Feeling at home in the new P-51s, Preddy claimed approximately 20 kills by August including six on 6 August 1944. On leave in the USA from mid-August to October 1944 when he returned to Europe and became CO of the 328th FS. Killed by friendly ground fire, 25 December 1944. Ratsy had lead his squadron on a low-level sweep over the Ardennes front and downed two Me109s when he began chasing a couple of FW190s which flew over some American troops on the ground near Liege, Belgium. They opened up on the 190s but hit Preddy (and Lts. Cartee and Bouchier) by mistake as they raced overhead. Preddy, losing coolant, opened his canopy and, it seems, attempted to bail out. Samuel L. Sox Jr. writes what is currently known about George's death on the Preddy Foundation Website. It includes this - "From their vantage point looking NE, Sgt Charles Brown, PFC John Starzynbski and Lt Murray Grobman saw Preddy fall from the Mustang at about 200 feet, his parachute not deployed and Cripes A’ Mighty now inverted disappearing behind a tree line where they heard her hit the ground. Cartee glanced over his shoulder to see the Mustang continue its rotation and violently impact the ground. After things quieted down a bit, Lt Grobman took his jeep and drove over to see what he could find. Later on when he returned, he told Brown and Starzynski that he did not go the crash site but he found where Preddy's body was located, added that the pilot was identified as a Major and his chute wasn't deployed. Brown recalls within minutes of the crash, 2 Me-109s flew over line abreast on the same path as Preddy and no Allied anti-aircraft guns fired." You can read Samuel's full account here. Ratsy's brother Bill, also a fighter pilot, was shot down and killed by enemy ground fire while strafing an airfield at Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia on 17 April 1945. |
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From an Incident in the Pacific
"Air-Sea rescue is a service, whose praises have been left unsung since the war broke out, yet is of unsurpassed value to our airmen, especially from the point of view of morale. A Navy pilot once said, “There is nothing more pitiful than the sight of helpless men in the water, even if they are on a raft; they look so small and weak, and when you bring your plane down or your boat alongside, the looks of joy and gratitude on their faces pays you back a hundred times.” A typical case of rescue was the action taken by Flying Officer E. Wilson, an Australian, who took off in his walrus amphibian over wintry channel seas to save the life of Captain (now Major) Preddy of the 352nd Group, who had fought in the defence of Darwin, Australia and New Guinea, before he came to the European Theatre of Operations. For four and a half hours after landing on a sea too rough for a take-off, Wilson clung to the wing of his “kite”, and when he was picked up by a naval craft his arm, which had been hooked around the strut, could not be straightened until it had been thoroughly thawed. After the rescue, Wilson and Preddy joined in conversation and discovered they had many common friends. There was built a lasting friendship like thousands of others which will unite our two people in the post-war period."
From “A History of the VIII U.S.A.A.F. Fighter Command by Lt. Col. Waldo H. Heinrichs, A.C., A.U.S., Intelligence Officer (A-2) 66th Fighter Wing.
Reproduced 31 November 1944, Declassified.
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The Mid-Air — John Sauber and George Preddy
* "On the afternoon of 12 July 1942, CAPT “Bitchen" Ben Irvin along with LTs John Sauber, Leon Howk, George Preddy, Dick Taylor, and Paul Blakely of the 9th Squadron were all killing time waiting for the scramble order that would start a scheduled training flight. Enemy activity had slowed and there was little to do until the scheduled takeoff time, Sauber was reading a best selling novel of the day, “The Sun is My Undoing," while the others relaxed. The schedule called for Preddy, Taylor, and Blakely to play the role of enemy bombers, while CAPT Irvin led the attackers. Howk and Sauber, to intercept them. When the scramble order came, all six P-40s took off without incident.
