Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. 38 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Berlin in P-51D 'Bee-Jay' 44-14727; crashed near Hohnhorst, Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 10817



Awards: PH (OLC).



"At 13.00 hrs in the Steinhuder lake area, Red flight of the 350th Squadron, led by Capt William F Tanner, gave escort to a crippled B-17 at 500 ft but were bounced suddenly by 15 + Fw190s. In the ensuing action the flight were able to down three of the attackers and damage a further aircraft, but at a cost of two of their own. Capt Tanner reported:

‘After coming off the target there was quite a bit of escort around, so to avoid mid air collisions, we pulled off to the south of the bomber track where we found a lone B-17 who was losing altitude rapidly. Seldom leader said we would stay with him. Around Steinhuder Lake he was at 5000 ft and made a 180 degree turn and headed back inland, losing altitude rapidly. I took my flight down and leveled off at his level of 500 ft. He then made a turn towards the Lake. I saw a loco below and my flight of three ships strafed this, then pulled up and orbited the B-17 again. Just then 15 Fw190s came from under the cloud layer and pulled in back of the B-17 and shot him down. I had no choice but to turn, so I made a sharp left hand orbit which took me in back of these 190s. I saw my wing man, Lt Cowen, getting quite a few strikes on a 190 and then the e/a caught fire. I had my sight lined up on a 190 and just as I pulled the trigger and shot about 20 rounds I saw tracers coming over my wing, one hitting me. I broke violently, and as I broke, I felt several pieces of metal, from the e/a hit my plane, one in the nose spinner and one in the gun camera. I then found myself 180 degrees to the Fw190 who was shooting at me. My number three man, Lt Deeds, was on his tail, giving him a long burst, firing until the e/a exploded. I then completed my turn and found myself in a gaggle of 190s who had been in the thin layer of cloud above. They were diving on Lt Deeds, who was shooting at another 190. I picked out a 190 and shot; he flicked over on his back and attempted to split S, but the altitude was about 400 ft and as he had half completed the manoeuvre, he tried to roll out of it, but he couldn’t. He hit the ground and immediately caught fire. I found three 190s on my tail, so I broke again, and I saw a 190 on Lt Deeds’ tail. I called for him to break, but he kept going straight and the 190 was scoring hits on him. Lt Deeds’ plane caught fire and he hit the ground burning. I was still in a tight climbing turn with 3 e/a on my tail, when I saw Lt Cowen with two 190s in back of him, scoring hits on his tail assembly. I called for him to break, but then tracers came in front of me, so I broke into the cloud layer which was at 3000 ft’.

1st Lt Alvin Lee Deeds had only just received his promotion that day and was flying LH-P ‘Bee Jay’(a/c 44-14727). He was credited with one enemy aircraft destroyed in the action but was later confirmed as killed in action."