My dad, Enrico 'Rick' Carpini was from Linden, NJ and served as a radio gunner on a B-17G with the 305th Bomb Group/365th Bomb Squadron. He flew 30 missions from 1/4/44-5/22/44. The pilot was John F. Schleifer from Buffalo, NY.



The majority of his missions were on #42-37978 named "Ka-Lang" (the sound that shrapnel made as it hit the fuselage). As best as can be determined, "Ka-Lang" was assigned to another crew on or about 5/13/44, was hit by flak, lost one engine and had only a half hour of fuel remaining. The pilot turned north and landed in Sweden.



This was confirmed by Vivian Rogers-Price, research director at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. I have no reference on which plane my father served on his last two missions on 5/20/44 and 5/22/44.