Flight Journal – September 2019

WW II Air War 63

The 96th FS’s sister squadron, the 97th FS, had a black-painted tail,

and it was ID’d by the letter H. The C was part of the pilot/ground

crew code. (Photo courtesy of Jack Watson via Warren Thompson)

Itwouldbeamonthbeforethenext
mission,FranticIII,sent 76 P-38sand 58
P-51sonasweepacrossRomaniaonJuly22,
1944.TheirgroundattacksagainstGerman
andRumanianinstallationsweredescribedas
“devastating,”withthefightersdestroying 56
GermanandRomanianaircraftbeforeheading
ontoMirgorod.Duringtheirthreedaysonthe
EasternFront,theMustangsandLightnings
struckaGermanairfieldinPoland,before
returningtoItalyviaRomaniaonJuly 26 that
sawanother 20 Axisaircraftdestroyed.
OnAugust4,FranticI V,a“rerun”ofFrantic
III,composedofthe31stand82ndFGs,was
themissionAndrewsandWillsieweresettofly.
Twohoursaftertakeoff,Willsielookedout
overthemountainsthatseparatedYugoslavia
fromRomania.COCol.Littonwaggledhis
wingstotheothersandcommencedadescent
asthefightersheadedacrossthecentral
Romanianplains.AstheypassedPloesti,
Willsietookhitsfromflak.
“WehitFocsaniairfieldandspottedseveral
aircraftinthepattern.AsIdived,Isawthree
wereJu52s,”Willsieremembered,“Ihitone
solidly,anditwentuplikeabombbecauseit
wasloadedwithfuelsupplies.”
FollowingCol.Litton,Andrewssweptdown
arailroadtrackandstrafedtwolocomotives;
asheblewaswitchcontroltowertopieces,
heranoutofammunition.“Iwentrightover
anarmoredtrain,cryingandcursingbecause
Ididn’thaveashotleft.”Theflakwasheavy
andseveralotherP-38swereshotdown,
includingCol.Litton,whosurvivedthecrash
andwascaptured.
Willsiepulledoutofhisrun.“Igothitby
flakinmyrightengine.AsIfeatheredthe
propeller,Ispotteda 109 cominginonmy
right.Iturnedintothedeadengineandcame

aroundonhim.Iwaslosingspeedsoquickly,

hecouldn’tleadme,andheshotpastbeneath

me.Icameoutoftheturnonhistailandlet

himhaveit.Atthatmoment,Itookahitin

myleftengine.Itwasstillrunning,butnot

forlong.”

Andrewsturnedawayfromthearmored

train.“IsawWillsie’sP-38withoneprop

featheredandcoolantpouringoutoftheother

engine,whichmeanthewouldn’tstayup

muchlonger.Ipulledover,flyinghisleftwing,

andsaid‘Pickagoodfield,andI’llcomedown

andgetyou.’”

Willsie’sfirstresponsewastosay“no,”but

hewastoobusywithhisemergencylanding

toreply.“Igaveacalltotheothersaboutmy

Lt. Willsie stands in front

of his P-38J Snake Eyes.

(Photo courtesy of John

Cook)

FACT

After losing

several airplanes

and crews in

unsuccessful

rescues, the AAF

forbade such

attempts.