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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/9/43; Gr Island 10/10/43; Wilmington 13/10/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 23/10/43; Missing in Action Munich 18/3/44 with Ron Croft, Co-pilot: Lester Krapf, Navigator: Glen Likewise, Bombardier: Jim Parker, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Hise, Radio Operator: Russ Malzahn, Waist gunner: John Harris (7 Prisoner of War); Ball turret gunner: Joe Link, Waist gunner: Chas Hagerman, Tail gunner: Frank Jurach (3 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, hit #1 fell behind and crashed Neiderschach, six miles NE of Villingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 3419.
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Squadron
Part of 94th Bomb Group.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, Germany, after the surviving crew members baled out. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members bailed out. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 94th Bomb Group
Severely damaged by fighters after bombing the secondary target of Munich, GR on 18 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31159 and crashed at Niedereschach, GR after the surviving crew members baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
3 March 1944
A combined force of 748 heavy bombers are despatched to bomb the primary targets of Berlin, Erkner and Oranienburg, Germany, but weather and dense contrails forced most of the formations to turn back or seek Targets of Opportunity (TOs). 1st Combat...
4 March 1944
The industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. All three Air Divisions despatch formations. However, the despatch from 2nd Air Division aborted the mission because of severe weather in the assembly area...
6 March 1944
The industrial areas of Berlin and Genshagen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A combined force of 730 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The despatch from 3rd Air Division bombs Targets of Opportunity in...
8 March 1944
The VKF ballbearing factory at Berlin/Erkner is the primary target for 623 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. Fighter opposition and anti-aircraft fire are intense. There are so many formation attacking that some divert to other...
9 March 1944
Berlin is once again targeted by this mission as a secondary target. Primary target not listed in source data. All 3 Air Divisions despatch aircraft. There is very little fighter opposition. Mission Summary follows:
...
Military site : airfield
The airfield was purpose-built for American bomb groups and as such had a 2,000 yard main runway that lain in concrete with a tarred and wood-chipped surface. The scale of bases such as this meant that very often the technical, administrative and...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 18 March 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 October 2020 22:05:55 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 07 February 2020 20:48:46 | mjurach | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.facebook.com/pg/94thBombGroup/photos/?tab=album&album_id=176... |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3419 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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