Jerry Collinsworth

American Spitfire Ace

Collinsworth joined the Army Air Corp in August 1941. He graduated at Luke Field, Arizona in March 1942. Collinsworth was first assigned to flying bombers. Frustrated with this decision he was able to talk his way into fighter training. He became a member of the 307^th Fighter Squadron, 31^st Fighter Group. The Squadron was deployed to England and was equipped with the Spitfire V.

The group was sent to Algeria on November 8, 1942 as part of the Allied Invasion of North Africa. Stationed at Feriana, Tunisia, Collinsworth was credited with his first victory on February 15, 1943 by shooting down an Fw-190. Collinsworth claimed his second Fw-190 on March 8^th when in a combat melee his wingman was shot down by an Fw-190 as Collinsworth was racing to help him. Collinsworth watched the Luftwaffe pilot fire on his wingman as he was lining up the FW-190 in his gun sights. Collinsworth fired on the FW-190 and the Luftwaffe fighter was critically damaged. Collinsworth was not able to save his wingman but he shot down the German that got him.

Another Focke Wulf was shot down on April 5^th, followed by another on May 6^th. Collinsworth became an ace on June 11^th claiming a FW-190. His last victory was on July 12th, north east of Pointe Olivo, a last Fw-190.

Collinsworth returned to the States and became an instructor in the P-47 Thunderbolt. On November 21, 1944 he was promoted to a major. After the war ended Collinsworth left the Army Air Corp and flew for two years with United Airlines. He re-enlisted into the Air Force in December 1947. Collinsworth retired from the Air Force in October 1967 as a Colonel. During his service he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with seventeen Oak Leaf Clusters. Collinsworth scored all six of his aerial victories in the Spitfire and all were against the famous Luftwaffe fighter, the Focke Wulf 190.

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8-13-07