oberpfaffenhofen all around Munich.

Eighth Fighter Command, combined with P-47s and P-51s from 9th AF and RAF Mustangs and Spitfires, put over 800 fighter aircraft in the air to support this attack against German aircraft industry, including the critical turbine blade factory at Landsberg – the target for Combat Wing 41-B in the First Task Force and one of the focal points of this mission.

The strength of the Fighter Force is somewhat misleading as the P-47s from both the 8th and the 9th were only able to provide Penetration and late Withdrawal escort. The RAF Spitfires were restricted in range and their Mustangs did not have the fuselage tanks, so could not quite reach the targets to bolster Target Escort.

So, the actual battles against the LuftFlotte Reich, comprised of JG1, JG3, JG5, JG11, JG27, JG53, JG106, I./JG301, III./ZG26 and II./ZG76 plus a temporary placement of III./JG26 from LuftFlotte 3, fell to five Mustang and three Lightning Groups during the deep penetration and Target escort. JG1 and JG11 attacked in the Worms/Mannheim area around 1220, the rest attacked in the Munich area from 1315 to 1415 in aggressive and sustained fights.

One hundred P-51s of the 355th and 357th FGs lifted from Steeple Morden and Leiston. After early returns, eighty eight Mustangs would be all that stood between the First Bomb Division and most of the 200 plus Luftwaffe fighters fighting that day around Munich. The German fighter force in the Munich area was dominantly Me 109G-6’s with a few 109G-6/U4’s and 109G-5’s approximately 20 Me 110G-2’s from III./ZG26 and 10 Me 410A-1’s from II./ZG76.

The 4th FG was assigned to provide Free Lance Fighter Sweep ahead of the entire stream of B-17s and B-24s as they crossed Germany toward Mannheim. The 20th, 55th and 364th FG P-38s were covering the Second Task Force comprised of four Combat Wings of the Third Bomb Division, attacking Friedrichshafen area airfields. The 352nd and 354th FG Mustangs were tasked with providing escort to the Third Task Force (Second Bomb Division) B-24s attacking Gablingen and Leipheim airfields.

The 355th and 357th Fighter Groups were to provide Target Escort to the leading First Task Force, comprised of five Combat Wings of First Bomb Division B-17s, attacking the Munich area.

Once past the Mannheim area, near Worms, the 4th FG met several squadrons of Fw 190s from JG1 and JG11. They quickly claimed 12 for the loss of three Mustangs and subsequently chased them to the north.

The 55th and 364th FG P-38s provided Target escort to the Second Task Force attacking Friedrichshafen area. Near Lake Constance the 2nd Task Force separated from the leading 1st and for 15-20 minutes there was no fighter coverage anywhere near the 1st Task Force from there all the way to Augsburg .

The lead five combat wings now proceeded alone due east along a track that would take them north of Leipheim, then Gablingen before turning east southeast past Augsburg toward Erding.

This is where the day begins for the two Groups assigned to provide cover for the First Task Force.

F.O.312 – Erding A/D, Landsberg A/D, Oberpfaffenhofen/Daimler Werke A/D.

Plan for 8th Air Force attacks on Germany, 24 April 1944 (Click to enlarge)

Lieutenant Colonel Dix led the 355th Fighter Group on a Ramrod at the lead of 357 Squadron to the Munich area from 1106 to 1632. The 355th provided Target and Withdrawal support to the leading Combat Wing (41A) of First Division B-17s bombing Landsberg. The pilots were alerted to the 357th FG assigned to cover the trailing 1st and 94th Combat Wings. The 41-B and 40th were in the middle.

Major Dregne led the 357th Fighter Group to also provide Target and Withdrawal Support to the two trailing Combat Wings bombing Erding.

Neither fighter group was assigned to specifically escort the middle Combat Wings, including 41-B, led by Colonel Dale Smith of 384th BG attacking the Daimler Werke factories at Oberpfaffenhofen. It was this critical facility which was manufacturing the formidable Do 335 twin engine fighter and turbine blades for the new and dangerous Me262.

It was probably assumed that fighter cover could be dropped back from 355th or moved forward from the 357th should the need arise. The 'need' would arise.

