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The Zwickau Raid
The copy of a painting depicting bombers from the 452nd Bomb Group (markings are the "box L" above depicts planes from the 452nd Bomb Group and a group of Me-262's. The event depicted is the March 19, 1945 raid on an oil refinery at Zwickau, Germany.
On this raid, the planes of the 452nd were bounced by 28 Me-262 jets.
The men -- including Carey Mavor (ball turret gunner) were NOT told about the German jets for fear that they might be frightened of them.
Carey recalls seeing a single Me-262 fly into their formation into a position of relative safety between some B-17's. Here the pilot slowed the jet down to the speed of the formation with the use of his flaps and then probably radioed the speed, direction and altitude of the bomber formation to waiting flak gunners below.
Carey recalls vividly seeing the pilot clearly in the cockpit of his jet prior to raising his flaps and speeding off (He was not certain if this occurred on this mission or another mission -- for he witnessed the German jets on two separate missions).
The formation was then bounced by the jets.
(From personal collection of Carey W. Mavor.)