Once airborne, they took their positions according to the briefing and CAPT Irvin positioned his flight, which had been joined by LT Andy Reynolds, to attack the "bombers." Reynolds made the first attack, followed by LT Sauber who picked LT Preddy's P-40 as his target. He peeled off and dove on his target normally, but then it appeared that he became disoriented, misjudging his speed, timing, and distance from the target formation. At the last possible moment he realized his danger and attempted to pull up. His aircraft went into a violent snap roll and hit the tail of LT Preddy's P-40. LT Howk later stated that he thought that Sauber had been blinded by the late afternoon sun and, ironically, the sun had been his undoing. Both P-40s spiraled down, out of control and finally a single parachute was seen to open. The other P-40 crashed and exploded in a ball of fire with the pilot still inside. None of the circling pilots knew who had gotten out, or who had spun in.
Operations had heard the entire accident over the radio as the pilots shouted to each other over their open mikes and the crash crews were alerted. The flight circled the area until the pilot in the parachute landed, then they radioed his position to the Operations Room and headed back to base at full throttle. Ben Irvin led the flight in and was the first to land. He was out of his P-40 almost before it stopped rolling. An ambulance was standing by and immediately picked him up. He took over from the driver and headed out cross-country at top speed, with a parade of jeeps, crash trucks, and other vehicles following him as closely as possible.
Since the collision had taken place at 12,000 feet. Irvin held out little hope for the pilot who had crashed with his P-40 and was heading for the area where the other pilot had landed. Time was a factor, since it would be dark in about an hour and finding the pilot in darkness would be nearly impossible. The sun had just set and the light was fading fast when Irvin spotted the P-40 that had remained over the downed pilot. The P-40 buzzed his position and Irvin spotted the parachute on a ridge. When they arrived they found LT George Preddy laying on his parachute, bleeding badly.
He had come down through some big trees and his parachute had caught on their branches, spilling the air from the canopy and dropping him like a rock. One leg was broken, his hip and shoulder were cut deeply and he was weak from loss of blood and shock (later the doctor said that he would have bled to death before morning).
Preddy, however, was more concerned about a thirty foot ant hill he had spotted a short distance away. He had heard stories of what tropical ants could do to any living thing that was unable to move.
The search for LT Sauber was called off, to be resumed at first light. It was not until dusk the following day that LT Landers found the burnt-out hulk of Sauber’s P-40. They found Sauber still in the cockpit. The collision must have rendered him unconscious, because the canopy was not even rolled back — he had made no effort to get out. That night Sauber's tent mates, Donalson, Reynolds, and Landers, gathered all the beer they could find before they returned to the tent with its empty cot. Sauber had been a popular pilot within the squadron and had scored three kills before the accident. His loss would be felt for a long time to come."
From "49th Fighter Group" by Ernest R. McDowell, Squadron/Signal Publications
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BOMBERS POUND GERMAN CITIES
2,000 Big Planes Raid Deep Into Reich As Berlin Hit Again
LONDON, 6 August 1944 - (AP) - More than 2,000 American heavy bombers pounded Berlin and other industrial centers of the Reich Sunday in a continuing campaign against enemy war production.
As the big bombers returned to their bases Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, commander of the Eighth U.S. Tactical Air Force, disclosed that thus far aerial assaults had seriously curtailed production at 23 of Germany's major oil refineries and synthetic oil plants. Germany’s dwindling oil facilities have been a special target for Allied planes in recent weeks.
Sunday’s armadas, flying from bases in England and Italy, also smashed at enemy submarine pens in Toulon and rail communications in the Rhone valley of France.
Other U.S. Flying Fortresses and Liberators continued their battering of robot bomb installations in the Pas-De-Calais area while medium bombers, fighters and fighter bombers continued their daily pounding of the enemy's shattered French battle-front.
Pummeling the Reich in force, more than 1,000 Fortresses and Liberators with an escort of 750 fighter planes bore through heavy flak and fighter defenses to reach Berlin and other German objectives.
The assault deep in Germany was the third in as many days for the Eighth Air Force but was the first on Berlin since June 21.
More than 750 Fortresses and Liberators based in Italy bombed railways, oil storage installations in the Rhone Valley and submarine pens at Toulon in France.