General Robert Travis would lead the First Division in the lead 303rd BG. The Forts took off and assembled in the 0920 timeframe and proceeded to climb above the Channel and turn south toward Paris. The five combined Combat Wings flew a unique formation that day. The mission planners decided on an unusual "Echelon Right" instead of "Trail" bomber wing formation, theorizing more frontal firepower for head on attacks.

What this meant was that the B-17 formations should have a shorter length end to end but a much wider space, side to side, for the fighters to cover.

The lead 41-A Combat Wing, comprised of 379th and 303rd BG’s, would fly the same route above Munich, then turn east-southeast where the trailing Combat Wing would bomb Erding northeast of Munich. The strike plan dictated that at a point northeast of Munich, the leading two Combat Wings would separate slightly and angle southeast then south, then turn back to the west below Munich for the IP. At the IP, slightly southwest of Munich, the leading 41-A Combat Wing would head for Landsberg, and the 41-B Wing would strike for Oberpfaffenhofen. The 41-B Combat Wing was composed of the 306th and 384th and six Forts from the 303rd BG’s. The Erding strike Combat Wings, comprised of 91st, 381st and 401st Bomb Groups would be in trail. They would all Rally 70 miles to the west of Munich and come home together.

The 355th Rendezvous was to be made slightly northeast of Augsburg at 1322, picking up 41-A and continue escort southeast toward Erding

Some 10 minutes behind the 355th FG, Major Erwin Dregne led the 357 FG to their RV point north of Munich some 20 miles behind the 355th. Even further in trail was the 2nd Division B-24s assigned to bomb Leipheim and Gablingen 10-20 minutes after the 1st AD passed the area. This force was protected by the 352nd and 354th FG’s and had cleared the Gablingen area by 1330, turning north and then west northwest for home. RAF Mustangs would pick them up northwest of Ingolstadt.

An unanticipated effect of the Echelon Right formation for the First Task Force was that every time a left turn was made, the B-17 groups in trail were 'slung away' to the right from the lead and forced to throttle up to 170mph IAS to try to catch up. Despite the trailing Wing Commanders pleading with the First Task Force commander, General Travis, to slow down, he continued to pace them at 150mph IAS. Twice a left turn was made and each time the trailing wings fell behind, opening a dangerous gap between the Combat Wings.

So, instead of the trail squadrons of 355th able to cover lead boxes of 41-B and the lead squadron of 357th FG able to overlap the trailing bombers of 41-B, it was left dangerously exposed 10+ miles behind the lead Combat Wing and 4-6 miles ahead of the trailing Combat Wings – with disastrous consequences.

Shortly afterward the First Task Force Penetration Escorts broke escort at 1305, the German controller put SturmStaffel 1 plus I. and III./JG3 in the same space as the First Task Force. West of Gablingen they started making persistent and effective attacks around 1305-1315 on both 41-A and 41-B Combat Wings.

The 355th FG was still some minutes away from RV point further ahead and the 357th FG was at least 20 minutes away, resulting in three B-17s going down in 41-B plus another one from 41-A.

Captain Dewayne "Ben" Bennett, pilot in the low squadron of the 384th BG, CW 41-B, estimated 50-60 German single engine fighters plus another 20 Me 109s flying top cover, made the first of many head on attacks. For approximately 15 minutes the unescorted B-17s were in trouble. In addition to the four shot down in the Leipheim to Augsburg area, there were about 20 more B-17s with varying degrees of damage, some of which would fall later.

Just before the Forts reached the 355th R/V point, the 355th arrived early northeast of Augsburg at 1319, heading southeast toward Munich. Lt.Colonel Dix saw the second combat wing of B-17s under attack, as was their own assigned first combat wing B-17s further ahead. Dix led the 357FS to attack and directed Kucheman, leading the 354FS and Sluga, leading the 358FS, to catch up to the 41-A now heading southeast, north of Munich, toward Erding.

