Computer generated image

P=47 lowering landing gear

ONE TROOP TRAIN--POOF! The enemy was very busy trying to rush reinforcements to the beachhead. We were on a Sq.Armed Reconnaisence mission and located a troop train stopped at a small station. It was in a deserted countryside near the edge of a forest. We knew it was a troop train as soldiers poured from every car when they saw from which direction we were preparing to strafe. We straffed the train broadside, each man taking a separate car from engine to caboose. The soldiers sought protection by huddling behind the track embankment on the other side of the train. We completed the first run by all 16 aircraft and the second pass had begun. I don't recall just where I was in the string of straffing planes, but probably about the middle as I saw P-47's firing ahead of me. I was at tree top level (we saw no evidence of ground fire but I expect we were taking much rifle fire from the troops behind the embankment). As I began to fire, suddenly the entire train from engine to caboose disappeared in a ball of smoke, fire and debris. It was too late for me to execute any evasive tactics and had to fly through the mess. In doing so, I collected a few holes from the flying debris. This is what had happened. A flight of B-26 twin-engined bombers popped out of the low overcast and laid their entire bomb load down the railroad track from engine to caboose totally destroying the train, and no doubt, most of the soldiers. The bombers did not know we were there and we didn't know they were there. They came very near to ending my flight career. In two or three more seconds I would have been over the train as their bombs exploded and I would have become part of the debris. My guarding Angel was still busy! ©whcameron2000