"My mission #10, Munich, 12 July 44, lost 1 engine to flak, 2nd engine damaged. Pilot asked to keep directions to Switzerland as alternate. Will try to make base, lost altitude and space as formation continued. Now alone. Set course for base, steered pilot around flak areas, finally asked for fighter escort. Surprising, a P-38 appeared and tucked under right wing. He was also missing 1 engine/ Who is protecting Who? " -William G. Horney Jr.
According to Pilot, Jack Dougherty, Bill Horney omitted some of the story. Dougherty had started to argue with his navigator that they'd never be able make it back to England with enough altitude if they kept changing headings continually to avoid flack batteries. Dougherty finally said "That's it!- no more!, We're heading straight back." Horney pleaded with him that there was a flack battery 2 minutes directly in front of them. Dougherty protested but finally relented. Two and a half minutes later they saw 4 flak bursts at their altitude right where they would have been if they hadn't changed course. Dougherty recommended and William Horney received the DFC for his actions on this mission.