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CONFIDENTIAL
306TH FIGHTER WING
COMBAT CLAIM FORM

Mission Number 246  Date 24 March 1945
Claimant'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 42-103926  Sq. 99th Fighter Date of Encounter 3/24/45
Time 1215 hours Place Berling Area, Germany  Altitude 26,000 to 10,000
Type of E/A Encountered Me-262   
Dest.
Prob.
Dam. 1

[[image: clockface diagram, a red 'T' has been drawn between 1 and 2 o'clock, leaning right, a blue 'T' is drawn at 5 o'clock, leaning left. A curved blue dotted line connects them ]]

NARRATIVE: Climbing back to 26,000 feet, I observed three (3) Me-262's at 1215 hours coming in at the bombers from five (5) o'clock high but did not reach the bombers as I turned my flight into them. The jets turned to the right and my  flight turned inside of them. Number one (1) jet dived down and number three (3) jet pulled up  into a steep climb. I fired at number  two (2) jet who continued in his turn from approximately 2000 feet and closed to within 900 feet before breaking off the attack. Hits were observed on  the fuselage and a puff of black smoke  was seen. Claimed: 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 (Destroyed - Probable - Damaged)

A CERTIFIED AND TRUE COPY:

RAY B. WARE,
Capt., A. C.,
Intelligence Officer

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