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CONFIDENTIAL

306TH FIGHTER WING
COMBAT CLAIM FORM

Mission Number 246
Date 24 March 1945

Claiment's Full Name Reid E. Thompson 
Rank 1st Lt
ASN O-817594
Home Address 91 Potter Ave.  New Rochelle, New York 
Position Element Leader
A/C Number 415710
Sq. 100th Fighter
Date of encounter 24 March '45
Time 1210  Place Berlin Area
Altitude 26,000'
Type of E/A Encountered ME-262 Claim  Dest. [[blank]]  Prob. X  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 symbols drawn on the circle, 1 American and 1 German.]]  

NARRATIVE:  While flying cover over the bombers, I saw them being attacked from 2 o'clock high.  I broke away from my formation and peeled down to intercept the enemy aircraft.  Another flight passed me and I broke away.  As I broke away, I saw another ship that I took to be an ME-163.  I fired a short burst from 7 o'clock, from 4,000 feet with a 70 degree deflection.  I realized that I was out of range as he went into a dive.  I went down with him, attempting to close within range.  He was almost vertical in his dive.  It did not appear that his dive was controlled.  No smoke appeared from his jets.  We rolled a few times.  I pulled out of my dive at 10,000 feet and leveled out at 6,000 feet.  At the time I pulled out of the dive, the E/A was about 6,000 feet and still going down in a vertical dive.  I did not see him hit the ground but I did see smoke where I estimated he had hit.

/s/ John B. Quick
/t/ JOHN B. QUICK,
Capt., A.C.,
Interrogator.

/s/ Ray B. Ware
/t/ RAY B. WARE, 
Capt., A. C.,
Group S-2.

Approved as one E/A ([[strikethrough]] Destroyed [[/strikethrough]] - Probable - [[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