6 June 1943

WITH JAJ GEN DOOLITTLE’S STRATEGIC AIR FORCES – (6 June, 1943)

    This afternoon P-40 Warhawks of this Unit flew their half-hundredth mission, a fighter-bomber mission over Pantellaria. In combats with 25 ME-109s, six enemy aircraft were destroyed.

    F/O Charles R. Engle of Lowell, Ohio, credited with destroying one ME-109 related, "I had a bird’s eye view of the whole business. Down below our boys had just finished dropping their bombs and were starting back out to sea when from the north-west I saw 25 ME/s coming. They didn’t seem to see our high-cover, and about 12 started down after the P-40s on the deck. My flight turned and dove after them. I line one up, gave him a little lead, and he flew right through my burst. His plane seemed to stand still, shudder, roll over, and plunge down into the sea."

    Captain Joseph A. Bloomer of Lambertville, N.J., called today’s encounter "duck soup" and scored his second victory over an ME-109.

    Other victories were credited to 2^nd Lt. Arthur T McDaniel of Vandervoort, Arkansas, F/O Lewis E. Brown of Otway, Ohio, F/O David B Campbell of Orangeville, Penna., and F/O Otis E. Prevatt of Palatka, Fla.