B 17G 42-40051 - The Baltic Sea                                                   Updated:  03 NOV 2009

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
u096083.htm Avantini C P Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096084.htm Beres Jr. J P Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096085.htm Cantrell W C Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b160544 c096.htm Svinø
u096086.htm Haney W L 2ndLt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096087.htm Horner C L Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096088.htm Martinez A E Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096089.htm Massey J Y 2ndLt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096090.htm Plymell D J 2ndLt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096091.htm Pyrek J T Sgt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø
u096092.htm Quinlan J J 2ndLt USAAF 339 p279.htm B17 42-40051 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d090444 b110444 c096.htm Svinø


 Se monument ved havnen i Nysted for besætningen på B17 42-40051.

Den 9. april 1944 kort efter kl. 15 styrtede B17 42-40051 i havet ca. 8 km sydvest for Nysted (omkring her). Flyet blev skudt ned af en tysk Me109 jager efter et togt til Poznan (her). Hele besætningen omkom. Alle de omkomne flyvere undtagen W. C. Cantrell blev begravet den 11. april 1944 på Svinø Kirkegård. Cantrell, der tilsyneladende nåede at springe ud med faldskærm, druknede og blev begravet den 16. maj 1944 på Svinø Kirkegård. (Kilde: FAF)

"Under kraftig beskydning blev halepartiet beskadiget, og haleskytten sprang ud med faldskærm. Piloten forsøgte en nødlanding på Rødsand (omkring her), men flyet tippede herunder over, hvorved alle besætningsmedlemmer omkom. Tyskerne bjærgede i de efterfølgende dage ni lig fra vraget, der lå på ryggen med hjulene stikkende op af vandet. Senere blev også selve vraget bjærget, men man fandt aldrig resterne af halepartiet. Nogen tid efter drev liget af haleskytten ind på kysten ved Nysted." (FT 86-90-24)

Airwar over Denmark har mere om dette fly og dets besætning. 10 flyvere. Flere links i engelsk version.

 See the monument at the harbour of Nysted to the crew of  B17 42-40051.

On 9 April 1944 shortly after 15:00 B17 42-40051 crashed into the sea about 8 km south west of Nysted (about here). The plane was shot down by a German Me109 fighter after a raid on Poznan (here). All of the crew perished. All of the perished airmen except W. C. Cantrell were buried in Svinø Churchyard on 11 April 1944. Cantrell had managed to bail out, but he drowned and was buried on 16 May 1944 in Svinø Churchyard. (Source: FAF)

"The tail section was damaged under heavy fire and the Tail Gunner bailed out. The Pilot attempted a forced landing on Rødsand (about here), but the plane turned over so all of the crew perished. In the next days the Germans recovered 9 bodies from the wreck, which was lying on its back with the wheels out of the water. Later they also salvaged the wreck, but the tail section was never found. Some time later the body of the Tail Gunner drifted ashore at Nysted." (FT 86-90-24)

See 339 BS, 96 BG, 45 CBW, 3 BD * The 96th Bombardment Group (H) * This B-17 Flying Fortress started from RAF Snetterton Heath - USAAF Station 138

Airwar over Denmark has more about this plane and its crew. 10 airmen.