[VIII FIGHTER COMMAND APRIL, 1944 AIR TO GROUND OPERATIONS DOGFIGHTS vs. GERMAN PLANES]

Description: Dating to April of 1944, this reel of gun camera footage shows planes of the VIII Fighter Command in action in Occupied France. Most of the footage is of air to ground attacks, but the reel also contains footage of air to air combat or dogfights. During this time period the VIII operated Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and North American P-51 Mustangs.

00:00 Opening title card
00:18 2nd Lt. J.L. Lang of the 334th Squadron makes an attack on German aircraft on the ground, a flak tower at 00:37, and then more aircraft.
00:46 1st Lt. N. Megura of the 334th Squadron makes an attack on parked aircraft. During this footage, the aircraft in front of him (possibly his wingman, or possibly a German fighter) is hit and begins smoking prominently. At 1:27, Megura strafes a train, parked aircraft, and other targets. Note: this is almost certainly Nicholas Megura. About a month prior to when this was shot, on March 6, 1944, First Lieutenant Megura shot down one German Messerschmitt Bf 110 and damaged a second one. Two days later, while on a B-17 bomber escort mission, five Messerschmitt Bf 109s attacked the group. Megura was able to quickly down one, and then engaged another Bf 109 which was attacking a B-17. Forcing the pilot of the Bf 109 to bail out, Megura claimed his fifth victory of the war along with ace status. For his actions during this three day period, Megura was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in April.
02:01 2nd Lt. D.R. Emerson of the 336th Squadron strages dispersed aircraft on the ground
02:11 1st Lt. T.L. Harris of the 364th Squadron engages an FW-190 and shoots it down
02:54 Capt. C.C. Ettelsen of the 368th Squadron attacks a series of steam locomotives and trains
03:46 Capt. Woody of the 354th Squadron attacks an Me-109
03:56 1st Lt. B.L. McGrattan of the 335th Squadron attacks an Me-109
04:20 Lt. G.B. Peet of the 359th Squadron strafes barges,
04:52 Lt. W O'Barr of the 359th Squadron attacks a munitions train, which spectacularly explodes
05:14 2nd Lt. J.H. Oliphant of the 369th Squadron strafes trains and factories. The title card also mentions an FW-190
05:40 1st Lt. H.J. Miklajcuk of the 486th Squadron strafes trains and buildings
06:42 Lt. J.P. Kessler of the 487th Squadron shoots down a Ju-88
07:17 Lt. Col. P.E. Tukey of the 361 Squadron attacks barges and trains
08:08 Lt. Tanner of the 350th Squadron attacks barges and ground positions
08:28 1st Lt. J.B. Carder of the 364th Squadron attacks an Me-109; at 8:52 he appears to strafe the downed aircraft
08:56 1st Lt. N. Megura of the 334th Squadron is shown in combat with three Fw-190s.
09:40 1st Lt. A.L. Schlegel of the 335th Squadron is shown in a dogfight with an Me-109 and three different Fw-190s. Note: This is likely 1st Lt. Albert L. "Smiley" Schlegel Jr, later promoted to Captain, who was shot down on August 28, 1944, over France, captured by German forces, and then executed. His remains were listed as unidentifiable for over 70 years until advanced forensic technology confirmed his identity in 2016.
10:12 1st Lt. G.I. Stanford of the 335th Squadron is shown attacking an Fw-190
10:28 1st Lt. J.T. Godfrey of the 336th Squadron is shown attacking two Fw-190s
10:59 Lt. Routenbush of the 375th Squadron is shown attacking a parked aircraft, and a hangar or building in the background explodes spectacularly.

Note: The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed Würger was a German single-seat, single-engined, fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during WWII. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe of the Luftwaffe.