Oral history interview with William P. Hess, 1999 February 19.

ArchivalResource

Hess, William P., 1920-. Oral history interview with William P. Hess, 1999 February 19.

Oral history interview with William P. Hess, 1999 February 19.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/318645669

Interview with William P. Hess, Army Air Forces veteran (384th Fighter Squadron, 364th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force), concerning his experiences as a fighter pilot in the European Theater during World War II. Early interest in flying and aviation; employment at Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, California, 1939-42; enlistment in the Army Air Forces, 1942; Aviation Cadet Program, 1942-43; primary flight school, Visalia, California, 1943; basic flight training, Bakersfield, California, 1943; advanced flight training, Luke Field, Phoenix, Arizona, 1943; assignment to the P-38 Lightning, Santa Ana, California, 1944; assignment to the 364th Fighter Group, Honington, England, 1944; flying cover for ground troops on D-Day, June 6, 1944; transfer to the P-51 Mustang; targets of opportunity over France; skip-bombing missions; long-range fighter escorts over Germany; shooting down three German aircraft in a dogfight on December 31, 1944; rating the quality of German aircraft and pilots; encounter with Me-262 jet aircraft; encounters against buzz bombs and V-1 and V-2 rockets; ground-support missions during the Battle of the Bulge, December, 1944-January, 1945; comparisons and contrasts between the P-38 and P-51; detailed description of his most memorable dogfight; postwar adjustments to civilian life.

72 leaves ; 29 cm.

University of North Texas Library, UNT