4th Fighter Group pilot and 335th Fighter Squadron “D” Flight commander 1Lt. Don Perkins returns to base following a spirited dogfight near Paris on August 18, 1944. According to the squadron history, the 335th was tasked to bomb barges and transports along the Seine River and Beauvais-Gisors area in their second ‘show’ that day.
Leading a section of four Mustangs, Lt. Perkins and the rest of the squadron - two more sections for a total of 12 fighters - crossed the coast at 16,500 feet. They soon let down to 4,000 feet near Les Andelys and began bombing enemy rail and road transportation. Encountering light flak, the squadron then spilt up into four-ship sections to further attack scattered targets. Just as the squadron dropped their final bombs, 50+ Bf 109s dived down and surprised the P-51s. Perkins and two other pilots quickly shot down a German fighter each - Perkins getting his north of Paris in the vicinity of Beaumont-sur-Oise. The high of victory was tempered by a depressing head count - five Mustangs were missing, presumably shot down by the overwhelming attacking force. The squadron historian noted, “The show was very costly indeed.” Unfortunately, it was later discovered that all five 335th pilots - Lts. Bernard Rosensen, John Conley, Robert Cooper, Donald Smith, and Leo Dailey - had been killed in action. The remaining seven pilots strafed a few more targets of opportunity before setting course for their Essex base. They later reported seeing many British and American troops north of Dreux and Evreux. It was late when the 335th landed back at Debden.
There wasn’t a lot of chatter as the squadron’s pilots inevitably gathered in the officer’s mess lounge just across the hall from the formal dining room. Spirits were lifted almost immediately when the weary pilots saw that Captain Pierce McKennon had returned from the states for his second tour of combat ops and to take command of the squadron, as it turned out, through the end of the war. His high spirit, ready smile, and classically-trained expertise pounding out popular boogie-woogie tunes on the piano while missions were refought at the bar with hand-Mustangs in one hand and sloshing pints in the other had been greatly missed. There were busy days and little rest for the boys from Debden as a mild autumn and then the most brutal European winter in years settled in and taxed the mettle of the entire allied forces as they sought to end nearly six straight years of war.
Artist’s note - the 4th Fighter Group, per directive, removed the upper portions of the black and white so-called “Invasion stripes” on the fuselage and wings in late July. A high ops tempo and overworked ground crews prevented a thorough job on such a low-priority task, and combined with the painted main section of the Mustang’s laminar flow airfoil it was fairly common to see remnants of the upper wing stripes on aircraft that had been around for the “big day.”
Completed 2019
Collection of Ron Freier
4th Fighter Group pilot and 335th Fighter Squadron “D” Flight commander 1Lt. Don Perkins returns to base following a spirited dogfight near Paris on August 18, 1944. According to the squadron history, the 335th was tasked to bomb barges and transports along the Seine River and Beauvais-Gisors area in their second ‘show’ that day.
Leading a section of four Mustangs, Lt. Perkins and the rest of the squadron - two more sections for a total of 12 fighters - crossed the coast at 16,500 feet. They soon let down to 4,000 feet near Les Andelys and began bombing enemy rail and road transportation. Encountering light flak, the squadron then spilt up into four-ship sections to further attack scattered targets. Just as the squadron dropped their final bombs, 50+ Bf 109s dived down and surprised the P-51s. Perkins and two other pilots quickly shot down a German fighter each - Perkins getting his north of Paris in the vicinity of Beaumont-sur-Oise. The high of victory was tempered by a depressing head count - five Mustangs were missing, presumably shot down by the overwhelming attacking force. The squadron historian noted, “The show was very costly indeed.” Unfortunately, it was later discovered that all five 335th pilots - Lts. Bernard Rosensen, John Conley, Robert Cooper, Donald Smith, and Leo Dailey - had been killed in action. The remaining seven pilots strafed a few more targets of opportunity before setting course for their Essex base. They later reported seeing many British and American troops north of Dreux and Evreux. It was late when the 335th landed back at Debden.
There wasn’t a lot of chatter as the squadron’s pilots inevitably gathered in the officer’s mess lounge just across the hall from the formal dining room. Spirits were lifted almost immediately when the weary pilots saw that Captain Pierce McKennon had returned from the states for his second tour of combat ops and to take command of the squadron, as it turned out, through the end of the war. His high spirit, ready smile, and classically-trained expertise pounding out popular boogie-woogie tunes on the piano while missions were refought at the bar with hand-Mustangs in one hand and sloshing pints in the other had been greatly missed. There were busy days and little rest for the boys from Debden as a mild autumn and then the most brutal European winter in years settled in and taxed the mettle of the entire allied forces as they sought to end nearly six straight years of war.
Artist’s note - the 4th Fighter Group, per directive, removed the upper portions of the black and white so-called “Invasion stripes” on the fuselage and wings in late July. A high ops tempo and overworked ground crews prevented a thorough job on such a low-priority task, and combined with the painted main section of the Mustang’s laminar flow airfoil it was fairly common to see remnants of the upper wing stripes on aircraft that had been around for the “big day.”