This second force of German fighters came in from the northeast. Approximately fifty more Me 109s and Fw 190s with another 20 plus Me 109s flying top cover, made a diving right turn for the first head on pass. The fighters split into formations of 4-6 each and made what were later described as “persistent and skilled” attacks, boring through the B-17 formations and returning for more head on attacks

The 357 FS quickly engaged the Fw190s from Sturmstaffel 1 and their Me109G-6’s from Stab and StabIII/JG3 and II./JG3, shooting down four plus several damaged. Lt. Col. Gerald Dix shot down an Fw190 whose pilot bailed out and saluted him as Dix flew by, returning the salute. Dix then tacked onto a very skilled pilot leading the 109 escorts and the fight ranged from 23,000 feet in rolling dive to the deck, then hard skids, zooming climbing turns and snap rolls near the deck until the German pilot finally straightened out in a valley.

The pilot was probably JG3 ace Ltn. Franz Schwaiger. Dix hit him hard in front, from canopy to nose, but his own canopy fogged up and he lost him on the deck. Dix only claimed the 109 as a ‘Damaged’ but Schwaiger apparently belly landed just ahead, southwest of Regensburg. According to a witness Schwaiger crash landed but was strafed by a Mustang before he could escape - but no encounter report for either 355th or 357th Fighter Group contains an account of a strafing during this mission.

Yellow Flight leader Captain Heny Bille also scored in this fight northwest of Munich, putting a good concentration of fire into the cockpit of a Fw 190.

Minchew engaged and damaged a Me 109 which was chasing Dix and was separated from Dix in the fight. Shortly afterwards he shot down a Me 109 northwest of Munich.

A short time later, around 1330-1335, Blue Element leader DeMers found a flight of approximately eight Me-109s northeast of Munich covering for a gaggle of them. He led the climbing attack and quickly destroyed two 109s, and hit the third one hard. This fight ranged from 24,000 feet to the deck. StabII./JG3 Gruppenkommandeur Herman Freiherr von Kapp-herr probably went down in this same fight. 1st Lt. Reed Butler, leading Green Flight with McNeff on his wing, covered Blue Flight’s bounce and turned into the other 30-40 Me109s. In this scrap they closed on the Me 109 that DeMers had just damaged and shot it down.

An unidentified flight of Mustangs came in from the west to help out. The second force of P-51s was almost certainly Captains Don Bochay from 363FS/357th FG or Henry Kucheman with Red Flight of 354FS. Both had claims of Me 109s in this area.

About 1340 Minchew tacked on to a stray 357FS element with Norman and Hillman. Over the northeast side of Munich Norman called out a bogey below and sent Minchew down to investigate. It was a stray “red and yellow checkered nose” Mustang (357FG) but he lost him in the clouds. When he climbed back to altitude, Minchew could not find Norman and Hillman and they did not respond to radio calls.

According to German records Norman crashed one mile south of Sankt-Wolfgang, near Waldkraiburg SE Munich at 1415. Two other Mustangs were claimed east of Munich around 1345, and one more (other than Norman) was shot down southeast of Munich around 1412.

Based on the timing and location of 1412 and Walkraiburg, Luftwaffe Expertens, Fw Heinrich Bartels or Ltn Stigler of 11./JG27 almost certainly shot down Norman, and possibly Hillman or Sturm.

Due to the uncertainly of the time and location of Hillman’s and Sturm’s losses, they could have been shot down either in 1345 or 1415 timeframe. Bartels also claimed two Mustang victories in the 1345-1347 timeframe in the Muhldorf area and StabIII./JG3 Gruppenkommandeur Walter Dahl claimed one near Muhldorf at 1345.

The 357th FG also lost three to enemy fighters, but only one to Me109s, so it is hard to match the actual German victors for sure but the 357FS went through the north and northeast Munich area at least 10 minutes before 357th FG made R/V north of Munich at 1330.

About the same time Hillman and Norman made contact with Minchew over Munich, Blue Flight leader Capt. John Wilson shot down one Me 109 and damaged another, while F/O King damaged still another one northeast of Munich before re-joining escort east of Munich - to finish the 357FS scoring for the day.

Around 1335-1340, the two remaining intact 355th FG squadrons, the 354th and 358th, were turning south from Erding and the 357th FG was engaged with the German fighters behind the 355th.

The 357th FG also engaged III./JG3 at approximately 1330-1335 when they made R/V with First Task Force northwest of Munich. Also about this time Hptmn Staiger led approximately 30 Me 109s from III./JG26 into an unprotected box of B-17s and shot down several Forts with head on passes plus claimed a P-51 in the Augsburg to Munich area.