Targets in Berlin included the Diesel Motor plant and an aircraft engine works at Genshagen. Armament works and a bomber assembly plant were struck at Bradenburg while at Marienfelde, another Berlin suburb, an aircraft engine plant was bombed.
The heavy bombers blasted four oil refineries in the Hamburg area, an airfield near Magdeburg and port installations at Kiel.
In a furious battle over Hamburg, Maj. George E. Preddy of Greensboro, N. C., a Mustang pilot, set a record in the Eighth Fighter Command by shooting down six German aircraft within a few minutes. Maj. Preddy now has a score of 24½ planes in the air and six destroyed on the ground to bring him up high among American top-scoring aces.
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YANKS SCORE GREATEST AIR BLOW OF WAR
British Continue Raids After 208 German Planes Downed
London, 3 November 1944 — (AP) — A thousand British heavy bombers laid 4,480 tons of explosives and fire bombs Thursday night on Germany’s greatest arsenal of Düsseldorf after a day in which United States fighters of the Eighth air force won "their greatest victory of the war over the Luftwaffe."
A special communique from United States strategic air force headquarters gave this description Friday and told of the destruction of 208 German aircraft over the synthetic oil center of Merseburg, it scaled down American losses to 40 heavy bombers and 19 fighters. One bomber and nine fighters, previously listed as lost in Thursday’s operations, landed safely at French bases. The communique said "still others probably landed behind our lines in Europe" and were unable to report immediately.
130 Knocked Down
Fighter pilots destroyed 130 German interceptors in the air and 25 aground, some on Berlin airports 100 miles from Merseburg. Bombers shot down 53 while attacking the great Leuna synthetic oil plant, which once supplied Germany with 50,000 tons of petroleum products a month.
The German air force made one of its rare stands to protect its oil spring, sending 500 planes to battle the armada of 2,000 attacking craft, 900 of which were fighters.
Formations of speedy Mosquitos struck at the rail center of Osnabruck while the heavies were blasting Düsseldorf, whose Rhein-metal Bersig plant is the largest arms producer in Germany now that the Krupp works in Essen have been partially knocked out.
Enemy planes destroyed by American airmen Thursday represented a record single day's bag by fighters and bombers in 1944.
Tries Defense
The long-dormant Luftwaffe sent up 400 to 500 planes, including scores of jet propelled fighters, against a force of 1,100 American heavy bombers and 90 escorting Mustangs making a concentrated assault on the huge synthetic oil plant at Merseburg and railyards at Beilefield and Rheine.
When the savage dog-fights were over the U.S. 8th air force had set six other records in combat at a cost of 40 bombers and 19 fighters which failed to return.
The Americans destroyed 208 German planes, 183 in the air and 25 aground. Four victims were swift new jet propelled craft. The victories fell 99 planes short of the record of 307 destroyed in a lengthy running battle over and around Schweinfurt and Regensburg on August 18, 1943. The jet planes attacked in formation, but only a few were able to penetrate the fighter screen convoying the bombers.
New Records Set
The new records were:
(1) Fighters — destroyed 155 German planes, beating previous record of 117 set Sept 11.
(2) Fighters — shot down 130 Nazis, beating previous record of 117.
(3) Fighter group — Mustangs commanded by Col. Joe L. Mason, Columbus, Ohio, shot down 38 planes, breaking old record of 31 for a single day.
(4) Fighter squadron — Mustangs commanded by Maj. George E. Preddy, Greensboro, N. C., scored 24 kills. Old record was 18.
(5) Fighter pilot — Preddy shot down one plane to become the highest ranking ace now operating in this theater with 23½ in the air and six on the ground for 29½. The record for this theater is 31 kills held by Lieut Col. Francis S. Gabreski, Oil City, Pa., now a German prisoner of war.
(6) Fighter pilot — Lieut William J. Cullerton, Chicago, Ill., destroyed eight planes, two in the air and six on the ground, for highest combined toll made in one day.
