B 17F 42-5221 - The Baltic Sea                                                            Updated:  11 JAN 2012

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
e444045.htm Bruce R V 2ndLt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e444 e444.htm GERMANY
e667041.htm Clifford B J 2ndLt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e667 e667.htm USA
u079001.htm Dyke A A T/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 b201143 c079.htm Rødby
e777666.htm Gale C L S/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777664.htm Hartzog F G T/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
u014281.htm Heller W O S/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 b111111 c014.htm Esbjerg
e777667.htm Horning A E S/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777663.htm Jahn C O 2ndLt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777668.htm McLarty J L S/Sgt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777665.htm Stata C M 2ndLt USAAF 427 p236.htm B17 42-5221 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN


"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 (Gdansk her). Både på udturen og hjemturen passerede formationerne Danmark, hvor tyske jagermaskiner angreb bomberne." (FAF)

Under et bombetogt til Anklam (her) i Tyskland den 9. oktober 1943 styrtede en ”Flyvende Fæstning” B17 42-5221 i Østersøen syd for Lolland, måske omkring her. Tilsyneladende omkom hele besætningen, 10 mand.

Liget af flyets maskinist, A.A. Dyke, blev den 19. november 1943 fundet 4 sømil fra Rødbyhavn af fisker Viggo Hansen, Nysted, i kutter N. 52 ”Minna”. Flyveren blev begravet den 20. november 1943 af katolsk præst Klessens fra Maribo. Flyets haleskytte, W.O. Heller, blev begravet i Esbjerg. Usikker begravelsesdato. Kan evt.
være drevet ind et sted på Jyllands østkyst. (Kilde: FAF)

7 flyvere fra B17 42-5221 har ingen kendt grav. 1 blev begravet i Tyskland, 1 i Rødby og 1 i Esbjerg. Alle 3 blev senere flyttet til Belgien eller USA.
Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17. 10 flyvere.

"On 9 October 1943 USAAF attacked aircraft factories in the eastern part of Poland and East Preussia together with harbour facilities in Gdynia (here) and
Danzig (Gdansk here) with 378 4-engined bombers. Both on the way out and the return flight the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters attacked the bombers." (FAF)

During a bombing raid to Anklam (here) in Germany on 9 October 1943 a ”Flying Fortress” B17 42-5221 crashed in the Baltic Sea south of Lolland, maybe about here. Apparently all of the crew, 10 men, perished.

The body of Flight Engineer A.A. Dyke was found on 19 November 1943  4 nautical miles from Rødbyhavn by fisherman Viggo Hansen, Nysted, in cutter N. 52 Minna.
The airman was buried on 20 November, 1943 by Catholic priest Klessens from Maribo. The Tail Gunner W.O. Heller was buried in Esbjerg. Uncertain date of burial.
May have drifted in somewhere on the east coast of Jutland. (Source: FAF)

7 airmen from B17 42-5221 have no known grave. 1 was buried in Germany, 1 in Rødby and 1 in Esbjerg. All 3 of them were later moved to Belgium or the USA.
This B-17 belonged to 427 BS, 303 BG, 41 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of USAAF. It took off from RAF Molesworth - USAAF Station 107.
See 303rd Bomb Group Heavy with the Mission Report No. 76 of Oct 9 1943 about this crew  and  B17s in airmen.dk and a drawing of the crew of a B-17. 10 airmen.