World War II

62d Fighter Squadron P-47 Thunderbolts on an escort mission

Schreiber with his P-47

After completing transition training in the P-47 Thunderbolt, he was assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at RAF Halesworth in England in July 1943.^[1]

Schreiber flew his first two missions and on July 30, 1944, he took part in a bomber escort of B-17 Flying Fortresses targeting factories in Kassel, Germany. Over Netherlands, the 61st FS and 62d Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group escorted the bombers back to home base in England. During the escort, the P-47s encountered a formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Schreiber shot down a Bf 109 that was attacking the P-47 flown by Lt. Milton Anderson. Schreiber also claimed a probable destruction of another Bf 109 during the aerial combat which was upgraded to confirmed aerial victory after his gun camera footage of the combat was reassessed, crediting him with his first two aerial victories.^[4]

In August 1943, he was appointed as commander of the 62d Fighter Squadron. On August 24, 1943, he shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 south of Paris, France, his third aerial victory. By the end of 1943, Schreiber shot down two more enemy airplanes, including one shared destruction. On February 20, 1944, during a fighter escort for bombers attacking targets at Brunswick-Leipzig region, Schreiber shot down three Bf 109s over Steinhuder Lake, bringing his total aerial victories to seven and earning the title of flying ace. For his heroism in the mission, he received the Distinguished Service Cross.^{[5][6][2][7][8][9]}

On February 22, 1944, he was credited with another shared destruction of enemy aircraft. On March 8, he shot down a Fw 190 and Bf 109 over Steinhuder Lake. On March 16, while leading his squadron in a protection cover for bombers at the vicinity of Saint Dizier, France, he intercepted and shot down a Bf 109 and shared in the destruction of a Fw 190.^[8][10][11]

On April 9, he was credited with a shared destruction of a Bf 109, his last aerial victory of the war. During the war, while flying a total of 140 missions, Schreiber was credited with the destruction of 12 enemy aircraft in aerial combat plus 4 shared destruction, 1 probable, 6 damaged, and 2 destroyed on the ground while strafing enemy airfields.^{[8][1][12][13]}

Death

On April 15, 1944, Schreiber was killed after being shot down by anti-aircraft fire while attacking a German airfield in Flensburg, Germany. He was buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupré, Belgium.^[12][14]

Distinguished Service Cross citation

Schreiber, Leroy A.

Major (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces

62d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force

Date of Action: February 20, 1944

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Air Corps) Leroy Adolph Schreiber, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 62d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 20 February 1944, in the European Theater of Operations. On this date as Captain Schreiber shot down three enemy aircraft in a single engagement. Captain Schreiber's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.^[9]