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34 Army Air Force Aces Have Score of 15 or More
Maj. Bong Leads List with 40 Enemy Planes; Colonels Gabreski, Lynch Also Included
WASHINGTON, 22 Dec. 1944 (UP) — An honor roll of 34 Army Air Force fighter aces, each of whom has destroyed 15 or more enemy planes in combat, was issued by the
War Department today and at the top of the list was Maj. Richard I Bong, of Poplar, Wis.
Among them, they have shot down a total of 689 1/4 German and Jap planes.
The Eighth Air Force, which operates in Europe against the Germans, had the most aces — 13 — with scores of 15 or better kills. The Fifth Air Force, operating in the Southwest Pacific, was next with 10, but it boasted the two top men - Maj. Bong and Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, of San Antonio, Tex., who has bagged 30 Jap planes.
Next in line were the 15th Air Force which operates in the Mediterranean and has four aces in the select circle; the Ninth which operates in Europe and has three top-ranking aces, and the 13th (based in the South Pacific) and the 14th (based in China) each with two.
Maj. Bong is credited with 38 kills but since the list was tabulated Dec. 15, he has run his bag to 40. Other high ranking fighter pilots and their scores were:
Lt. Col. Francis S. Gabreski, of 95 Spruce St., Oil City, Pa., Eighth A.F., 28 (Prisoner of war In Germany)
Maj. Robert S. Johnson, Lawton, Okla., Eighth A.F., 27.
Maj. George E. Preddy, Greensboro, N.C., Eighth A.F., 24.
Capt. Don S. Gentile. Piqua, O., Eighth A.F., 23.
Maj. Gerald R. Johnson, Eugene, Ore., Fifth A.F., 23.
Maj. Fred J. Christensen Jr., Watertown, Mass., Eighth A. F., 22.
Col. Neel E. Kearby, Dallas, Tex., Fifth A. F., 22. (Missing in action).
Col. Glenn E. Duncan, Houston, Tex., Eighth A.F., 21 1/2 (Missing in action).
Capt. John J. Voll, Goshen, O., 15th A.F., 21.
Maj. Walker M. Mahurin, Fort Wayne, Ind., Eighth A.F., 21.
Maj. Jay T. Robbins, Coolidge, Tex., Fifth A.F., 21.
Lt. Col. Robert B. Westbrook, Hollywood, Cal., 13th A.F., 20.
Col. Charles H. MacDonald, St. Petersburg. Fla., Fifth A.F., 20.
Lt. Col. Thomas J. Lynch, of Catasauqua, Pa., Fifth A.F. 26, (killed in action)
[Col. Lynch was an engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh and was graduated in
1940. His widow, a Swissvale resident, was the former Rosemary Fullen, of 7368 Schley Ave.]
Col. Hubert Zemke, Missoula, Mont., Eighth, 19 1/2.
Lt. Col. David C. Schilling, Traverse City, Mich., Eighth, 19.
Col. David L. Hill, Victoria, Tex., 14th A.F., 18 1/2.
Capt. John T. Godfrey, Woonsocket, R. I., Eighth, 18 (prisoner of war in Germany).
Lt. Col. Herschel H. Green, Mayfield, Ky., 15th A.F., 18.
Capt. Duane W. Beesen, Boise, Ida., Eighth, 18 (prisoner of war in Germany).
Maj. Walker Carl Beckham, Defuniak Springs, Fla., Eighth, 18 (prisoner of war in Germany).
Maj. Don M. Beerbower, Hill City, Minn., Ninth A.F., 17 1/2 (killed in action).
Capt. James S. Varnell, Charleston, Tenn., 15th, 17.
Capt. Cyril F. Homer, Sacramento, Cal., Fifth, 17.
Maj. Edward Cragg, Cos Cob, Conn., Fifth, 17 (missing in action).
Capt. Glen T. Eagleston, Alhambra, Cal., Ninth, 16 1/2.
