"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)
På hjemturen blev B17
42-3554 angrebet af tyske jagere. 5 flyvere sprang ud inden flyet
eksploderede i luften omkring
her 16 km
syd sydvest for Blåvandshuk
den 9. oktober 1943 kl. 16.45. (Kilde: AOD)
Ball Turret Gunner T/Sgt Glenn H. Winch, Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt James D. Batson,
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Ralph S. Martinez, Tail Gunner S/Sgt
Walter J. Zimmerman og
Radio Operator T/Sgt John D. Neville overlevede som fortalt i AOD. De sprang ud
med faldskærm og blev samlet op fra havet.
De blev ført
til Tyske
krigsfangelejre.
Walter
J. Zimmerman fra Pennsylvania blev sendt til
Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf nær Krems i Østrig.
(Kilde:
AAD)
2 flyvere fra B17 42-3554
blev begravet i Danmark, 3 har ingen kendt grav og 5 blev krigsfanger.
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 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 way home the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters
attacked
the bombers." (FAF)
On the return flight B17 42-3554 was attacked by German
fighters. 5 airmen bailed out before the plane exploded in the air about
here 10
miles
south south west
of Blåvandshuk on 9 October 1943 at 16.45 hours. (Source:
AOD)
Ball Turret Gunner T/Sgt Glenn H. Winch, Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt James D. Batson,
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Ralph S. Martinez, Tail Gunner S/Sgt
Walter J. Zimmerman and
Radio Operator T/Sgt John D. Neville survived. They bailed out and were picked
up from the sea as told in AOD.
They were
taken to
German POW-Camps.
Walter
J. Zimmerman from Pennsylvania was taken to
Stalag
17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15 (Source:
AAD)
2 airmen
from B17
42-3554 were buried in Denmark, 3 have no known grave and 5 became Prisoners
of War.
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.
It took off from
RAF Podington - USAAF
Station 109. Also
Lester Schrenk was in Podington. This B-17
was from
326th BS, 92nd BG, 40th CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of the USAAF. See
92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 92nd
USAAF-USAF Memorial Association. 10 airmen.
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