B 17G 42-40051 - The Baltic Sea                                                            Updated: 11 AUG 2021  

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


 Mere end 500 amerikanske bombefly var den 9. april 1944 på bombetogt til Polen og Tyskland.
Se 8 af de tabte fly: Google Map 9APR1944 og artiklen De satte livet på spil over Sjælland, trykt i en del Sjællandske Medier 9. april 2014, også om dette fly.

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) Mere i p279MACR.

"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)

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 April 1944 more than 500 American bombers were on a bombing raid on Poland and Germany. See 8 of the lost planes: Google Map 9APR1944.
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. 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)  More in p279MACR.

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