B17 42-5862 styrtede i Nordsøen den 25. juli 1943 kl. 17 nær kutteren E 475 »Bertha« af Esbjerg 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 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)

Fra bogen A. Hjorth Rasmussen: Det er nødvendigt at sejle, Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseet, Esbjerg, 1980:

E 475 »Bertha« bjergede 4 amerikanske flyvere, men måtte gå til Esbjerg med dem. To 4-motorers maskiner kom hen over kutteren, idet den ene af dem gik i glideflugt mod vandet med motorskade. Den styrtede nogle hundrede meter fra »Bertha«. Kutteren gik til undsætning, og de 4 flyvere, som drev rundt i redningsveste, blev samlet op. Trods øjeblikkelig eftersøgning lykkedes det ikke at finde de øvrige 6 personer, som havde været i maskinen. 2 af flyverne var uskadte, 2 var hårdt såret. På den ene var arme og ben brækket, og kutterbesætningen måtte lægge skinner på af fiskekassetræ. Om ankomsten til Esbjerg fortæller det illegale blad »Vestjyden«; »Da skibet kom i havn var den danske ambulance mødt op og trådte straks i funktion, men da man var ved at lægge den hårdtsårede mand på båren, mødte tyskerne op og forbød at flytte manden. Det var dog tilskuerne for groft, og der blev protesteret kraftigt over for en så brutal ordre. Tyskerne gik nu helt amok, et stød i en fløjte, og flere tyskere kom straks til og for ind på danskerne, en fik et kolbeslag på skulderen, flere fik spark og slag, ja, en fik endog presset en revolver mod maven. Tilskuerne trak sig nu noget tilbage, men afventede sagens videre forløb. Efter ca. 2-to-timers ventetid ankom en tysk ambulance og tog den hårdt sårede flyver, der lå på nogle dyner på kutterens dæk.

Den sårede havde været ca. 14 timer undervejs til havnen og måtte så vente yderligere to timer, og medens den stakkels forpinte mand lå der, spankulerede en tysk officer om og smilte kynisk, hver gang den sårede klagede sig.

Den brutalitet, som tyskerne her udviste over for en hårdtsåret og hjælpeløs modstander, understreger endnu en gang deres fejhed og sadistiske tilbøjeligheder. Det er en trøst, at opgørets dag snart er inde, og da skal de tyske bestier få regningen præsenteret med renter og renters rente. Derom er vi alle enige«.

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 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-Pilot)

From the book A. Hjorth Rasmussen: Det er nødvendigt at sejle Fiskeri- og Søfartsmuseet, Esbjerg, 1980
                                                              (Sailing is necessary) Fisheries and Maritime Museum, Esbjerg, 1980

E 475 »Bertha« rescued 4 American airmen, but had to go to Esbjerg with them. Two 4-engined planes passed above the cutter, one of them gliding towards the water with engine trouble. It ditched some hundred metres from the »Bertha«. The cutter sailed to their rescue, and the 4 airmen who drifted around in their life jackets were picked out of the water. An immediate search for the 6 other airmen of the crew was unsuccessful. 2 of the airmen were uninjured, 2 severely injured. One of them had broken his arms and his legs, and the fishermen had to dress his wounds with splints from a wooden fish crate. The illegal magazine the “Vestjyden” tells about the arrival at Esbjerg, “When the ship came to the quay the Danish ambulance had arrived already. Work started immediately, but when the severely injured man was being put on a stretcher the Germans turned up and forbade moving him. That was the limit for the spectators, and there were strong protests over an order that brutal. Now the Germans went totally berserk. A blow in a whistle and more Germans immediately turned up and rushed at the Danes. One was hit with a butt on his shoulder and several people were kicked and beaten. One man had a revolver pressed against his stomach. Now the spectators drew a little back awaiting further events. After about 2-two hours of waiting a German ambulance arrived and took the severely injured airman who was lying on some duvets on the deck of the cutter.

The injured airman had been on his way to the harbour for 14 hours and he had to wait another 2 hours. While the poor man was lying there racked with pain a German officer strutted about smiling cynically every time the injured airman moaned with pain.

The brutality shown here by the Germans to a severely injured and helpless adversary once more stresses their cowardice and sadistic leanings. It is a comfort that the day of reckoning will soon be here, and then the German beasts will have the bill presented with interest and compound interest. We are in complete agreement on that."

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-Pilot*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.