B17 42-5862
styrtede i Nordsøen den 25. juli 1943 kl. 17 i nærheden af kutteren
E 475 »Bertha«
omkring 75 miles sydvest for Esbjerg. (Kilde: FOS A1393)
AOD har detaljer. Dette er en af beretningerne om flyvere
Reddet af fiskere i Nordsøen.
De 10 B-17-fly var ude af stand til at bombe
Warnemünde (her).
Ved det sekundære mål Kiel
(her)
blev flyet så beskadiget af antiluftskyts at Captain Carey besluttede sig
for at lande på Nordsøen, men seks besætningsmedlemmer gik ned med flyet.
Piloten og andenpiloten fra cockpittet og to mere fra radiorummet klarede at
komme ud. En dansk fiskekutter samlede de fire flyvere op. (Kilde:
p190MACR)
Pvt (Waist Gunner) Robert D. Lepper og S/Sgt
(Tail Gunner) Maynard T. Parsons klarede at komme ud af toplugen, skønt de var
alvorligt såret.
De blev reddet af "Bertha" som skipperen fortæller. Da de kom til Esbjerg, blev
de efter dramatiske begivenheder hentet af en ambulance.
Det vides ikke hvem af dem, der lå på kutterens dæk i to timer. De blev begge
krigsfanger. De blev
ført til Tyske
krigsfangelejre. 100th Bomb Group (Heavy)
har mere om
denne flyver.
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.
On 25 July 1943 at 5pm
B17 42-5862 ditched in the North Sea near the cutter E
475 "Bertha" about 75 miles south west of Esbjerg. (Source: FOD A1393)
AOD has details. This is one of the stories about airmen
Rescued by fishermen in the North Sea.
The 10 B-17s were unable to bomb
Warnemünde (here).
At the secondary target Kiel
(here)
this plane was so damaged by flak that Captain Carey decided to ditch in
the North Sea, but six members of the crew went down with the plane. The
pilot and copilot from the cockpit and two more from the radio room managed
to get out. A Danish fishing boat picked up the four airmen. (Source:
p190MACR)
Pvt (Waist Gunner) Robert D. Lepper and S/Sgt
(Tail Gunner) Maynard T. Parsons managed to get out of the top hatch, even if
they were severely injured.
They were rescued by the "Bertha" as the skipper tells in his account. On the
arrival at Esbjerg they were fetched by an ambulance after dramatic events.
It is not known, which of them who lay on the deck of the cutter for two hours.
Both of them became prisoners of war. They were taken to
German POW-Camps.
100th Bomb Group (Heavy) has more about
this airman.
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.
This B-17
was from
350 BS,
100 BG, 13 Wing, 3 BD, 8 AF of the USAAF.
See also the
100th Bomb Group (Heavy) with
p190MACR*Mission
Warnemünde-Kiel*Casualty
Report*Photo of the
pilot and operational details.
It took off from RAF
Thorpe Abbott - USAAF Station 139. See also
100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum. 10 airmen.
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