"Den 9. oktober 1943 angreb USAAF med 378 4-motorede bombefly flyfabrikker i den
østlige del af Polen og Østpreussen, samt havnefaciliteter i Gdynia (her) og
Danzig.
Både på udturen og hjemturen passerede formationerne Danmark, hvor tyske
jagermaskiner angreb bomberne." (FAF)
Styrtede måske omkring
her.
"Dette fly blev ramt af jagere (Bf 109) som holdt
sig ude af vores formation og rækkevidde bagude og smed granater ind i
formationen. Flyet gik brændende ned og eksploderede lige inden det ramte
vandet. 5 faldskærme blev set og de drev åbenbart tilbage mod land. Brand i
radiorum og bomberum. Left Waist Gunner (Caruso)
skudt i benet. Næste morgen ved den tyske forpost nær kysten hvor vi blev
tilbageholdt fortalte den kommanderende underofficer os (Antalek, Caruso og mig
(Dugan)
at et par lig var skyllet ind på kysten i nattens løb, men han ville ikke
afsløre navnene hvis de kendte dem. Kan være Quinn og Blankenburg siden ingen af
dem kunne svømme.
Caruso: Jeg så flyet gå ned og eksplodere da det ramte vandet. Jeg svømmede hen
til en revle og blev samlet op af tyskerne efter omkring en time i vandet."
(MACR - Rapport om savnet flybesætning)
2nd Lieutenant John Bast Leverone var Navigator på B17
42-30371. (Kilde: MACR)
Han blev krigsfange og
ført til
Tyske krigsfangelejre.
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 9 October 1943 USAAF attacked
aircraft factories in the eastern part of Poland and East Prussia together with
harbour facilities in Gdynia (here) and Danzig
with 378 4-engined bombers. Both on the
way out and on the way home the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters
attacked the bombers." (FAF)
Crashed maybe about
here.
"This A/C was hit by fighters (Bf 109) which stayed out of our formation and
range on the tail and lobbed shells into the formation. It went down on fire and
exploded
just before it hit the water. Five chutes were seen which apparently were
drifting back onto land. Fires in radio room and bomb bay. Left Waist Gunner
(Caruso) shot
in leg.
At the German outpost near the coast where we were kept on the following morning
the N.C.O. in charge told us (Antalek, Caruso and I (Dugan)) that a couple
of
bodies had been washed upon shore during the night, but would not reveal the
names if they knew. May be Quinn and Blankenburg since neither could swim.
Caruso: I saw the plane go down and blow up when it hit the water. I swam to a
sandbar and was picked up by the Germans after about an hour in the water."
(MACR)
2nd Lieutenant John Bast Leverone was the Navigator of
B17 42-30371. (Source: MACR)
He became a prisoner of war. He was
taken to
German POW-Camps.
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 from
RAF Knettishall - USAAF
Station 136 belonged to
560 BS, 388
BG, 45 CBW, 3 BD, 8AF of USAAF. See
388th Bomb Group Association. 10 airmen.
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