Paul N. Scherer                                                                                         Updated:  03 JAN 2012

Airman: v999042.htm Surname: Scherer Init: P N Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 708

P_link: p296.htm Plane: B17 42-31156 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Neksø

Crash_d: d110444 Buried_d: v999 C_link: v999.htm At_Next: EVD

B17 42-31156 landede her omkring 200 m øst for Skyttegaard, Ibskervej 26, 3730 Nexø, omkring 2 km nord for Nexø. (Kilde: Niels Christian Pihl)
"35 B-17 angreb flyfabrikkerne i Arnimswalde, men målet var dækket af skyer, og i stedet bombede formationen Stettin her, der var det alternative mål. Umiddelbart efter at bomberne var kastet blev flyet ramt af flak og på to motorer måtte propellerne kantstilles (så luftmodstanden og brændstofforbruget blev mindre). Besætningen begyndte at kaste alt overflødigt ud af flyet for at lette det, og man satte nu kurs mod det neutrale Sverige for at nødlande der. Det var stadig meget overskyet, da "Fæstningen" fløj over Østersøen. Man havde netop kastet de fleste af de tunge maskingeværer over bord, da tyske jagere gik til angreb og forårsagede yderligere ødelæggelser på flyet. - -
Piloterne foretog en vellykket mavelanding ved Ibsker. Amerikanerne var lettede over således at være nået frem til "Sverige", men de fik snart andet at tænke på. Tililende fik hurtigt forklaret flyverne, at de var landet i en del af det tyskbesatte Danmark, og at tyskerne kunne ventes hvert øjeblik. De 10 amerikanere delte sig op i små grupper, der spredte sig ud i terrænet. (Ved denne flyver ses kun hans og hans ledsageres historie. Se resten ved B17 42-31156.)

Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt Lauren Davis og Top Turret Gunner, Sgt Glenn Standish dukkede tre dage efter nedstyrtningen op ved Teglkås (her). Hotelejer Bidstrup fra Hasle fik nys om deres tilstedeværelse, og han fik hurtigt arrangeret en transport til Sverige med fiskekutteren "Svanen". (Se også Flugtruter.) Mandag den 17. april sejlede kutteren ud fra Hasle Havn (her), og efter et dramatisk møde med en tysk u-båd blev flyverne den efterfølgende nat sat i en bundgarnsbåd ud for den svenske kyst. De nåede hurtigt ind til kysten, hvor de blev modtaget af den svenske kystvagt, og efter få dages ophold i Stockholm gik turen i et kurerfly tilbage til England, hvor de ankom den 27. april.

De sidste 4 flyvere (Pilot 1st Lt Howard S. Pauling, Bombardier 2nd Lt Paul N. Scherer, Tail Gunner S/Sgt Elvin Albaum og Right Waist Gunner Leo V. Kingston) dukkede op i hold på to og to ved Svend Aage Munck´s sommerhus i Bølshavn (her), og herfra blev deres videre transport arrangeret. (Se mere om Svend Aage Munck.) Efter nogle dages ophold bragte Clarence Jensen og Knud Andersen flyverne til Sverige i en til lejligheden "konfiskeret" sejlbåd." (FT 87-93-5)

Se tegning af besætningen på en B-17, Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk samt B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner. 10 flyvere.

B17 42-31156 landed here about 200 m east of Skyttegaard, Ibskervej 26, DK-3730 Nexø, about 2 km north of Nexø. (Source: Niels Christian Pihl)
"35 B-17 attacked the aircraft factories in Arnimswalde, but the target was covered with clouds, and instead the formation bombed Stettin here - the alternative target. The plane was hit by flak just after having dropped the bombs, and two of the engines had to be feathered (to reduce air resistance and fuel consumption). The crew started throwing all unnecessary equipment out of the plane to reduce its weight, and the course was set for the neutral Sweden to make a crash landing there. It was still very cloudy when the "Fortress" flew over the Baltic Sea. Most of the heavy machine guns had just been thrown overboard when German fighters attacked and caused further damage on the plane. - -
The pilots made a successful belly landing at Ibsker. The Americans were relieved to have reached "Sweden", but they soon had something else to think of. People who came hurrying up quickly explained to the airmen that they had landed in a part of Denmark which was occupied by Germans, and that the Germans could be expected any moment. The 10 Americans split up in small groups and dispersed in the terrain. (At this airman you only see his part of the story. More at B17 42-31156.)

Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt Lauren Davis and Top Turret Gunner, Sgt Glenn Standish three days after the crash showed up at Teglkås (here). Hotel owner Bidstrup from Hasle got wind of their presence, and he quickly arranged a transport to Sweden with the cutter "Svanen" (the Swan). (See also Escape Routes.) On Monday 17 April the cutter sailed out from Hasle Harbour (here), and after a dramatic encounter with a German submarine the airmen in the following night were placed in a pound net boat off the Swedish coast. They quickly reached the shore, where they were received by the Swedish coast guard, and after a few days in Stockholm they in a courier plane flew back to England, where they arrived on 27 April.

The last 4 airmen (Pilot 1st Lt Howard S. Pauling, Bombardier 2nd Lt Paul N. Scherer, Tail Gunner S/Sgt Elvin Albaum and Right Waist Gunner Leo V. Kingston) showed up in teams of two at Svend Aage Munck´s holiday cottage in Bølshavn (here) and their further transport was arranged from here. After a stay of a few days Clarence Jensen and Knud Andersen took the airmen to Sweden in a sailing boat "confiscated" for the occasion." (FT 87-93-5)

See a drawing of the crew of a B-17, Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 belonged to 708th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, 4th Combat Bombardment Wing, 3rd Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force, USAAF.
447th Bomb Group Association. 10 airmen.