Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
B-17 Flying Fortress
![Official USAAF photo B-61068 AC – Original caption : “Lt. Kyse and crew of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside the Boeing Flying Fortress “Sky Wolf”. England, 11 November 1943.”
[ Back row, from left ro right : 1st Lt Walter R. Kyse; 2nd Lt William C. DaShiell; 2nd Lt Hilton C. Mabie; 2nd Lt Thomas H. Sutherland; 2nd Lt Don J. De Laura / Front row, left to right : Sgt Arthur H. Robinson Jr; S/Sgt Bernard J. Radebaugh; ] S/Sgt Robert L. Stevenson; Sgt Clifford M. McKinney, Sgt Robert J. Owen; Sgt George J. Morrison. ]](http://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/media-20592.png?itok=WRi6tII6)
Official USAAF photo B-61068 AC – Original caption : “Lt. Kyse and crew of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside the Boeing Flying Fortress “Sky Wolf”. England, 11 November 1943.” [ Back row, from left ro right : 1st Lt Walter R. Kyse; 2nd Lt William C. DaShiell; 2nd Lt Hilton C. Mabie; 2nd Lt Thomas H. Sutherland; 2nd Lt Don J. De Laura / Front row, left to right : Sgt Arthur H. Robinson Jr; S/Sgt Bernard J. Radebaugh; ] S/Sgt Robert L. Stevenson; Sgt Clifford M. McKinney, Sgt Robert J. Owen; Sgt George J. Morrison. ]
Lt Jack C Timkin and crew of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 41-24562 "Sky Wolf". England, 20 July 1943. Back row (L-R): 1st Lt William V Chamberlain (Nav), 1st Lt Jack C Timken (Pilot), 1st Lt Robert K Solverson (Bomb), Capt George E Wright (CoPilot), Front row (L-R): S/Sgt Criscienzo N Giassullo (Tail), Sgt George R Redhead (L Waist), T/Sgt Jack Baxter (Radio), S/Sgt James E Toy (Ball), Curtis O Brooke (R Waist), S/Sgt Leland N Knuth (Eng) .
303rd BG 358th BS Lead Crew Dec 20 1943, Sky Wolf #41-24562 Back row, left to right: Maj G.F. Shumake (CP), Capt D. Gamble (P), 1Lt W.D. McSween (N), 1Lt W.T. Sweet (B), 2Lt J.R. Burns (TG-O) Front row, left to right: S/Sgt N. Vaughn (WG), T/Sgt R.J. McGuire (R), S/Sgt C.S. Schmeltzer (WG), S/Sgt R.G. Scharch (BT), T/Sgt C.E. Wagner (E)
Official USAAF photo – B-61690 AC Original caption : “Crew of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “SKY WOLF“ pose beside the plane. 303rd Bomb Group. England. 27 February 1943.“ [ From left to right : Captain Samuel H. Anderson; Captain Carl H. Morales; Major Clemens K. Wurzbach; Captain Hubert E. Miller; 1st Lt Frank E. Zasadil. "Sky Wolf" is B-17 # 41-24562. ]
Major Clemens K. Wurzbach (cropped from UPL 20589)
"Lead crew on a bombing mission to Kassel, Germany, pose in front of the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Sky Wolf'. 303rd Bomb Group. 30-Jul-43." Rear L-R: 1Lt William V Chamberlain, 2Lt James R McConnen, 1Lt Jack C Timken, Lt Col Kermit D Stevens, 2Lt William B. Harper, 2Lt Robert K Solverson Front L-R: S/Sgt Criscienzo N Giassullo, S/Sgt George R. Redhead, S/Sgt James E. Toy, Sgt Jack Baxter, T/Sgt Leland N. Knuth
"Crew of the 303rd Bomb Group beside their Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Sky Wolf'. England, 7 January 1944." Rear L-R: Lt Col Burton K Voorhees, 2Lt Robert E Galbraith Jr, 1Lt Donald De Camp, 2Lt Warren Spencer Wiggins. Front L-R: Sgt Robert E King, S/Sgt Richard J Tracy, S/Sgt William Thomas "Dub" Hitt, Sgt Richard Charles "Dick" Miller, Sgt Robert W Hoffman, Sgt Jerry C. McLawhorn.
Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-A] Bangor 14/10/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 60m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Aubrey Emerson, Co-pilot: McDonald Riddick, Navigator: Lew Halliburton, Bombardier: Don Delaura, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Grover Mullins, Radio Operator: Jim Supple, Waist gunner: John Visznecki, Waist gunner: Jim Pleasant, Tail gunner: Bernie Sutton (9 Prisoner of War), Ball turret gunner: Howard Zeitner (Killed in Action); crashed Wolsdorf, four miles SW of Helmstedt, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1925. SKY WOLF.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
Military | Captain | Lead Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
17-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F] at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth UK. He was despatched on 26 Operations - 25 credited. Served as a Lead Navigator on 23 of those missions. Completed a 25-Mission...
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
4-Feb-43 First mission as susbtitute Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 27 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean and Vietnamese conflicts rising to rank of Lt Colonel.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 11 January 1944 in B-17 #41-24562 'Sky Wolf', Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Captain | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
2-Aug-42 Assigned as a Bombardier on B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar" at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar" but there is no record that he flew any missions with that aircraft. 303BG Mission Report...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Flew 28 combat missions. Served as ball Turret Gunner with many pilots and on many different aircraft in the 360th Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 11 January 1944 in B-17 #41-24562 'Sky Wolf', Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 26 x combat missions.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
27 February 1943
With weather and cloud cover continuing to frustrate bombing efforts against targets in Northern Germany, VIII Bomber Command decides to mount a raid against the harbour facilities at Brest, France. A total of 60 B-17s are destached: 91BG (18); 303BG ...
20 December 1943
The port area of Bremen is the target for 546 heavy bombers. The total includes 12 PFF-equipped B-17s from 482BG. All 12 of these are effective on the target and 11 are damaged. The bomber gunners of this element claim 1-1-0 (this total included with...
11 January 1944
Three aviation industry targets in Germany are bombed. The bomber force consists of 291 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Division in two elements, one element of 177 B-17s is despatched to Oschersleben, Germany as the primary target, the other 1BD...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 11 January 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 October 2020 19:01:54 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 18:29:29 | Mags | Changes to place associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 February 2016 16:32:10 | ED-BB | Changes to events, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Added photo with the Walter R. Kyse crew |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 April 2015 15:16:33 | ED-BB | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
Freeman's "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1925 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
