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writings. Please consider purchasing a Limited Edition print of Bruce Carr's
"Angel's Playmate”.
Along with my artwork I have stories of dozens of the many aviators I have personally interviewed over the years.
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Bruce Carr
Mustang Ace
"Angels' Playmate"
Print size 12x18"
This print was not signed by Bruce Carr. Each limited edition print is signed and numbered by the artist only.
Limited Edition $50.00
Open Edition $18.00
Colonel Bruce W. Carr
By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Bruce
Carr entered the aviation cadet program for the Army Air Force on September 2,
1942. He graduated from
Carr
was sent to
On
March 8, 1944, Car became the first pilot in his Squadron to claim an aerial
victory, which was against a Bf109G south of
Carr was to become one of the top aces of the 354th. He was credited with the probable of a Bf109 on June 14, 1944, and shared a kill over a FW190 on June 17th.
On
September 12th, while on a fighter sweep, he spotted enemy aircraft
on an airfield south of
A fighter pilot coming in low firing on ground targets had the opportunity to watch his bullets strike the ground and he could walk the bullets to the target. Your gun fire would only be on the target for a moment because the attacking pilot would have to pull up. This was a great way to hit ground targets but could be ineffective. That is why the Army Air Force did not let a pilot claim a ground kill as an official aerial victory. Especially since all air forces world wide used “dummy” targets when available. However when your gun camera footage showed aircraft being serviced, or preparing to take off while warming up their engines, that gave the pilot some evidence of his claim. There was an unofficial set of conditions among the pilots who would recognize the ground claims of another pilot especially if they had attempted the same type attack themselves.
Ground attack was the most dangerous for all fighter pilots. The golden rule for all pilots was to make one pass only. For the flight to go in and get out as fast as possible. Multiple passes would result in casualties since the ground anti-aircraft guns would quickly adapt and line up on the incoming fighters. Carr did not waste ammunition as he lined up on a JU88. His eyes had already scanned the airfield and he was mentally lining up his next target even before he fired on his first.
Carr squeezed the trigger with his feet balanced on the rudder peddles countering the sudden shock of firing six fifty caliber machine guns simultaneously. The Mustang shook like he was riding a real steed. Carr with perfect precision and strength held his Mustang making it a perfect firing platform and he was tearing Jerry Ass! His bullets hit only a few yards in front on the bomber. Instantly Carr held his guns on the target for several seconds causing a fire to erupt even before Carr flew over the stricken bomber.
Quickly shifting his eyes his hands and his feet, Carr brought “Angels Playmate” into perfect alignment onto the next bomber. Car could coolly move his fighter where ever his eyes followed. The P-51 Mustang and Bruce Carr were equally matched with precision aeronautical engineering equally blended with Carr’s strength. Mentally and physically. One could say that Carr held complete command of his aircraft. The Mustang shook violently with guns exploding sending their missiles into the next German bomber. Luftwaffe ground crew leaped and ran as the JU-88 was ripped apart igniting aviation fuel erupting into a black mushroom cloud. Some ground crew did not escape as Carr tore through the black fireball into blue skies.
Bruce and the other pilots pulled up to about ten thousand feet to continue their patrol. The Mustang pilots were not long into their flight when they spotted thirty plus FW190’s 2,000 feet below them. Bruce led his flight down to bounce the Germans. The Folk Wulf Carr targeted pulled up into a climbing left turn. Firing a thirty-degree deflection shot from 150 to 200 yards, Bruce could see his bullets and tracers strikes the Germans left wing and engine area. An explosion rocked the stricken plane as its pilot bailed out.
Carr quickly looked around and found another FW190 on the deck trying to get away. Bruce dove of the enemy firing a short burst using a fifty-degree deflection shot at 250 yards. White flashes appeared on the German aircraft.
Closing to 150 yards, Bruce fired again hitting the enemy on his engine and around the cockpit. He German snapped rolled to the left onto his back and with its pilot who must have been dead or badly injured flew nose down into a hill.
Carr climbed up to 6,000 feet where he saw another FW190 diving toward another Mustang. Carr kicked hard rudder, turned and fired a short burst at an eighty-degree deflection shot from 200 yards. White flashes from his bullets sparkled around the cockpit of the German, which too rolled over on its back and went down. The last German pilot did not escape his plight.
