Den 14. maj 1943 styrtede
B-24 41-24278 i Østersøen syd for Ærø (måske omkring
her)
på hjemvejen fra et bombetogt til Kiel (her). (Kilde:
FT 85-76-12)
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver: "Under angrebet blev 5 maskiner fra 44 BG skudt ned.
Flyet blev ramt af flak over målet, og kort efter
standsede alle fire motorer.
Agterskytten, Sgt Roy Klingler (44 BG: S/Sgt Roy L. Klingler), og maskinisten,
Sgt Mulhausen (44 BG: S/Sgt George R. Millhousen), blev dræbt, medens
navigatøren, Lieutenant Bob Bishop
(44 BG: Capt Robert H. Bishop)
og en
såret tysk jagerpilot blev samlet op af danske fiskere
i farvandet syd for Ærø." (FT 85-76-12)
44th Bomb Group Roll of
Honor pages 65-67 har meget mere og detaljer om alle 10 besætningsmedlemmer!
T/Sgt John L. Susan fortalte at B24-flyene blev ramt af en masse flak over
målet, og de blev fulgt af 6 eller flere tyske fly.
B-24 41-24278 blev svært beskadiget.
Samtaleanlægget var ude af drift, så hver mand måtte klare sig selv. Susan stod
foran det åbne bomberum. "Så jeg tumlede ud, og da jeg vidste at nogle tyskere
ville angribe min faldskærm, forsinkede jeg udløsningen i omkring 60 sekunder.
Da jeg trak i udløseren var højden omkring 2.400 m - -." Han blev reddet af en
fisker.
Staff Sergeant George R. Millhousen fra
St. Louis, Missouri var Gunner på
B-24 41-24278. (Kilde:
44th Bomb Group Roll of
Honor s. 65-67)
Han har ingen kendt grav. Hans navn findes på
Tablets of the Missing,
Netherlands American Cemetery.
Han kom i tjeneste fra Illinois. Hæderstegn:
Air Medal, Purple Heart.
(Kilde: ABMC)
3 flyvere fra
B-24 41-24278 har ingen kendt grav. 7 flyvere blev reddet
op af vandet. De blev ført til
Tyske krigsfangelejre.
On 14 May 1943
B-24 41-24278 crashed into the Baltic Sea south of Ærø (maybe
about here) on the return flight from a bombing raid on Kiel
(here).(FT
85-76-12)
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"5 planes from 44 BG were shot down during the
attack. The plane was hit by flak over the target, and shortly after all four
engines stopped.
The Tail Gunner, Sgt Roy Klingler and the Engineer, Sgt Mulhausen (44 BG: S/Sgt
George R. Millhousen) were killed,
while the Navigator, Lieutenant Bob Bishop
(44 BG: Capt Robert H. Bishop) and
an injured German fighter pilot were picked up by Danish fishermen in the waters
south of Ærø." (FT 85-76-12)
44th Bomb Group Roll of
Honor pages 65-67 has much more and details of all 10 crew members!
T/Sgt John L. Susan related that the B24s took a
lot of flak over the target and they were followed by 6 or more "Jerries".
B-24 41-24278 was severely damaged.
The Intercom had been knocked out, so everyone was on his own. Susan was
standing in front of the open bomb bay. "So I tumbled out, and knowing that some
Jerries
would attack my chute, I delayed my opening for about sixty seconds. When I
pulled the cord the altitude was about 8,000 feet - -." He was rescued by a
fisherman.
Staff Sergeant George R. Millhousen from
St. Louis, Missouri was a Gunner of
B-24 41-24278. (Source:
44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor
p. 65-67)
He has no known grave. His name is inscribed on
Tablets of the Missing,
Netherlands American Cemetery.
He entered the Service from Illinois. Awards:
Air Medal, Purple Heart.
(Source: ABMC)
3 airmen from B-24 41-24278 have no known grave. 7 airmen
were rescued from the sea. They were taken to
German POW-Camps.
This
B-24 was from to
67 BS, 44 BG, 2
BW, 201 PCBW, 8 AF. See
44th Bomb Group with
Roll of Honor and much more. See also
B-17 vs. B-24.
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