‘Down to Earth' Strafing Aces of the Eighth Air Force

‘When I had destroyed the ’190, I took a quick look at the field to locate the colonel before making any passes myself. I observed fires from three Me 109s at this time. I made a pass from north to south on a large dispersal area north-east of the airfield. I got in a two-second burst at an unidentified single-engined aircraft and saw it burst into flames. I pulled up and saw Col Righetti making a strafing pass, his aeroplane streaming coolant. He now had seven fires burning. 
   ‘He called over the R/T, “This is Windsor. I’m hit bad, oil pressure dropping. I can’t make it back. I have got enough ammo for one more pass”. I watched him make that pass and obtain good hits on two more aircraft. I could not watch for fires as I wanted to give the colonel cover on any move he might make. After his pass he pulled up slightly and levelled off on a course of 270 degrees, flying about five miles before belly landing in an open field. After he was on the ground I received the following message over the R/T. “I broke my nose but I’m okay. I got nine today. Tell my family I’m okay. It has been swell working with you gang. Be seeing you shortly”.’    

The nine aircraft destroyed would take Lt Col Righetti’s final score to 7.5 aerial and 27 strafing kills. But there would be no reunion, for Righetti was never heard from again. It was assumed that he met his death at the hands of angry civilians. He was one of five 55th FG pilots who did not return that day, and only one would subsequently emerge from a PoW camp post-war.