Three victories in one encounter. Quick reflexes and keen marksmanship brought down those experienced Luftwaffe pilots. All three were of such accuracy that these aerial victories would have gotten away from most fighter pilots. Bruce Carr was an expert marksman with sharp eye sight, excellent depth of field and the ability to track a target noting his speed and direction and the enemy’s speed and direction, make proper corrections and fire. These talents were nothing more that exceptional. And deadly.
Bruce
was promoted to second lieutenant and became an ace on October 29th
gaining two more victories near Bockingen when a swarm of Bf109’s bounced his
flight. Bruce and his fellow pilots fought the Germans for almost thirty-five
minutes shooting down 24 enemy aircraft while losing only four of their group.
On
one of his next fighter sweeps, Carr would encounter the war real and first
hand. Carr and his group were flying over
Once
on the ground Carr headed in the direction on the Luftwaffe airbase. He knew
that the Luftwaffe treated the American pilots with much higher regards than
ordinary P.O.W.’ s. Carr reached the fence surrounding the airfield and he hid
in the woods outside the gate. He planned to spend the night in the woods and
walk into the front gate in the morning and surrender.
During
the evening Carr watched a ground crew work on A FW-190-6. The fighter was
located near the edge of the runway close to the woods. He listened to then
talking but could hear little, just their voices in the night air. The work went
on and the crew finished. They put all panels back on the fighter and clamped
them tight. The fighter was then fueled and the Germans finished their work and
left the fighter poised ready for the next days combat.
Only
twenty years old, Carr knew that thinking the fighter was ready for take off
could be only a dream, a long shot. What if it was not ready? He snuck close and
finally got the nerve probably encouraged by the hunger in his stomach, to
approach the fighter and climb into the cockpit. Here Carr spent the night. With
little sleep he watched as the first rays of the sun brought sight to the
controls before him. He studied them as best he could. Carr could not read the
German on the controls. There were enough similarities between the American and
German cockpit for Carr to work with.
He
spent a half hour before he gained the courage to give it a try. He found the
starter and tried to pull it for starting. It was the other way and once he
pushed the lever forward the German BMW roared to life. With almost no one on
the airfield Carr made his move. He did not want to spend any time with lining
up on the airfield. Carr poured on full throttle taking off straight which had
him racing across a corner of the field and then in between two aircraft hangers
and off over the heads of sleepy eyed Germans. He had caught everyone off guard
and raced away towards his own airfield which was at
The
trip back to his base was two hundred miles. Carr stayed low enough to keep his
eyes open for the airfield and for hot shot American fighter pilots. Carr could
only think of one thing, and that was to come in and land right away before
anyone could fire on him. He knew the anti-aircraft gunners at the base would be
all too eager to fire on an income FW-190.
As planned Carr spotted the airfield and came around low to try to line up with the airstrip. Unable to get the FW-190’s landing gear to go back down and with no time to figure it out, Carr most literally barreled in fast and belly-landed before a shocked group of Americans. As the men on the ground rushed to take the German pilot prisoner they were astonished when Bruce Carr crawled out of the cockpit.
Lt. Carr went home for a thirty day leave to come back and continued his scoring with a long-nose FW 190 on his first mission back.
On
April 1st 1945, Carr was leading a fighter sweep and attacked sixty
Bf109’s and FW 190’s. Bruce led his flight into the unsuspecting Germans and
on their first passes shot down seven. Carr claimed three FW190’s and two
Bf109’s during the encounter making him the last pilot in
Bruce next claimed a Bf109, taking off from the Kirchenlarbach aerodrome, and then on April 15th, a Heinkel 111 as it was landing at the Mensdorf airfield. His final victories were a Junkers JU88 and a Focke Wulf 190 during a strafing mission on April 25th.
This “overaggressive” pilot finished the war with fifteen confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat, three more unconfirmed, and seven and one half on the ground.
Following
the war, Carr helped form the “Acrojets” which were the beginnings of the
Thunderbird Air Force jet aerobatics team. Carr also flew combat missions over
Carr was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Distinguished Flying Cross with six Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Medal with thirty Oak Leaf Clusters.
All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.
No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.
Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.
I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.
Sir. Ernie Hamilton Boyette
904-282-4198
e-mail: aviationartstore@peoplepc.com
Started 2-10-07