This claim neither matches in time nor location for any of the four Mustangs lost to LW in Munich area, so at best it was unverified even as damaged.

The first to score for the 357th FG was the 363rd FS in fights from 1330 to1350, ranging from Augsburg to north of Munich. Lieutenants James Browning and Joseph Pierce each shot down Me 109s. Then Captain Montgomery Throop downed a Me109 with the pilot bailing, while Captain Don Bochay shot the tail off a Me 109 northeast of Munich with that German pilot bailing out as well. Captain Cal Williams of the 362nd FS also destroyed a Me 109 in this fight during a 500 mph dive, the Me 109 being seen to explode and disintegrate.

Lt. Howard Hinman was last seen chasing a Me109 east of Munich and may have been the victim of JG301 Experten, Ltn Hans Muller. His claim was in area of Ebensberger Forest about 20 miles east of Munich. Hinman may have been the lone Mustang sighted by Minchew, Hillman and Norman.

Later, Lt. Joseph Pierce chased a “Ju 88” (probably a Me 410) about 30 miles toward the southwest and nailed it west of Munich. A little bit later southeast of Munich Captain Ed Hiro chased a Me 109 to the deck, closed to 100 yards and fired about four bursts from dead astern. The 109 then hit the ground and exploded. During this fight all three squadrons were separated and gradually broke down from eight ship elements to flights of four and two just as the 355th FG was broken down.

In the battle around the Erding strike combat wings, several flights of 363FS and 364FS of the 357th FG quickly quartered from northwest of Munich, to the east and south, chasing different Me 109s, while the 362FS continued unmolested toward Erding.

The 364FS drew their first blood in the Munich area trying to break up an attack on the 41-B CW along with the 357FS/355th FG efforts. Lieutenants Richard Peterson and Charles Sumner destroyed a Me109 apiece north of Munich. Both German pilots were killed. 1st Lt. John Carder climbed after a Me 109 following which the E/A then engaged in a series of acrobatics, however, Carder hit it with a couple of long bursts causing the pilot to bail unsuccessfully. Carder noted that "The Me 109 is no match for the P-51 at any altitude or maneuver". Lt Robert Shaw claimed a probable in this fight. Twenty miles north of Augsburg 2nd Lt. Tom McKinney hit a Me 109 with the heaviest concentration of strikes his wingman ever saw, sending it down to crash in flames.

The 364FS was in this fight behind and north of the 355th as the bomber track ran southeast toward Erding. In all, they shot down six Me 109s from north of Augsburg through Munich and then to south of Munich in the 1345-1425 timeframe.

By the time the 364FS engaged only the 362FS/357th FG and 358FS/355th FG were still intact and still escorting the First Task Force east of Munich

Several flights of the 362FS and 363FS of the 357th FG cornered Me 110s from III./ZG26 south of Erding trying to sneak out of the area and quickly claimed 10 for loss of two in mid air collisions. The high scorers were Lieutenants Fletcher Adams and John England with three each, while 2nd Lieutenant’s James Roughgarden damaged two, Alden Smith damaged one plus a probable, John Coon damaged one, Ollie Harris damaged one and Frank Connaghan destroyed another.

Capt. Fred Smith downed a Me 109 attacking the bombers near Wurm Lake. 1st Lt. William Reese would destroy one more Me109 over Munich to finish the 357th Fighter Group scoring for the day.

Lieutenant’s Connaghan (KIA) of 362nd and Donnell (POW) of 363rd were victims of the mid air collisions with Me110s. Connaghan sliced throught the wing of one and was seen to bail out but turned up dead later.

As the 363rd FS was busy northeast of Munich, and about 10 minutes before the trailing 362FS/357th FG Mustangs were attacking Me 110Gs east of Munich, the 354FS of the 355th FG saw that the “middle” Combat Wing (the unlucky 41-B), now south of Erding A/F and heading south, was coming under attack again.

The 354th FS put an eight Mustang section into the swarm of German fighters as Red and Yellow Flights immediately engaged in a battle that would range north, east, south and southwest of Munich. The 41-B combat wing lost four more B-17s before the Red and Yellow flights could engage and beat off the attack.

