Delivered Cheyenne 16/5/44; Kearney 24/5/44; Dow Fd 1/6/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-T] Deenethorpe 10/6/44 LITTLE PIECES; battle damaged Merseburg 8/11/44 with ?; repaired & ret group; Salvaged 9AF Germany 18/2/46. LITTLE PEDRO!



The experience of Lt Steele and his crew when this Fortress was lost on 8 November 1944 was the subject of the following public relations story:



"AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE BOMBER STATION, ENGLAND. 2nd Lt. Richard L. Steele, Lincoln, Nebr., took his Fortress crew on their first mission the other day and came home after an emergency landing in Belgium, with the definite opinion that the ETO is still a 'rough theater' for heavy bombardment operations."



"Arriving in the target area, which was Merseburg, and before bombs away, Lt. Steele had two engines hit by flak and found himself with two runaway propellers at the same time. Engine No. 4 had its oil pressure system shot out and the prop could not be feathered and the prop controls and supercharger of No. 3 were hit -- all this at 26,000 feet in tight formation."



"The propeller of No. 4 engine finally twisted off its whitehot bearings and 'froze' in one position and No. 3 propeller, out of control, became steady at 2,250 revolutions per minute which gave the pilot some power to hold formation."



"The bombs were dropped on Merseburg -- and the Fortress began to steadily lose altitude, straggling at 15,000 feet, the aircraft was about to be attacked by Nazi fighters when nine Mustangs swooped in from out of the sun and chased them away."



"'The last I saw of the Jerries they were diving into a cloud bank with our fighters hot on their tail,' said Lt. Steele. 'It was a beautiful sight. A short time later a few more P-51's picked us up and stuck with us until we got over friendly territory.'"



"The crew struck more flak from its vulnerable altitude and the hydraulics system was shot out, automatically knocking out the brakes. Over Belgium and in the vicinity of Brussels, Lt. Steele saw an RAF base and decided to go in for a landing. But his trouble was not yet over."



"As he was about to let down, a fire started in the cockpit and while the crew stood ready to bail out, it was extinguished by the Engineer, Sgt. Frederick Stachura. The fire had so damaged the radio equipment that Lt. Steele could not call the control tower and tell them he was going to make an emergency landing, and without brakes."



"'A formation was just coming in,' said Lt. Steele 'and I couldn't get the green light. Something had to be done so I came on in anyway and when they knew I was going to land they gave me the all clear to land.'"



"On landing the crew counted 30 flak holes in addition to the damaged engines - only excellent evasive action by the pilot prevented more damage when the second flak was encountered -- one, Flight Officer D.J. Munt, the Navigator, had a slight flak wound on his face."



"The crew spent a couple of days at the base and then were flown to England, glad to get away from 'buzz bomb alley'."



"All members of the crew were on their first mission except 2nd Lt. R.H. Little acting as co-pilot in breaking in the new crew. He has been on 20 missions and his experience acted as a stabilizing influence on other members who were in their praise of his work and judgment during the critical moments."