USA - BLANCHARD Merle E ciel de gloire - histoire des as de l\'aviation de 1914 à nos jours BLANCHARD Merle E
BLANCHARD Merle E


 

 

 


 

 

 


Né le 16 novembre 1919
Décédé le 23 octobre 2006

 

 

Capitaine

2 victoires homologuées
2 avions ennemis endommagés

 

 

 

 

 



Grade Date
Unités
Arrivée Départ Fonction Secteur
Slt
194?
USAAF 01/42 03/43 Elève Pilote Etats-Unis
Lt
31/01/44
USAAF 03/43 1943 Pilote Etats-Unis
Cpt
09/08/44
338 FS / 55 FG 1943 08/44 Pilote Grande Bretagne
   
USAAF 08/44 05/45 Instructeur Grande Bretagne

Officier de l'USAAF, le Capitaine Merle E Blanchard est né le 16 novembre 1919 à Campbell, en Californie. Diplômé de la Haute Ecole de Santa Cruz en 1938, il est employé par la société Lockheed à Burbank, en Californie où il travaille sur les chaines d'assemblage du P-38, appareil dont il tombe amoureux. Il rejoint l'Army Reserve en janvier 1942 et débute la formation de Cadet à Lemoore (Californie) avant de suivre l'entrainement avancé à Williams Field, en Californie. Il reçoit ses ailes en mars 1943 et se trouve affecté au 338th Fighter Squadron / 55th Fighter Group. Envoyé en Grande Bretagne, il sert avec cette unité jusqu'au 9 août 1944. Au cours de sa période d'activité au sein de l'unité, il remporte 2 victoires confirmées en combat aérien. Le 10 août 1944, il est transféré au 496th Fighter Training Group en tant qu'instructeur. Merle Blanchard est décédé le 23 octobre 2006 à Placerville, en Californie.

Avion assigné : P-38 CL- "Big Nick"

 


 

 


 

55th Fighter Group

 

 

338th Fighter Squadron



Traducteur / Translator / Traduttore / übersetzer / vertaler

 




 

BLANCHARD Merle E (Cpt) O-740137

 





European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal


 

 

 

 

Victoires aériennes

 

Victoires  
2
.
o
  Collaboration
Probables  
o
.
o
  Collaboration
Non confirmées  
o
.
o
  Collaboration
Endommagés  
2
.
o
  Collaboration

Objectifs terrestres
.
Avions détruits au sol  
-
.
-
  Endommagés au sol
Blindés  
-
.
-
  Véhicules
Locomotives  
-
.
-
  Bateaux


VICTOIRES
Date Heure Revendic Type Unité Avion d'arme Unité Lieu   Référence
31.01.44
Détruit Me 109
P-38 338 FS / 55 FG Goch
-
(xx) x x
On my original bounce I was forced to break into an Me 109 alone and lost my leader. I tried twice unsuccessfully to join other flights, but each time was bounced by more 109's coming down. I saw an Me 109 on a P-38's tail, both planes being in a gentle turn to the left. They were about 1,000 feet below the main group of P-38's and about 300 feet below me. I closed on the E/A and got in a good burst at about 300 yards from nearly dead astern. I observed hits on wing and fuselage of the 109, and he went off in a shallow wing-down dive to the right, trailing white and dark smoke, unquestionably out of control. He was in a steep spiral and was smoking heavily when I last saw him as he went into the overcast. I fired several short bursts at other Me 109's but did not observe results.

I claim One (1) Me 109 destroyed.

22.05.44
Détruit Fw 190
P-38 338 FS / 55 FG Neumunster
-
(xx) x x
While leading Red Flight at 20,000 feet I saw 8 P-38's bouncing 4 FW 190's at 10,000 feet. I started down to give them immediate top cover, when I noticed a single engine a/c approaching 5 P-38's from 8 o'clock. I called White Flight for cover and came out of the sun in a 420 mph. dive on the a/c, which I identified as a FW 190, and started firing at about 450 yards. The e/a saw my tracers and broke left, and as he did so, I noticed strikes on both wing and fuselage. I racked my plane in and out-turned the e/a getting hits at a 15 degree deflection in the bank. The e/a started what appeared to be intended as a split "S", but as he rolled on his back he released his canopy and started leaving the plane. I fired another short burst as he was getting out of the ship, hoping to get a picture of him before pulling up to avoid a collision. When I had completed my pull-up and looked back, the e/a was out of sight in the cloud, so I do not know whether or not the pilot succeeded in getting out of the plane, but he was making every effort to do so when I last saw him. I claim one FW 190 destroyed.
11.06.44
Endommagé Me 109
P-38 338 FS / 55 FG Beauvais
-
(xx) x x
While leading Red Flight at 8,000 Ft. I observed two ME-109s on a P-38 tail at 9 o'clock. I broke left with my flight and made a head on pass at one of them and observed a few strikes. Then I covered my No. 4 man, Lt. Schank as he followed the other ME-109 to the deck and in a 5 minute flight at 0 altitude shot him into some trees.

I claim One (1) ME-109 Damaged.

06.07.44
Endommagé Me 109
P-38 338 FS / 55 FG Laon
-
(xx) x x
While leading Acron Red Flight at 15,000 feet we spotted 5 plus ME-109's on the deck directly over Laon, France. Acorn Squadron bounced these aircraft and at first they tried the old trick of circling the airdrome 1 mile east of Laon. Our boys drove in through the light flak of the airdrome and they headed for the wide open spaces below tree top level. I spotted one ME-109 without a P-38 on his tail heading east, about 4 miles from Laon and dove in to attack from 5,000 feet at about 420 mph with my four ship flight. At about 10 degrees above, dead astern, I opened fire at 200 yards getting many hits on fuselage and wing roots. As I was over running the E/A, I was forced to pull up in a wing down loop and could not see the E/A after that. He was smoking heavily when I broke away. Engagement lasted 5 seconds.

I claim One (1) ME-109 Damaged.



Sources

STARS & BARS - Frank Olynyk - Grub Street Editions
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=55
http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/338th%20Pilots/Blanchard%20Merle%20E%20Capt.htm