Bill there is some talk of a real strange mission that the 445th may have taken re: behind the turning off on their own even when they were yelling to the lead B-24 you've gone the wrong way
That would have been interesting. Bomb Group CO's that intentionally took their birds out of trail were usually fired (if not KIA during the 'mistake'). It would always put the escorting fighters in a dilemma and split the available fighter force.
don;t ask me yet for particulars as I am still studying. Sadly it was the most perfect bounce the Sturmfw gruppen ever made. the opening 7-7-44 was a massacre as well
Here is what I have been able to patch together....for July 7
July 7
F.O.436. Lieutenant Colonel Kinnard led a Ramrod to support B-24s attacking oil and aircraft assembly targets at Halle, near Leipzig.
Rendezvous was made with 2nd and 95th CW's at 0808 near Lingen at 0808 and escorted to the IP southwest Leipzig at 0922. .As the formations turned north and then northwest toward Halle they encountered the first gaggle of 100 plus single and twin engine fighters about 20 miles west of Leipzig near Querfurt.. The first wave was described as "6-8 in line abreast, 8 plus flights in trail" coming in north to south at 27,000 feet. A high cover of approximately 35-40 Me 109s were flying at 32,000 feet.
This force was only part of the estimated 300 German fighters that the Luftwaffe control group put in this area and were primarily focused on the 14th CBW with the 44th, 392 and 492nd BG's who were tasked to bomb Bernburg. The 2nd AD had split the different B-24 Combat Wings near Brunswick with one force turning south then east then north to hit Halle while the 14th and 96th continued onward to Bernburg.
Kinnard bent his throttle to intercept and his lead flight of the 354FS surged way ahead of the rest of the group. The 358FS maintained close escort for the 389th and 453rd BG's, while the rest of the 354th and the 357FS broke into the Me 410s and Me 109s. One B-24 from 95th CW, 489th BG, was hit and seen to separate from the formation. It later ditched into North Sea.
Kinnard quickly shot down two ZG26 Me 410s and then shot down a Me 109 to become the 355th's seventh air ace. His wingman, Lieutenant Huish, collided with trailing debris from one of Kinnard's exploding Me 410s to become the group's first loss of the day. Huish crashed at Bendeleben, west of Halle and north of Merseburg.
Betounes and Taylor shared a 109 before the rest escaped below. Cross shot down a pair of 410's and Emil Perry got another before the 357FS caught up
As the 354th and 357FS were engaging, the 20th and 55th FG Lightnings were also engaged in a big fight 20 miles to the northwest near Bernburg.
The Luftwaffe controllers had found the 14th CW attacking Bernburg almost completely undefended. The Luftwaffe had deployed their first Fw 190 "Sturmbock" attack with Fw 190A-8's heavily armored and equipped with 30mm cannon. In just over a minute 12 B-24s from the 492nd BG went down in flames between Halberstadt and Bernburg. Eight more 14th CW B-24s in the 44th and 392nd BGs would fall to the Fw 190s before the P-38s arrived.
To further complicate the situation, the 2nd and 95th CW's after bombing Halle targets found themselves in a collision couse with the southeast bound 14th and 96th CW striking for Bernburg! At the end of the day this was not the best day for 8th AF mission planners. The Bernburg task force was escorted only by the 4th FG and were overwhelmed at the point of attack.
Even though the 55th FG Lightnings were covering the 14th CBW including the 392nd, 492nd and 44th BG, they could not defend against the total of 175 single engine and twin engine fighters the Luftwaffe concentrated on the middle of the 14th CBW. The primary assault was carried out by I. II./ZG26, IV./JG3, II./JG5 and I.&II. /JG300
The downside of the modifications to the Fw 190A-8's, to be more effective against bombers, was that they were at a disadvantage against the Mustangs and Lightnings in the area. They were just too heavy and sluggish at that altitude to escape. They had to have the same escort from Me 109s at high altitude as the Me 410's.
Captain Minchew led one section of the 357th FS into the scrap about 20+ miles west of Halle. About 25 Me 410s were leaving the battle area in a shallow dive at about 10,000 feet. Minchew quickly shot down two 410s and shared a third with a 55th FG P-38 which cut in front of him. McNeff got a Me 109 which was closing on Minchew's tail. Minchew then chased after several more Me 410's of ZG26 and damaged two more heavily SE Nordhausen before running out of ammo.
Haviland, led the second section of 357FS toward the gaggle of Me 410s heading to the southwest. He shot down two 410s immediately and his flight chased 30-40 more Me 410's south toward Naumburg, where Fuller and Cotter each shot down another Me 410. The Me 410's were described as flying an efficient formation but only dived to evade. Lieutenant Fuller was closing on a Me 410 near Naumburg A/D but was hit by flak at 7,000 feet. He bailed out 10 mi SSE Weimar and his chute was seen to open but he did not turn up after the war.
The 55th FG scored 19 destroyed for no losses in and around Bernburg. The 4th and 20th and 361st FG engaged remnants of JG300 plus JG3 and JG51 further north and NW of Halle to score 23 more for the loss of two shot down.
Col Glenn Duncan, outstanding leader of 353rd FG was shot down by flak over Holland and fought three months with Dutch Underground before getting back to Allied lines.
Claiborne Kinnard received the 355th FG's third Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership and courage in this day's action.
Final score 14.5-0-4 for two losses