19.
maj 1944 (Kl. 16.15) Smålandsfarvandet, 8 km SSØ for Glænø, omkring
her.
Boeing B-17G
42-97607 (XR- )
349 BS, 100 BG, 13 CBW, 3 BD, Thorpe Abbotte, Norfolk. (Berlin)
10 POW. Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift fortsætter:
"495 B-17 fløj til Berlin og 16 gik tabt. Over Østersøen blev 100 BG angrebet
af Fw190'ere og 3 fly blev svært beskadiget.
En B-17
gik ned ved Rødbyhavn (B17 42-38191), medens 42-97607 fortsatte ind over
Lolland med en motor i brand. Piloten, 1 st Lt Ralph Delmore Horne Jr., og hans
besætning var på deres 21. togt. Over Smålandsfarvandet gjorde besætningen klar
til en nødlanding på vandet. Alle besætningsmedlemmer
undtagen de to piloter samledes i radiorummet, hvorefter der blev gennemført en
perfekt nødlanding 8 km SSØ for Glænø (omkring
her). Et par gummibåde blev sat i vandet før
flyet sank,
og efter en times roning nåede alle velbeholdent den sydsjællandske
kyst. Besætningen delte sig op i to hold, der søgte ind i landet. Desværre havde
kun få lokal-
beboere
set
nødlandingen, så mange troede, at de amerikanske
flyvere var en tysk provokation, og kontaktede derfor
det danske politi i stedet for den lokale
modstandsbevægelse. Næste dag kl. 9.00 blev 4 flyvere afhentet i Nyrup (her), og kl.
10.00 blev de resterende afhentet af tyskerne i Snedinge (her)." (FT 88-40-28)
De blev sendt til
Tyske krigsfangelejre.
Tail
Gunner S/Sgt Joseph G. Staron Jr. blev sendt til
Dulag Luft Oberursel,
Dulag Luft Wetzlar og så
til ?
9 flyvere.
On 19 May 1944 at 16.15 hours
B17 42-97607 ditched in the Smaalandsfarvandet 8 km SSE
of Glænø, about
here.
Boeing B-17G 42-97607 (XR- )
349 BS, 100 BG, 13 CBW, 3 BD, Thorpe Abbotte, Norfolk. (Berlin)
10 POWs. (Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"495 B-17s flew to Berlin and 16 were lost. Over the Baltic Sea 100 BG was
attacked by Fw190s and 3 planes were severely damaged.
A B-17 went down at Rødbyhavn (B17 42-38191), while
42-97607 flew on over Lolland with one engine on fire. Pilot 1 st Lt Ralph
Delmore Horne Jr. and his crew
were
on their 21st mission. Over the Smaalandsfarvandet the crew prepared for an
emergency landing on the water. All crew members except the two pilots gathered
in the radio room and the plane ditched perfectly 8 km SSE of Glænø (about
here). A
couple of dinghies were launched before the plane sank, and after an hour of
rowing all
of them safely reached the coast of southern Zealand. The crew split
up into two teams and went away from the coast. Unfortunately only a few of the
local residents
had seen the emergency landing, so many of them thought that the
American airmen was a German provocation, and that was why they contacted the
Danish police instead of the local resistance movement. Next day at 9 o'clock 4
airmen were picked up in Nyrup (here)
and at 10 o'clock the rest of them were picked
up by the Germans in Snedinge (here)." (FT 88-40-28)
They were taken to
German POW-Camps.
Tail
Gunner S/Sgt Joseph G. Staron Jr. was taken to
Dulag Luft Oberursel,
Dulag Luft Wetzlar and
then ?
This B-17 belonged to
349 BS, 100 BG, 13 CBW, 3 BD
of the 8th AF. See also the 100TH BOMB GROUP
(HEAVY). It took off from
Thorpe Abbotts.
9 airmen.
|