This excerpt from Fogg in the Cockpit is from Howard's diary:
Wednesday, July 12: Wretham.
Up at 0815. Briefing at 0930. Took off at 1110. Duplicate of yesterday’s show in every detail but flight time. I led Olson, White, and Keesey. My #2 and #4 planes got lost in very rough air of overcast. Picked up Kosc for #2. Homeyer flew #4 later. Encountered heavy flak near Ruhr so everyone split up as usual. Major Shaw led. I became Blue Flight. We only had eight planes out of 16 for escort duty. Never saw the ground; went from here to Munich and back on instruments.
Couldn’t release my left tank and it pissed me off highly. Then it fell off on my landing approach.
Sure was tired. Up for 6 hours and 10 minutes. A long ride. Plane ran fine, loads of gas. Damn this lousy English weather.
Wednesday, July 12: Wretham.
Up at 0815. Briefing at 0930. Took off at 1110. Duplicate of yesterday’s show in every detail but flight time. I led Olson, White, and Keesey. My #2 and #4 planes got lost in very rough air of overcast. Picked up Kosc for #2. Homeyer flew #4 later. Encountered heavy flak near Ruhr so everyone split up as usual. Major Shaw led. I became Blue Flight. We only had eight planes out of 16 for escort duty. Never saw the ground; went from here to Munich and back on instruments.
Couldn’t release my left tank and it pissed me off highly. Then it fell off on my landing approach.
Sure was tired. Up for 6 hours and 10 minutes. A long ride. Plane ran fine, loads of gas. Damn this lousy English weather.
P-51s from the photo archives of Howard Fogg.
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