Graydon W. Spellman  Updated:  12 JUN 2016 Photo: AS 28 MAY 2016Spellman

Airman: e556040.htm Surname: Spellman Init: G W Rank:T/Sgt Service:USAAF Sqdn:336

P_link: p183.htm Plane: B17 423286 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Kiel Bugt (Bay)

Crash_d: d130643 Buried_d: e556a C_link: e556a.htm At_Next: Ardennes, BELGIUM

Den 13. juni 1943 angreb 60 B-17 fra USAAF ubådsanlæggene i Kiel. 16 B-17 fra
95. BG fløj forrest i formationen, der allerede blev angrebet under indflyvningen til målet. Som sædvanlig angreb de tyske jagermaskiner især den forreste del af formationen, og inden denne havde passeret målet var 7-8 B-17 fra 95. BG gået tabt.
En B-17 ude af kontrol fløj ind i en anden, og kun 6 B-17 fra 95. BG nåede tilbage til basen, hvoraf en blev ødelagt under nødlanding.

13. juni 1943 Østersøen nær Kiel (her). Boeing B-17F, 42-3286 336 BS, 95 BO, 4 BW, 402 PCBW, Framlington, Suffolk (Kiel) 9 MIA og 1 KIA (Svinø)

Sergeant Graydon W. Spellman var Radio Operator på B17 423286. Han kom i tjeneste fra Connecticut.
Han blev begravet på Ardennes American Cemetery Plot A Row 23 Grave 16. Hæderstegn:
Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Kilde: ABMC)

Flyet blev ramt efter passage af målet, men ingen faldskærme blev observeret, inden flyet
ramte vandet. Liget af co-piloten drev senere ind på nordkysten af Lolland.
(FT 86-89-15) B17 4229702 * B17 423286 * B17 4230118 * B17 4229675 * B17 423187 *
B17 4230164 styrtede alle ned i dele af Østersøen.

Se tegning af besætningen på en B-17, Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk samt B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner. 10 flyvere.

On 13 June 1943 60 B-17s from the USAAF attacked the U-boat pens in Kiel. 16 B-17s
from 95th BG flew at the front of the formation which was attacked on
the bombing run to the target. As usual the German fighters particularly attacked the front of
the formation, and before it had passed the target 7-8 B-17s from 95th BG were lost.

One B-17 out of control collided with another, and only 6 B-17s from 95th BG made it back to base - and one of them was destroyed in a forced landing.
13 June 1943 The Baltic Sea near Kiel (here). Boeing B-17F, 42-3286 336 BS, 95 BG, 4 BW, 402 PCBW, Framlington, Suffolk (Kiel) 9 MIA and 1 KIA (Svinø)

Sergeant Graydon W. Spellman was the Radio Operator of B17 423286. He entered the Service from Connecticut.
He was buried at Ardennes American Cemetery Plot A Row 23 Grave 16. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Source: ABMC)

This plane was hit after it had flown over the target, but no parachutes were seen before the plane hit the water. Later the body of the Co-Pilot drifted ashore on the
north coast of Lolland. (FT 86-89-15) B17 4229702 * B17 423286 * B17 4230118 * B17 4229675 * B17 423187 * B17 4230164 all crashed in parts of the Baltic Sea.

See a drawing of the crew of a B-17, Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 was from 336 BS, 95 BG. See 95th Bomb Group (H). It took off from RAF Framlingham (Parham) - USAAF Station 153. 10 airmen.