Date of Action: July 28, 2008
Base of Operations: A75
Division Assignment: Target W

VMF-251 took off at 2305 from A75 with four Me-262s and four Bf-109K-4s. Squadron was tasked with escorting AR-234s of 364th CHAWKS to bomb troop factory at sector 5.11.

Red Flight - Me-262
Maj. Wyatt
2nd Lt. HAMMERR
Capt. MEF4UD
1st Lt. DeVice

Blue Flight - Bf-109K-4
Capt. Morgan
2nd Lt. Roche
1st Lt. DeVice
2nd Lt. 1Duke1

Wyatt in overall command of strike after C/O 364th did not arrive. 109s took off NE and proceeded to rally point 7.4.5. VMF-251 109s supplemented by four additional 109s of 364th, folded into overall command of Morgan. Me-262s and Ar-234s took off SW and, after extending from field, circled around on cours for Rally Point.

109s, 234s and 262s (VMF-251 supplemented by VF-6) proceeded north and rallied at 7.4.5, then turned north through corridor between Patrol Sectors Alpha and Bravo. Of 10 formations of 234s at launch two vanished and one ditched before arrival over target area.

109s under Morgan flew out ahead of formation to act as advanced screen at 25,000ft. 234s followed at 20,000ft, with 262s trailing slightly at 30,000. Formation proceeded to second WP and IP for run on target at 7.11.8. No contact made with enemy by 109s at turn, and formation proceeded W onto target.

109s made contact with P-51s over target area and engaged. Morgan downed P-51 and 2358. Roche recorded kill after forcing enemy into ground at 2359. DeVice claimed Mustang at 0000. 1Duke1 claimed P-51s at 0000 and 0001. Roche forced to bail at 2359. DeVice shot down 0002, and 1Duke1 at 0004. Morgan shot down at 0010.

262s maintained contact with bombers and multiple times drove P-51s off. Drazz recorded victory at 0002. 234s made successful bombing run and turned to egress. 262s continued to harass enemy before following bombers out.

As Red Flight arrived over channel Wyatt spotted bogies behind and slightly above. Reports of three P-51s in sector by egressing bombers, so Wyatt turned and ordered engagement. Bogies identified as Tempests, fourth having arrived during initial merge. Hammer shot down 0019 and remainder of Red Flight retreated.

Remainder of squadron successfully recovered at A73 by 0037. Initial reports on target indicate 234s of 364th destroyed 60% of target. Of 21 bombers that arrived over target, only four confirmed shot down by the enemy.