ACUFO:

Ridge Fortress Pilot Tells of
Encounter with Nazi Jet Plane

An Eighth Air Force Bomber Station, England -- Second Lieutenant Edward M. Karl, 22, Park Ridge, pilot of an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress, saw his first Nazi jet-propelled fighter on the mission attacking marshalling yards at Kassel, Germany, and still can't give much of a description of it even though it came within 500 yards of his plane at one time.

It was his navigator, Second Lieutenant Robert M. Faver of Sweetwater, Texas, who first spotted the strange craft.

“They're firing rocket projectiles at us,” he yelled over the interphone; but this didn't seem quite right for the Fortress formation was not quite across the English Channel, churning along over friendly territory toward Germany.

Closer observation showed that the smoke trail behind the “projectile” would suddenly cut off for periods, and then spurt out again, which convinced Lt. Karl that they were seeing a jet-propelled plane at a distance, for it is the habit of these craft to accumulate speed and then glide for several miles, conserving fuel.

The plane disappeared, and was not seen again until something leaving a trail like a comet and screaming like a runaway express train suddenly “whooshed” past the Fort's tail, going straight up: no one got a good look at it until it was a tiny dark speck miles above, trailing a cloud of white smoke. The enemy plane made no attempt to attack the bomber formation.

Lt. Karl flies with the 96th Bomb Group the president cited for its success, veteran combat unit for bombing the Focke-Wulf fighter plane factories at Posen, Poland. It is the unit of the Third Bomb Division, which also has been cited by the President. This Division was also honored for its England-Africa shuttle mission attacking Messerschmitt airplane factories at Regensburg, Germany.

Lt. Karl is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Evla M. Karl, 214 Columbia avenue. He was a student at the University of Illinois before entering the Army at Chicago, July 1942. He received his pilot's wings at Marfa, Texas in April 1944. His brother, Aviation Cadet Eugene R. Karl, is now undergoing training at San Marcos, Texas.

Park Ridge, IL. Park Ridge Herald-Advocate - 19 January, 1945

(from Mel Tierney Post Servicemen file, Park Ridge Library)

'Ridge Fortress Pilot Tells of Encounter with Nazi Jet Plane'

An Eighth Air Force Bomber Station, England--Second Lieutenant Edward M Karl, 22, Park Ridge pilot of an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress, saw his first Nazi jet-propelled fighter on the mission attacking marshalling yards at Kassel, Germany, and still can't give much of a description of it even though it came within two (?) yards of his plane at the time.

It was his navigator, Second Lieutenant Robert M Favor of Sweetwater, Texas, who first spotted the strange craft.

“They're firing rocket projectiles at us,” he yelled over the interphone, but this this didn't seem quite right for the Fortress formation was not quite across the English Channel, churning along over friendly territory toward Germany.

Closer observation showed that the smoke trail behind the “projectile” would suddenly cut off for periods, and then spurt out again, which convinced Lt. Karl that they were seeing a jet-propelled plane at a distance, for it's the habit of these craft to accumulate speed and then glide for several miles to conserve fuel.

The plane disappeared, and was not seen again until something leaving a trail like a comet and screaming (?) like a runaway express train suddenly “whooshed” past the Fort's tail going straight up; no one got a good look at it until it was a tiny dark speck miles above, trailing a cloud of white smoke. The enemy plane made no attempt to attack the bomber formation.

Lt. Karl flies with (illegible) (the 96th?) Bomb Wing the president cited for its success (illegible) Group, veteran combat unit for bombing the Focke-Wulf fighter plane factories in Posen, Poland. It is the unit of the Third Bomb Division which also has been cited by the President. This Division was also honored (?) for its England-Africa shuttle mission attacking Messerschmidt [sic] airplane factories at Regensburg, Germany.

Lt. Karl is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Evla M. Karl, 214 Columbia avenue. He was a student at the University of Illinois before entering the Army at Chicago, July 1942. He received his pilot's wings at Marfa, Texas in April 1944. His brother, Aviation Cadet Eugene R. Karl, is now undergoing training at San Marcos, Texas.