Charles E. Rotunda Photo: AS 25 MAY 2015   Updated:  18 JUN 2015

Airman: e556004.htm Surname: Rotunda Init: C E Rank: T/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 550

P_link: p274.htm Plane: B17 4231349 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Dannemare,BalticS

Crash_d: d240244 Buried_d: e556a C_link: e556a.htm At_Next: Ardennes, BELGIUM

 B17 42-31349 styrtede ned den 24. februar 1944 et sted i Østersøen i forbindelse med et bombetogt til Rostock  her.      
"304 B-17 angreb Rostock, og 5 blev skudt ned. Før målet blev formationen angrebet af to Ju88,
der affyrede raketter ind i formationen. No. 1 motor blev ramt på B17 42-31349, der nu gled langsomt ud af formationen. Yderligere tre tyske jagere angreb flyet og no. 3 motor brød i brand. Flyet blev sidst observeret, da det forfulgt af en Ju88 og en Me110 gled ned mod et lavere skydække. Syv udfoldede faldskærme blev observeret." (FT 86-90-20)

Technical Sergeant Charles E. Rotunda blev begravet på Ardennes American Cemetery
Plot B Row 41 Grave 25. Han kom i tjeneste fra New York. Hæderstegn: Air Medal med
3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart. (Kilde: ABMC)
 
Fra B17 42-31349 blev 1 flyver begravet i Danmark, 1 i Tyskland og 1 i Belgien. 4 er begravet i USA og 3 har ingen kendt grav.

Se Tegning af besætningen på en B-17*Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk
B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner*B-17 Flyvende Fæstning. 10 flyvere.

B17 42-31349 crashed on 24 February 1944 somewhere in the Baltic Sea in connection with a bombing raid on Rostock  here.
"304 B-17s attacked Rostock, and 5 were shot down. Before the target the formation was attacked by two Ju88, which fired rockets into the formation. No. 1 engine was hit on  B17 42-31349, which slowly glided out of the formation. Another three German fighters attacked the plane, and no. 3 engine caught fire. The plane was last observed, when it chased by a Ju88 and a Me110 glided down to a lower cloud cover. Seven opened parachutes were observed." (FT 86-90-20)

Technical Sergeant Charles E. Rotunda was buried at Ardennes American Cemetery Plot B Row 41 Grave 25.
He entered the Service from Virginia. Awards: Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart. (Source: ABMC)

1 airman from B17 42-31349 was buried in Denmark, 1 in Germany and 1 in Belgium. 4 are buried in the USA and 3 have no known grave.
See Drawing of the crew of a B-17 * Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk * B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
B17 42-31349 was from 550 BS, 385 BG, 93 CBW, 3BD.  385th Bombardment Group. This B-17 took off from Great Ashfield - USAAF Station 138.
385th Bomb Group Memorial Museum * 385th Bomb Group Association. 10 airmen.