Francis J Wachtel
Military ROLL OF HONOURShot down 30 December 1942 in B-17F #42-5078 while serving as Navigator. Plane crashed into Bay of Biscay. Killed in Action (KIA).
Assigned to target submarine base at Lorient. A/C was reported to have left formation to assist A/C #42-2975 of the 306th BG which was attacked by fighters. The 306th bomber had joined the 305th formation after cloud cover had obscured their own squadrons. Fighters also attacked B-17 #42-2975 which was shot down. Killed in Action (KIA)
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Killed when the aircraft was shot down by German and crashed into the sea near Lorient, France. His remains were never recovered. |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Lee Cunningham 7-Dec-2014 Added crew position to biography per 'Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.
Lee Cunningham 7-Dec-2014 Added crew position to biography per 'Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Heys Vol. 1 p 56 No MACR