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CONFIDENTIAL 306TH FIGHTER WING COMBAT CLAIM FORM Mission Number 246 Date 24 March 1945 Claiment's Full Name EARL R. LANE Rank 1st Lt ASN 0-828052 Home Address 1165 E 294th St. Wickliffe, Ohio Position 2nd Element Leader A/C Number 415087 Sq. 100th Fighter Date of encounter 24 March '45 Time 1210 Place Berlin Area Altitude 25,000' Type of E/A Encountered ME-262 Claim Dest. X Prob. [[blank]] Dam. [[blank]] [[preprinted image - circle, perimeter divided into 12 points, indicating directions, e.,g., the top of the circle is North. There are two aircraft drawn symbols on the circle, one American and one German.]] NARRATIVE: The ME-262 was in a 30 degree dive, coming across the bomber formation. He appeared as if he was peeling from an attack on the bombers. I came in for a 30 degree deflection shot from 2,000 feet. He didn't quite fill my sight. I fired three (3) short bursts and saw the plane emitting smoke. A piece of the plane, either the canopy or one of the jet orifices, flew off. I then pulled up and circled over the spot where he went down. I saw a crash and a puff of black smoke. Two (2) seconds later, I saw another piece hit close to the first piece. I was at 17,000 feet when I broke off the encounter. The jet was a steel blue-grey camouflage. My wingman verified this encounter. /s/ John B. Quick /t/ JOHN B. QUICK, Capt., A.C., Interrogator. /s/ Ray B. Ware /t/ RAY B. WARE, Capt., A. C., Gp S-2. Approved as one E/A (Destroyed - [[strikethrough]] Probable [[/strikethrough]] - [[strikethrough]] Damaged [[/strikethrough]]) A CERTIFIED AND TRUE COPY. RAY B. WARE, Capt., A. C. Intelligence Officer. /s/ B. O. Davis Jr. /t/ B. O. DAVIS JR., Colonel, Air Corps, Commanding. CONFIDENTIAL