MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!! A day or two after this experience I led a flight of four on an armed reconnaissance excursion. Approaching the bombed out area near St. Lo., I saw a most remarkable sight! It looked like the entire U.S. army was streaming down the hi-way out of St. Lo. heading for Paris. I glanced to my right and snuggled up against a hedgerow was a German tank, the first I had seen after the invasion. He was about a mile from the army column passing in front of him. I had no way to know if he was hiding or planning to attack. However, his JU-88 cannon was pointing in that direction. Our only armament on that mission was our wing guns, practically ineffective against the heavy armour of the tank. But, it seemed a good idea to let the Army column know that an enemy tank was lurking nearby. I signaled my flight to line up in trail and form a straffing pattern. It was a typical weather day in Normanday. Good visibility below a thin 1000 ft. overcast. I began a shallow dive toward the tank and just before firing, the hatch flew open and three men dived out of the tank and to the other side of the hedgerow. They were safer in the tank as we had no bombs, but ,of course, they didn't know that. As I fired my eight wing guns, I became fascinated by the multi-colored display as my bullets shattered off the steel tank. It was almost a fatal fascinatioin. At the last second, my instincts warned me,“ pull up or you are going to slam into the side of that tank”. I_ knew_ it was too late! In desperation I yanked the control stick back into my gut with all my strength and the airplane immediately flopped upside down! My training and reflexes took over. Certainly there was no time to think. I immediately slammed full throttle and jammed the control stick foreward to climb while upside down. I was told I cleared the tank by two or three feet while on my back. I continued to climb until I passed through the thin overcast and was able to roll right side up. Only then did I realize I was still firing my guns. It all happened so fast I did not have time to release the trigger mounted on the control stick. My Guardian Angel was still beside me. ©whcameron2000