Out to the west at the American Army Air Corps aerodrome at Youks Les Bains, the weather was significantly better. The Air Corps scrambled one flight of four P-38s and one flight of four A-20s.
Since Feriana lay only 60 air miles from Youks Les Bains, the controllers ordered the aircraft to fly south to a position along the Algerian/Tunisian border just west of Genero’s valley. Once there, the two American flights took up station. They flew a series of long elliptical patterns, waiting for Phil’s signal.
The American flyers had arrived on station at approximately 0945 hours. Both flights had sufficient fuel reserves to loiter for over two hours. Neither flight would have to wait that long to get into the battle.
No two soldiers ever witness a firefight in exactly the same way. The fear,