Lt Col. William N. Reed, Marion, Ia., 14th, 16 1/2.
Maj. George S. Welch, Wilmington, Del., Fifth, 16.
Lt. Col. Richard E. Turner, Bartlesville, Okla., Ninth, 16.
Maj. Samuel J. Brown, Tulsa, Okla., 15th, 15 1/2.
Maj. Bill Harris, Springville, Cal., 13th A.F., 15.
Capt. Richard A. Peterson, Alexandria, Minn., Eighth, 15.
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American Gufire Ends Brilliant Record of Air Ace
Leading Yank Flier Downed by Own Forces Christmas
By Howard Cowan—London, Jan. 15, 1944 (AP) - His plane hit by American gunfire, the Mustang fighter ace Maj. George E. Preddy crashed and died on the Belgian front Christmas day.
U.S. Eighth Air Force headquarters, announcing this today, said Preddy, who had 32½ planes to his credit, was killed instantly. He was 25 and came from Greensboro, N. C.
A fusillade of machinegun fire which an American anti-aircraft battery had thrown up to trap a fleeing German fighter, wrecked the colorful flier's P51 and sent it flaming and spinning to the ground.
It was a tragic ending to a spectacular dogfight which had held the ground troops spellbound as they watched Preddy kill off one ME109, get a second, and then take off after a FW190 which ironically escaped both his guns and the curtain of fire thrown in the skies by ground crews.
Tops in Aerial Combat
The final two victories ran the stocky little flier’s record to 27½ German planes destroyed in air combat and five on the ground. At the time of his death he was the leading ace in the European theater for airskills. Lt. Col. John C. Meyer, Forest Hills, N.Y., had a higher overall score with 24 in the air and 13 on the ground.
One record, however, still stands by Preddy’s name. Flying escort for Flying Fortresses last Aug. 6, the 5 foot 9 inch major discovered a huge nest of Messerschmitts flying in a tight formation at 28,000 feet.
Preddy tackled them alone and shot down six in a little more than six minutes - an achievement which won him the Distinguished Service Cross.
"I guess they figured their protective top cover would take care of me." he said afterward, "for they didn’t wave from their course.
I closed into the pack and shot down five in less than five minutes. Only one managed to use a chute. The other four burned."
Preddy chased the sixth to 5,000 feet, filled the plane’s fuselage with lead and the pilot parachuted.
Cited by Spaatz
The citation from Lt. Gen. Carl Spaatz, chief of the U. S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, called it courage but Preddy called it luck. He had won $1,200 in a dice game the previous night and had put it away in War bonds before he took off on the escorting mission to Hamburg.
His skill in the air won him one decoration after another; he wore the Sliver Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with five Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with eight Clusters, besides the D.S.C. for the Hamburg trip.
They talked him into taking a 30-day furlough after the Hamburg shooting feat.
"I'd like to see my fiancee Joan Jackson," he said, "but she is in Melbourne, Australia."
Greensboro was not so far away.
"Anyone," he said, packing his bag, "can get tired of being shot at. I’ll be glad to just sit home for a while, eat fried chicken and talk with the folks."
Preddy shot down four enemy planes after his return to duty.
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Beurling Ranks Fourth Among European Aces
By FRED BACKHOUSE [I have modified this article to be more accurate –jf] London, 15 July 1945 - (CP) - Group Captain J. E. (Johnny) Johnson, English-born, former leader of a crack Canadian Spitfire wing, has been officially recognized as "ace of aces" among Allied fighter pilots who fought over Europe. [post war research has revealed Pat Pattle was probably the top RAF ace –jf]
Final scoring records, compiled by The Canadian Press from figures supplied by the RAF, RCAF, and United States 8th and 9th Air Forces, put this peace-time accountant from the Leicestershire town of Loughborough at the top of the list with 38 German planes destroyed.
G/C Johnson, who so closely identified himself with his otherwise all-Canadian squadron that he wore "Canada" on his shoulder, has often given much of the credit for his success to the Canadians who flew with him. "It's all a combination play," he said. Many of his men themselves became "aces."
