USA - JENKINS Jack S

Grade	Date	Unités		Arrivée	Départ	Fonction	Secteur
Slt	194?		USAAF	194?	194?	Elève Pilote	Etats-Unis
Lt	194?		USAAF	194?	02/44	Pilote	Etats-Unis
Cpt	194?		HQ / 55 FG	02/44	04/44	Commandant	Grande Bretagne
Maj	194?		Stalag	04/44	05/45	Prisonnier	Allemagne
L.Col	194?
Col	28/03/44

Né le 17 novembre 1914 au Texas, Jack Jenkins rejoint l'Army Reserve et se qualifie comme pilote. Le 6 février 1944, désormais Lieutenant Colonel, il prend le commandement du 55th Fighter Group en Europe. Après avoir réalisé une trentaine de missions et remporté 2 victoires en combat aérien, il est abattu le 10 avril 1944 près de Coulommiers alors quiil mitraille un aérodrome allemands aux commandes de son P-38J / CG-J / 42-67825 "Texas Ranger IV". Fait prisonnier, il ne sera libéré qu'en mai 1945.Il avait été le premier pilote de la 8th AF à remporter une victoire sur P-38 et avait conduit le premier Raid sur Berlin le 3 mars 1944. Le 28 mars 1944 il avait été promu Colonel.

Après guerre, il commandera le 50th Tactical Fighter Wing du 1 septembre 1959 au 15 juillet 1962.

55th Fighter Group

Traducteur / Translator / Traduttore / übersetzer / vertaler

JENKINS Jack S (Col)

Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal (3 oak leaf cluster)
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Prisonner of War Medal

Objectifs terrestres
.

Avions détruits au sol

I had given the order to go home some ten minutes before and started along the line of bombers to see if they were in trouble. My flight approached a box of B-17's from 6 o'clock and 1,000 ft. above. I noticed three ME 109's come from the sun and start an attack on the rear of the box. I divided down and closed in on one while my No. 3 and 4 men took the other two. Closing in close I gave him a long burst and his aircraft burst into flames, he rolled over and bailed out. Insamuch as I had to pull up to keep from going into the bombers, I didn't see the ME 109 pilot bail out. F/O Fair saw him leave his ship. These pilots disregarded our fighters and pressed their attack on the B-17's.

After we had escorted the forward echelon of the bomber wing across the target and to the North Sea, we turned, flying toward the rear of the bomber formation to give them area support. When we got to the 3rd box, I saw a straggler with his left outboard engine feathered and his left inboard engine on fire. Two FW-190's were initiating an attack on it's rear. I was meeting them head-on, so I executed a diving turn, closing on the FW 190's rapidly. I started firing too soon because they were firing on the cripple. I held the trigger down and closed to 250 yards before I saw a large burst of flame come from the engine of the FW 190 on the left, and he slowly rolled over, smoking, and spun slowly downward. It looked as if the pilot was trying to regain control. He was last seen spinning downward still omitting smoke. Lt. Hoeper also fired at this FW 190 as we closed on it. At no time did the enemy appear to notice our approach. They were very aggressive in their attack on the tails of the bombers.

I was leading the 343rd Squadron at 12,000 feet. The 338th Squadron was flying at the 14,000 feet level and the 38th Squadron was top cover at 18,000 feet. At 1315, after being vectored by controller, we sighted six ME 109's coming out of the sun at us. They were about 2,000 feet higher than us. We started climbing to meet them head on and they swung port and started climbing away from us into the sun. We had chased them about one minute when my Red Leader reported several bogies on about the same level coming at us from 8 o'clock. Having decided that we couldn't catch the six ME 109's without some difficulty, we made a port turn and prepared to meet the FW 190's head-on. when they observed us turning, they made a starboard turn, and we fell in behind them. Two of them split S'd, two dived and two tried to turn with us. I closed on the second one of these and gave him about three, three second bursts, beginning with a 30 degree deflection and firing down to a 15 degree deflection. Cannon and MG hits were observed along wings and fuselage. Pieces of cowling were seen to fly off and smoke began to stream from the port side of the engine. The leader of this two-ship element half-rolled, but this E/A made no attempt to evade. He went into a spin and was last seen by my No. 3 man spinning at approximately 6,000 feet. It is believed by the undersigned that the pilot was injured or killed inasmuch as he made no attempt to evade.

I was leading Swindle White flight, weaving 3,000 feet above the rear box of B-17's of the 3rd Division on withdrawal. An ME 210 was noticed just ahead and on the same level as the B-17's, closing into rocket range. Without dropping our belly tanks we nosed over and prepared for a rear attack. The E/A broke left just before we came into range and commenced violent evasive action. I fired several bursts at approximately 350 yards at a 30° deflection and close din to 250 yards at a 10° deflection. Hits were seen along the center section and right inboard wing panel. The pilot evidently jammed his controls tot he firewall, because the E/A suddenly nosed over in a vertical dive. Swindle White No. 3 and No. 4 both saw glycol pouring out of right engine.

