"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.
"Sidste flyvning i kamp: Mission #76, 9. oktober 1944 til Anklam, Tyskland i
B-17F 42-5221 Son (427BS) BN-Z. Blev sidst set at
være ramt af 20 mm kanonild fra en
formation af 3 FW-190, der fløj ved siden af hinanden. Den omtrentlige position
var ved den danske kyst i en højde af 8.000 fod. Motor 3 var i brand og
propellen var
kantstillet. Da hjulene blev sænket, holdt angrebene fra jagerne op. Denne B-17
styrtede i Østersøen syd for Lolland, Danmark. Hele besætningen på 10 mand blev
dræbt i kamp. Lt Bruce og T/Sgt Dyke er begravet i
Ardennes American Cemetery nær Liege, Belgien."
(Efterforsket af historiker Harry D. Gobrecht,
303rd Bomb Group (H) )
2nd Lt (Pilot) Bernard J. Clifford er begravet i USA.
(Hovedkilder: FAF og
AOD)
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.
"Last Combat Mission: Mission #76, 9 October
1944 to Anklam, Germany in B-17F 42-5221 Son (427BS) BN-Z. Was last seen to be
hit by 20 mm cannon fire from
a formation of three FW-190s flying abreast. The approximate position was at the
Danish coast at 8,000 feet altitude. The #3 engine was on fire and feathered.
When the wheels were let down the fighter attacks ceased. The B-17 crashed in
the Baltic Sea south of Lolland, Denmark. The entire crew of ten men were killed
in action. Lt Bruce and T/Sgt Dyke are buried in the
Ardennes American Cemetery near Liege,
Belgium."
[Researched by Historian
Harry D. Gobrecht,
303rd Bomb Group (H)]
2nd Lt (Pilot) Bernard J. Clifford
is buried in the USA.
(Main sources: FAF
and AOD)
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.
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