August 25, 1944 – Black Friday and the 474th FG

Sixty-five years ago today, over the fields of France, 23 P-38s of the 474^th Fighter Group engaged what could loosely be described as a gaggle of German Bf-109′s and FW-190′s in a frenetic, hard fought, swirling dogfight.  Initially engaged in a fight were the odds were 2:1 against them, the 12 427^th Fighter Squadron and 11 428^th Fighter Squadron P-38J’s were joined in mid-battle by another flight of 32-plus FW-190s.  It was, as these kind of fights are wont to be, short, brutal and bloody.  The Americans lost 11 of their 23 fighters — four 474^th FG pilots (Capt. Charles Holcomb, Lt. Joseph Stone, Lt. Jerry Zierlein, and Lt. Ray Packard) were KIA on that mission, five would escape and evade capture, and two were taken as prisoners of war. The crash sites of Capt. Holcomb, Lt. Stone, and Lt. Zierlein were discovered shortly after the war allowing for proper disposition and return of their remains stateside.  Ray Packard’s crash site remained a mystery, but was recently found.  And on the German side?  Go here to read the rest of the story…

(H/t to Eagle0025, official historian of the 474^th FG , for the reminder about today)