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CONFIDENTIAL

306TH FIGHTER WING
COMBAT CLAIM FORM

Mission Number 246  
Date 24 March 1945
Claiment's Full Name Richard S. Harder 
Rank 1st Lt  ASN  0-821914
Home Address 137 Renwick Place, Syracuse, N.Y. 
Position Blue #1
A/C Number 42-103026  
Sq. 99th Fighter  
Date of Encounter 24 March 1945
Time 1208 Hours   
Place Berlin Area   
Altitude 28,000 feet
Type of E/A Encountered  ME-262   
Claim  Dest.  
Prob.   
Dam.  X

[[image: Diagram consisting of circle marked in 12 segments as if clockface. In Red Pencil two letter-T shapes both leaning to the right to the right and left of the 1 o'clock mark, near the edge of the circle; one blue T shape leaning to the left near the 5 o'clock mark near the perimeter of the circle. A dotted blue line has been drawn between the blue and the red Ts, curving slightly.]]

NARRATIVE:  At 1208 hours, 26,000 feet, four (4) ME-262's made an attack from 5 o'clock high in string at the lower right echelon of the lead bombers. The number four (4) jet broke high and to the left, straight up; the number one (1) jet continued down while the two (2) jets in the middle  rolled out to the right and went straight down. My flight of four (4) aircraft broke after the jets. I pursued the two (2) jets that turned to the right and commenced firing from about 3,000 feet, ten (10) to twenty (20) degree deflection shots and ceased firing from approximately 900 feet when I observed that  it was impossible to close any further. Hits were observed on the fuselage of one jet A/C and black smoke was seen as I broke off the attack. Duration of first attack was approximately one minute from 28,000 feet  to 10,000 feet. I claim: 1 damaged.

/s/ [[underlined]] ROBERT G. PITTS[[/underlined]]
/t/  ROBERT G. PITTS,
Capt., A. C.,
Interrogator

/s/ [[underlined]] RAY B. WARE [[/underlined]]
/t/  RAY B. WARE,
Capt., A. C.,
#Group S-2.
Approved as one E/A [[strikethrough]] (Destroyed - Probable -[[/strikethrough]] Damaged)

A CERTIFIED AND TRUE COPY:
RAY B. WARE,
Capt., A. C.,
S-2.

/s/ [[underlined]] B. O. DAVIS JR. [[/underlined]]
/t/  B. O. DAVIS JR.,
Colonel, Air Corps,
Commanding.

CONFIDENTIAL