Capt. Henry Kucheman took Red flight and engaged just south of Erding in the 1345 timeframe, quickly downing three Me109s and going all the way to the deck for the third victim. During this time all five combat wings headed to the next course point southeast of Munich and turned to west, the leading wing now near the IP.

This engagement may have been with the I./JG301 Gruppe flying top cover for IV./JG3.

In this fight, Stab/JG301 and I./JG301 lost six 190G-6’s shot down, three WIA plus 3 KIA, and Gruppenkommandeur Major Walter Bredensbach was hit badly and crash landed his Me 109 at Holzkirchen airfield shortly afterwards.

It was about this time that Colonel Dale Smith, leading the 41-B Combat Wing, found himself visibly separated from the lead combat wings by heavy cloud cover in front. After emerging from the cloud cover he was startled to note that his 41-B CW was now LEADING the First Task Force!

What happened was that had ‘inside position’ on the turn back to the west and as a result they had unknowingly ‘cut the corner’. There was a heated exchange between General Travis and Colonel Smith regarding the ‘New’ Lead heading into the IP and bomb run, but Smith decided he was taking too many losses to turn his entire Combat Wing in a 360 degree circle in order to let Travis regain the Lead!

When the now leading 41-B force turned back to the west, inbound toward the IP, Captain Robert Woody spotted the 384th BG once again under heavy attack by Me109s from the south and southwest by, JG27 and JG3. He took Yellow Flight from his position in front of Travis’ 41-A and raced ahead to join that fight. Now only 358FS and 354 Blue Flight was left intact to cover as 41-A and 41-B were miles apart.

Captain Robert Woody quickly shot down four and over ran a heavily hit fifth, which Lieutenant William Boulet finished off. Boulet had already shot down two and this shared victory with Woody rounded his score up to two destroyed with one shared. Woody got another heavy concentration into a sixth 109 before running out of ammo, losing sight of it as he over ran it near a cloud deck – claiming only a damaged.

Lieutenant Norman Fortier, flying element leader in Yellow Flight, called it the best shooting he ever saw during WWII, and then proceeded to shoot down a pair, one on the deck. By this time the first two combat wings were nearing the IP and the bomb run to Landsberg and Oberpfaffenhofen.

It was at this moment that III./JG26 and elements of III./JG3 and IV./JG27 again saw the opportunity and hit 41-B hard.

Luftwaffe Experten Hptm. Staiger, leading III./JG26 had patiently stalked the first two CW’s up sun after departing his attacks when the 355th had arrived at the R/V earlier. When the 41-B forged ahead of the 41-A on the way to the IP, they became uncovered by both the 355th and 357th FG’s, frantically trying to cover everybody. Staiger claimed three B-17s with his 30mm equipped Me 109G-6/U4 before breaking away for good.

The two bomb groups in 41-B were hit hard by head on attacks by the 50+ Me109s, some firing 30mm cannon. Seven more B-17s went down before Blue Flight of 354FS and remnants of Red and Blue flights of 357FS arrived to break it up.

Only the 358th FS/355FG and a couple of flights from the entire 357FG were left to cover some 250 B-17s of all five Combat Wings as the rest of the Mustangs were engaged all around Munich in groups of two and four apiece.

Over the next 20 minutes seven more B-17s would stagger into Switzerland to land or crash as the 1st Task Force headed home. One of them was shot down during final approach by Swiss Fighters and crashed. One more would land in Sweden and one would ditch in the Channel before the day was over.

Just before the remnants of the 354FS arrived in the Landsberg area, Captain Brady Williamson, Blue Flight Leader, jumped a flight of Me109s, damaging one, before losing him.

Lieutenant Henry Brown picked up the leader in a wild chase to the deck scoring all the way in the dive and 100 feet above the ground. The pilot, in desperation bailed out too close to the ground. Brown was separated from his flight and picked off another stray on the deck between Ammur and Wurm See south of Munich for his double around 1435.

In all, Woody, Fortier and Boulet destroyed nine in their encounter and Woody received the 355th FG’s second DSC for his role in the mission. Kucheman picked up three 109’s, Brown two 109s before the Luftwaffe was able to extract itself from this fight.

Woody and Brown became the 355th FG’s group's fourth and fifth air aces.