Of the first 16 places supplied by the air forces, fourth is held by a Canadian - F/L George (Buzz) Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM and Bar, of Verdun, Que. - and 11 by RAF pilots. For the record, only those with more than 24 "kills" were offered by the three services as their top men. Official final scores are:
S/L Thomas “Pat” Pattle (RAF), 50 [approx.]
G/C James “Johnny” Johnson (RAF), 36.91
S/L William “Cherry” Vale (RAF), 30.5
G/C Adolph “Sailor” Malan (RAF), 29.5
F/L George “Screwball” Beurling (RCAF), 29
W/C John “Bob” Braham (RAF), 29
S/L Brendan “Paddy” Finucane (RAF), 29
W/C Clive “Killer” Caldwell (RAF), 28.5
Lt/Col Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (8th AF), 28
An anonymous Polish sergeant [Czech pilot Josef Frantisek] (RAF), 28
S/L James “Ginger” Lacey (RAF), 28
W/C Colin Gray (RAF), 27.7
W/C Stanford “Tuckie” Tuck (RAF), 27.66
Capt. Robert S. Johnson (8th AF), 27
S/L Neville Duke (RAF), 26.83
Maj. George “Ratsy” Preddy (8th AF), 26.83
W/C Frank Carey (RAF), 26
F/L Eric “Sawn-Off” Lock (RAF), 26
W/C LC “Wildcat” Wade (American in the RAF), 25
Lt/Col J. C. Meyer (8th AF), 24
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Victories Include :
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26.83 / 3 / 4
plus 5 On The Ground
Ratsy also claimed a couple Japanese planes damaged in 1942 while flying out of Australia.
| [1] Shared with Lt. Duncan Donahue & Lt. John Kessler [2] Shared with Lt. Bill Whisner [3] Shared with Lt. James Woods [4] Shared with Lt. Sanford Moats |
[5] Combat Report for the 6 August 1944 engagement when he got Six German Planes in Six Minutes
"I was group leader. We were escorting the lead combat wings of B-17s when 30 plus Me109s in formation came into the third box from the south. We were a thousand feet above them so I led white flight, consisting of Lt Heyer, Lt Doleac and myself, in astern of them. I opened fire on one near the rear from 300 yds dead astern and got many hits around the cockpit. The e/a went down inverted, in flames. At this time Lt Doleac became lost while shooting down an Me109 that had gotten on Lt Heyer's tail. Lt Heyer and I continued our attack and I drove up behind another e/a getting hits around the wing roots and setting him on fire after a short burst. He went spinning down and the pilot bailed out after a few bursts at 20,000'.
I saw Lt Heyer, on my right, shoot down another e/a. The enemy formation stayed together taking practically no evasive action and tried to get back for an attack on the bombers who were off to the right. We continued with our attack on the rear end and I fired on another from close range astern, he went down smoking badly and I saw him begin to fall apart below us. At this time 4 other P-51s came in to help us with the attack. I fired at another 109 causing him to burn after a short burst. He spiraled down to the right in flames. The formation headed down in a left turn, still keeping themselves together in rather close formation. I got a good burst into another one causing him to burn and spin down. The e/a were down to 5,000' now and one pulled off to the left. I was all alone with them now so went after this single 109 before he could get on my tail. I got an ineffective burst into him causing him to smoke a little. I pulled up into a steep climb to the left above him and he climbed after me. I pulled it in as tight as possible, climbing at about 150 mph. The Hun opened fire on me but could not get enough deflection to do any damage. With my initial speed I slightly out climbed him. He fell off to the left and I dropped down astern of him. He jettisoned his canopy and I fired a short burst getting many hits. As I pulled past, the pilot bailed out, at about 7,000'. I had lost all friendly and enemy a/c so headed home alone."
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Thanks go out to
On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research which includes info from numerous sources; newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC); the Google News Archives; the London Gazette Archives and other sources both published and private.
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