June 28, 1944. Spitfire ace Lt. 'Hap' Kennedy shoots down a Focke Wulf 190 over Normandy, shortly after the D­Day invasion.

Signatures

Prints individually signed by Hap Kennedy.

The Story

"In the evening, it was 'A' flight's turn. I was Barley Blue 3. About 40 miles south of Caen at 7000 feet, we were looking for German transport moving up to the front. As we were flying on an easterly course, the sun was behind us; always dangerous. Suddenly, I saw a half dozen FW­190's coming in quickly out of the sun on our starboard rear quarter, with more 190's higher, behind them.

"'Barley squadron break right! 190's coming down!' I called, and immediately there was a great melee of two dozen aircraft twisting and turning and firing, a real old fashioned scrap. I was somewhat surprised that the FW's didn't dive through at high speed as usual, but a number of them, at least, stayed to fight.

"After two or three hard descending steeps turns to the right, I managed to latch onto the tail of a 190, but he dove steeply out to the east. I followed at full throttle to ground level and caught up to him. One short burst at 300 yards with both cannon and machine gun and the FW crashed into the trees in a great ball of fire. Flight Lt. R. Bouskill, Blue 4, who had remained with me, confirmed this action."

— Excerpt from pilot Hap Kennedy's book, Black Crosses Off My Wingtip. Reprinted with permission.