Demers was lost on the way home attacking barge traffic on the Rhine ~1425. He had a structural failure on pull up, losing both wings near Minden. On the way home, Fortier picked up Brown and Williamson and spotted approximately 10 Me109s and Fw190s NW Trier and led his three strays into them, but they turned away and no more combat ensued

The 355th FG claimed 24 but the final score was later reduced to 20-1-6 for the loss of four, three to fighters, all 357FS

The 357th FG had an even better day in the same area with 23-2-7 awarded.

For the 357th FG, Bochay’s Me 109, Adams’ three Me 110s and John England’s three Me 110s raised their scores to air ace on this day.

The 357th FG lost Lieutenant Stager on the way home when he strafed an airfield near Ludwigshafen was hit by airfield flak and bailed out near Strasbourg, and also ended the day with four lost, three in air combat.

The 358FS had opportunities but stuck with the 41-A Combat Wing to cover them all the way.

In all it was bad day for the both the Luftwaffe and Combat Wing 41-B. It was also a bad day for USAAF. The 8th AF Bomber Command lost a total of 39 B-17s to fighters and flak, including 7 crossing the border to land or crash in Switzerland. One more went to Sweden to make the total 40 lost in this mission. III./JG26 was particularly effective, stalking the 384th and 306th Bomb Groups and probably responsible for half of the B-17s down near Oberpfaffenhofen area Although the final total of actual B-17s shot down by the Luftwaffe was about one half of their claims, over 100 returned with some form of damage.

The Luftwaffe controllers were successful at exploiting the gap in coverage between the 357FG and 355FG in trying to cover the entire 1st Task Force, with 355th assigned at front and 357th the back end of the 40 mile stream

In all, over 200 German fighters made contact in that area. The order of engagement seems to be Sturmstaffel I. with 1/JG3 flying top cover around 1315-1320, followed by III./JG3 around 1325, then Stab IV./JG3 with IV./JG3, Stab./JG301, I./JG301 and III./JG26 in the 1330-1335 timeframe. IV./JG 27 and I./JG5 appeared in the 1336-1340 timeframe followed by II./ZG26.

The battle raged from Ulm to Augsburg and Dachau in the northwest to Regensburg to the north, to Erding, Muhldorf and Landshut in the northeast, to Rogoersdorf and Waldkraiburg in the southeast to Landsberg and Oberfaffenhofen to the west of Munich. It started at 1315 and the last shots were fired around 1430 with the better part of two 8th AF Fighter Groups reduced to two and four ship formations..

On the plus side of the day the Do 335 production tooling was very badly damaged setting the program back for months. In all only 40 of these formidable fighters were produced by VE Day. The German Air Force lost a GruppenKommandeur KIA, a top ace and quite a few experienced flight leaders KIA/WIA in this battle. Including those fighters lost near Worms earlier, the Luftwaffe lost sixty fighters, 39 pilots KIA and 12 WIA.

For the US, rarely did two different Fighter Groups cooperate so well in the same area but even two veteran Fighter Groups were not enough to prevent serious B-17 losses on this day.

Bill Marshall – August 2007

This narrative is part of the future release of Angels Bulldogs and Dragons = Vol. II. I reserve the right of Copyright and give Mike Williams permission to post on his website as a tool for other historians.

Don Caldwell’s and Richard Muller’s recent “The Luftwaffe Over Germany” was also invaluable, as also Don’s personal help in answering questions about JG26’s role in this mission.

All mistakes are solely my responsibility, and any errors are in spite of magnificent assistance from Dewayne “Ben” Bennett, Erich Brown, Jack Cook, Joe Shea, Don Caldwell, Frank Olynyk and Mike Williams.

VIII Fighter Command, Narrative of Operations, 24 April 1944.
357th Fighter Group, Mission Report, 24 April 1944.
P-51 Formation Combat Tactics, by Lt. Col. Irwin H. Dregne, 357th FG
P-51 Squadron Tactics, by Capt. John B. England, 357th FG
P-51 Squadron Tactics, by Major Edwin W. Hiro, 357th FG
P-51 Individual Combat Tactics, by Major John A. Storch, 357th FG

Note: Bill Marshall is the author of:
Angles, Bulldogs and Dragons: The 355th Fighter Group in World War II