[1914 - 1918]	[1918 - 1939]	Liens	Mon ciel de Gloire		Exploits	[1939 - 1945]	[1945 - 2006]
Grades	Décorations	Contact	News	Forum	Musée	Unités	Batailles

Victoires	2	.	o	Collaboration
Probables	1	.	o	Collaboration
Non confirmées	o	.	o	Collaboration
Endommagés	1	.	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
03.11.43	13.25	Détruit	Me 109		P-38	HQ / 55 FG	Spiekeroog Isle	1	(L.Col) Jenkins Jack S
I had given the order to go home some ten minutes before and started along the line of bombers to see if they were in trouble. My flight approached a box of B-17's from 6 o'clock and 1,000 ft. above. I noticed three ME 109's come from the sun and start an attack on the rear of the box. I divided down and closed in on one while my No. 3 and 4 men took the other two. Closing in close I gave him a long burst and his aircraft burst into flames, he rolled over and bailed out. Insamuch as I had to pull up to keep from going into the bombers, I didn't see the ME 109 pilot bail out. F/O Fair saw him leave his ship. These pilots disregarded our fighters and pressed their attack on the B-17's.
03.11.43	13.15	Probable	Fw 190		P-38	HQ / 55 FG	Wilhelmshaven	-	(L.Col) Jenkins Jack S
After we had escorted the forward echelon of the bomber wing across the target and to the North Sea, we turned, flying toward the rear of the bomber formation to give them area support. When we got to the 3rd box, I saw a straggler with his left outboard engine feathered and his left inboard engine on fire. Two FW-190's were initiating an attack on it's rear. I was meeting them head-on, so I executed a diving turn, closing on the FW 190's rapidly. I started firing too soon because they were firing on the cripple. I held the trigger down and closed to 250 yards before I saw a large burst of flame come from the engine of the FW 190 on the left, and he slowly rolled over, smoking, and spun slowly downward. It looked as if the pilot was trying to regain control. He was last seen spinning downward still omitting smoke. Lt. Hoeper also fired at this FW 190 as we closed on it. At no time did the enemy appear to notice our approach. They were very aggressive in their attack on the tails of the bombers.
25.11.43		Détruit	Fw 190		P-38	HQ / 55 FG	La Bassee	2	(L.Col) Jenkins Jack S
I was leading the 343rd Squadron at 12,000 feet. The 338th Squadron was flying at the 14,000 feet level and the 38th Squadron was top cover at 18,000 feet. At 1315, after being vectored by controller, we sighted six ME 109's coming out of the sun at us. They were about 2,000 feet higher than us. We started climbing to meet them head on and they swung port and started climbing away from us into the sun. We had chased them about one minute when my Red Leader reported several bogies on about the same level coming at us from 8 o'clock. Having decided that we couldn't catch the six ME 109's without some difficulty, we made a port turn and prepared to meet the FW 190's head-on. when they observed us turning, they made a starboard turn, and we fell in behind them. Two of them split S'd, two dived and two tried to turn with us. I closed on the second one of these and gave him about three, three second bursts, beginning with a 30 degree deflection and firing down to a 15 degree deflection. Cannon and MG hits were observed along wings and fuselage. Pieces of cowling were seen to fly off and smoke began to stream from the port side of the engine. The leader of this two-ship element half-rolled, but this E/A made no attempt to evade. He went into a spin and was last seen by my No. 3 man spinning at approximately 6,000 feet. It is believed by the undersigned that the pilot was injured or killed inasmuch as he made no attempt to evade.
11.01.44		Endommagé	Me 210		P-38	HQ / 55 FG	Dummer Lake	-	(L.Col) Jenkins Jack S
I was leading Swindle White flight, weaving 3,000 feet above the rear box of B-17's of the 3rd Division on withdrawal. An ME 210 was noticed just ahead and on the same level as the B-17's, closing into rocket range. Without dropping our belly tanks we nosed over and prepared for a rear attack. The E/A broke left just before we came into range and commenced violent evasive action. I fired several bursts at approximately 350 yards at a 30° deflection and close din to 250 yards at a 10° deflection. Hits were seen along the center section and right inboard wing panel. The pilot evidently jammed his controls tot he firewall, because the E/A suddenly nosed over in a vertical dive. Swindle White No. 3 and No. 4 both saw glycol pouring out of right engine.

[1914 - 1918]	[1918 - 1939]	Liens	Mon ciel de Gloire		Exploits	[1939 - 1945]	[1945 - 2006]
Grades	Décorations	Contact	News	Forum	Musée	Unités	Batailles