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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-27G-15-DL #42-37839 "Little Willie" 388th BG - 563rd BS Shot dwon 9 March 1944
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Little Willie" of the of the 388th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '388th BG. One time lead ship.'
Delivered Tulsa 20/9/43; Gr Island 14/10/43; Assigned 563BS/388BG [ -D] Knettishall 26/10/43; Missing in Action Berlin 9/3/44 with Bernie Dopko, Co-pilot: Gene Krifka, Navigator: Glenn Cederstrom, Bombardier: Bill Kelly, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Naber, Radio Operator: Wilson Gabel, Ball turret gunner: Ed Rydell, Waist gunner: Dick Herzberg, Waist gunner: Lloyd Haller, Tail gunner: Sybrand de Vries (10 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Preetze Forest, near Liebenthal, 12 miles NE of Oranienburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 3088. LITTLE WILLIE.
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
The crew baled out of B-17G #42-37839 'Little Willie' after flak set the plane on fire on a mission to Berlin on 9 Mar 1944. The a/c crashed NE of Oranienburg, GR. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
The crew bailed out of B-17G #42-37839 'Little Willie' after flak set the plane on fire on a mission to Berlin on 9 Mar 1944. The a/c crashed NE of Oranienburg, GR. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Flight Officer | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
The crew baled out of B-17G #42-37839 'Little Willie' after flak set the plane on fire on a mission to Berlin on 9 Mar 1944. The a/c crashed NE of Oranienburg, GR. Prisoner of War (POW). Retired from the USAF as a Captain.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot/Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
The crew baled out of B-17G #42-37839 'Little Willie' after flak set the plane on fire on a mission to Berlin on 9 Mar 1944. The a/c crashed NE of Oranienburg, GR. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
The crew baled out of B-17G #42-37839 'Little Willie' after flak set the plane on fire on a mission to Berlin on 9 Mar 1944. The a/c crashed NE of Oranienburg, GR. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
30 December 1943
The port area and oil refineries at Ludwigshaven, Germany are the target for this massive attack of 710 heavy bombers. The despatch includes 12 PFF-equipped B-17s from 482BG, 11 of these are effective on the mission, 3 are damaged, and the bomber...
7 January 1944
The industrial areas of Ludwigshaven, Germany are the primary target for this mission. The formation has three elements. The bomber gunners of the entire force claim 30-6-17 of attacking German aircraft.
...
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...
29 January 1944
The primary target for this mission was the railroad marshalling yards and industrial areas of Frankfurt, Germany. A combined force of 863 heavy bombers were despatched in three elements to make the attack. The combined bomber gunner claims on enemy...
30 January 1944
This mission has the aviation industry at Brunswick, Germany as the primary target. The mission is composed of a combined force pf 777 heavy bomber aircraft despatched in three elements: 1st Bomb Division; 2nd Bomb Division and 3rd Bomb Division. The...
21 February 1944
Day 2 of BIG WEEK is another maximum effort by 8th Air Force to bomb 6 airfields in Germany as primary targets: Diepholz, Gütersloh, Lippstadt, Werl, Achmer and Handorf. In addition the industrial areas of Brunswick city are included as a primary...
24 February 1944
BIG WEEK resumes with full intensity against the German aircraft industry. Bomber tactics are changed slightly in that each Air Division will be directed at more widely dispersed primary targets which it is thought will frustrate concentration...
25 February 1944
On this final operation of BIG WEEK, Day 6, a combined force of 754 heavy bombers from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched to bomb the German aircraft industries at Regensburg, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Furth, Germany. Mission Summary follows:
...
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...
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...
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Prötzeweg, 16559 Liebenwalde, Germany | 9 March 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 April 2021 00:09:12 | phil marchese | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
388th BG WEBSITE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 March 2021 18:50:19 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 June 2019 23:00:08 | Pat deVries Howe | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
changed incorrect spelling of my Dad's last name. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 October 2015 03:33:15 | 466thHistorian | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Chris Brassfield |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 October 2015 03:24:19 | 466thHistorian | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Chris Brassfield |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 October 2015 03:20:57 | 466thHistorian | Changes to nicknames, markings, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
388bg.info |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3088 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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