James L. Prusa                                                                                         Updated:  03 JAN 2012

Airman: o888169.htm Surname: Prusa Init: J L Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 708

P_link: p296.htm Plane: B17 42-31156 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Neksø

Crash_d: d110444 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

B17 42-31156 landede her omkring 200 m øst for Skyttegaard, Ibskervej 26, 3730 Nexø, omkring 2 km nord for Nexø. (Kilde: Niels Christian Pihl)
"35 B-17 angreb flyfabrikkerne i Arnimswalde, men målet var dækket af skyer, og i stedet bombede formationen Stettin her, der var det alternative mål. Umiddelbart efter at bomberne var kastet blev flyet ramt af flak og på to motorer måtte propellerne kantstilles (så luftmodstanden og brændstofforbruget blev mindre). Besætningen begyndte at kaste alt overflødigt ud af flyet for at lette det, og man satte nu kurs mod det neutrale Sverige for at nødlande der. Det var stadig meget overskyet, da "Fæstningen" fløj over Østersøen. Man havde netop kastet de fleste af de tunge maskingeværer over bord, da tyske jagere gik til angreb og forårsagede yderligere ødelæggelser på flyet. - -
Piloterne foretog en vellykket mavelanding ved Ibsker. Amerikanerne var lettede over således at være nået frem til "Sverige", men de fik snart andet at tænke på. Tililende fik hurtigt forklaret flyverne, at de var landet i en del af det tyskbesatte Danmark, og at tyskerne kunne ventes hvert øjeblik. De 10 amerikanere delte sig op i små grupper, der spredte sig ud i terrænet. (Ved denne flyver ses kun hans og hans ledsageres historie. Se resten ved B17 42-31156.)

Left Waist Gunner, S/Sgt Henry McCowan og Ball Turret Gunner, S/Sgt James Prusa nåede frem til Ibsker Præstegård (her), hvor de af ukendte årsager indtrængende anmodede pastor Ejner Olsen om at tilkalde den tyske værnemagt. Pastoren forsøgte i stedet at overtale de to flyvere til at flygte, men forgæves, og kort efter blev de afhentet af tyskerne.

Navigator, 2nd Lt Ernest Norman og Radio Operator, T/Sgt Paul Knight søgte tilflugt hos gårdejer Hugo Carlsen, Granly, Olsker (omkring her). De var dog blevet observeret af en tyskvenlig nabo, og næste formiddag ankom en tysk patrulje og foretog en grundig husundersøgelse. De to flyvere blev fundet, og Hugo Carlsen blev taget med til afhøring. Efter 28 dages ophold på Galløkken Kaserne (ved Rønne her) fik Carlsen overbevist tyskerne om sin uskyld, og han blev løsladt. Paul Knight besøgte Bornholm i juni 1985." (FT 87-93-5)

"De der var blevet krigsfanger blev bragt til Dulag Luft ved Oberursel til afhøring. Efter afhøring blev Ernst M. Norman sendt til Stalag Luft III Sagan og senere flyttet til Stalag XIIID Nuremberg-Langwasser. Paul D. Knight og James L. Prusa blev sendt til Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf nær Krems i Østrig, mens Henry R. McCowan blev sendt til Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow." (AOD) Læs mere om Tyske krigsfangelejre.
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.

B17 42-31156 landed here about 200 m east of Skyttegaard, Ibskervej 26, DK-3730 Nexø, about 2 km north of Nexø. (Source: Niels Christian Pihl)
"35 B-17 attacked the aircraft factories in Arnimswalde, but the target was covered with clouds, and instead the formation bombed Stettin here - the alternative target. The plane was hit by flak just after having dropped the bombs, and two of the engines had to be feathered (to reduce air resistance and fuel consumption). The crew started throwing all unnecessary equipment out of the plane to reduce its weight, and the course was set for the neutral Sweden to make a crash landing there. It was still very cloudy when the "Fortress" flew over the Baltic Sea. Most of the heavy machine guns had just been thrown overboard when German fighters attacked and caused further damage on the plane. - -
The pilots made a successful belly landing at Ibsker. The Americans were relieved to have reached "Sweden", but they soon had something else to think of. People who came hurrying up quickly explained to the airmen that they had landed in a part of Denmark which was occupied by Germans, and that the Germans could be expected any moment. The 10 Americans split up in small groups and dispersed in the terrain. (At this airman you only see his part of the story. More at B17 42-31156.)

Left Waist Gunner, S/Sgt Henry McCowan and Ball Turret Gunner, S/Sgt James Prusa reached Ibsker Vicarage (here), where for unknown reasons they urgently requested the Reverend Ejner Olsen to call the German Wehrmacht. The Vicar instead tried to persuade the two airmen to evade, but in vain, and shortly after they were fetched by the Germans.

Navigator, 2nd Lt Ernest Norman and Radio Operator, T/Sgt Paul Knight took refuge with farm owner Hugo Carlsen, Granly, Olsker (about here). However, they had been seen by a pro-German neighbour and next day before noon a German patrol arrived and carried out a thorough search of the house. The two airmen were found, and Hugo Carlsen was taken with for interrogation. After a stay of 28 days in the Galløkken Barracks (at Rønne here) Carlsen had convinced the Germans that he was innocent, and he was released. Paul Knight visited Bornholm in June 1985." (FT 87-93-5)

"Those who had been made POW`s were brought to Dulag Luft at Oberursel for interrogation. After interrogation Ernst M. Norman was sent to Stalag Luft III Sagan and later moved to Stalag XIIID Nuremberg-Langwasser. Paul D. Knight and James L. Prusa were sent to Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf near Krems in Austria while Henry R. McCowan was sent to Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow." (AOD) Read more about German POW-Camps.

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.
This B-17 belonged to 708th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, 4th Combat Bombardment Wing, 3rd Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force, USAAF.
447th Bomb Group Association. 10 airmen.