A Test of Courage

This painting shows Lt. Klaus Bretschneider in his FW-190 "Rauhbautz VII" face to face with the tail gunner of a mortally wounded B-17G-50DL. In its struggle to blunt the Allies effective attacks on its communications and production of petroleum and weapons, the Luftwaffe created a special bomber-destroying unit made up of heavily armed and armored fighters. On 15 August 1944, the 358th Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group based at Molesworth, England, became the object of this unit's attention on the return flight from its target - the Luftwaffe airfield at Weisbaden, Germany.

The battle was over in several minutes. The Luftwaffe's tactics were successful that day, for they were able to inflict heavy losses on the B-17s while losing only three FW-190s, with extensive damage to four more. The contest between high-flying daylight bombers and the specialized
"Sturmgruppen" was sudden and violent and costly to both sides. It took both courage, determination and skill on the part of both bomber crews and attacking fighters to face this prospect day after day.