B 17G-BO 42-37841 - Hit over Esbjerg                      Esbjerg - Varde                        Updated: 17 AUG 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
r998007.htm Ax H R Sgt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998008.htm Botkin J S S/Sgt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998006.htm Fetzko Jr. J 2ndLt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998003.htm Hallum B C 2ndLt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998005.htm Olson C F 2ndLt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998004.htm Romstad A M 2ndLt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
u014298.htm Ross M I S/Sgt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 b310844 c014.htm Esbjerg
r998009.htm Stroud Jr. G E Sgt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
r998010.htm Young H B S/Sgt USAAF 360 p356.htm B17 4237841 Attack DK Hit over Esbjerg d270844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED


"Den 27. august 1944 udsendtes 1200 amerikanske bombefly mod Berlin, men på grund af ugunstige vejrforhold over Nordtyskland angreb en del af de udsendte
fly andre mål på Kontinentet. Et af disse mål var Esbjerg flyveplads, hvor ca. 60 B-17 fly nedkastede mere end 200 bomber, hvilket gjorde flyvepladsen ubrugelig i
resten af krigen." (FAF) Den gamle Esbjerg flyveplads lå i området omkring dette punkt. Nu er det en del af byen Esbjerg. (Kilde: Søren Diers)
Se også Farlige jagere * Informationstavle   her om Esbjerg Flyveplads * Luftalarmer i Esbjerg * Google Map Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944 * Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944.

B17 42-37841 blev ramt over Esbjerg, måske over flyvepladsen, så en del af halen med Sgt (Tail Gunner) Milt I. Ross brækkede af. Han blev begravet i Esbjerg
den 31. august 1944. (Kilder: AOD og register fra Fovrfeld Gravlund)

Lt Hallum klarede at flyve maskinen tilbage til England. Nær Middlesham gav han besætningen ordre til at springe ud og lod maskinen styrte. Den klarede 97 togter!
8 flyvere overlevede. (Kilde: Mission Report Nr. 233) Se Pilot Hallum og Foto af besætningen. Se i JV også Mindedag for bombningen af Esbjerg Flyveplads.

Mistet under denne mission: B17 43-37629*B17 42-37841 / Pilot Hallum*P51 43-25049*P51 44-13733*P51 44-13951*P51 44-13991*P51 42-106480. (Kilde: AOD)
Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17. 9 flyvere.

"On 27 August 1944 1200 American bombers were to target Berlin, but due to unfavourable weather conditions over North Germany some of the dispatched
planes attacked other targets on the Continent. One of these targets was Esbjerg Airfield where about 60 B-17s dropped more than 200 bombs which made the airfield useless for the rest of the war." (FAF) The old Esbjerg Airfield was in the area around this point. Now it is a part of the town of Esbjerg. (Source: Søren Diers)
See also Air-raid warnings in Esbjerg and Google Map Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944 and Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944.

B17 42-37841 was hit over Esbjerg, maybe over the airfield here, so that a part of the tail with Sgt (Tail Gunner) Milt I. Ross broke off. He was buried in Esbjerg on
31 August 1944. (Sources: AOD and register from the cemetery Fovrfeld Gravlund)

Lt Hallum managed to fly the plane back to England. Near Middlesham he ordered the crew to bail out and let the B-17 crash. The B-17 was on its 97th mission!
8 airmen survived. (Source: Mission Report No. 233) See Pilot Hallum and his own words in Reflections on Being a Pilot in WWII.

Lost on this mission: B17 43-37629 * B17 42-37841 / Pilot Hallum * P51 43-25049 * P51 44-13733 * P51 44-13951 * P51 44-13991 * P51 42-106480. (Source: AOD)
This B-17 belonged to 360 BS, 303 BG, 41 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of USAAF. It took off from RAF Molesworth - USAAF Station 107.
See 303rd Bomb Group Heavy with the Mission Report No. 233 of Aug 27, 1944. See Crew Photo and Reflections on Being a Pilot in WWII by Bert Hallum. 
See also B17s in airmen.dk and a drawing of the crew of a B-17.          9 airmen.