On 26 Nov 1944, Lt. Ramon L. Spooner was acting as lead navigator on a bombing mission into Germany. The primary target was the railroad viaduct at Altenbecken, but weather forced them to turn to their alternate, the railroad marshaling yards at Osnabruck. Just after releasing their bomb load, their B-17G # 42-97671 took a direct hit from flak. The nose of the fortress was blown off, two of the three navigators were killed instantly and their bodies were ejected along with the bombardier, and the cock pit floor was riddled with large holes.



The aircraft dropped out of formation and the pilot, having lost control of the plane, gave the bail-out signal. Two of the gunners jumped, then the pilot regained control and decided to fly it to friendly territory. He asked the top turret gunner/flight engineer to stay and help out. The radio operator heard the request and passed the word to the mickey operator (radar) and remaining gunner. The plane made an emergency wheels up landing at P-47 airbase in the Netherlands.



What is amazing is that the two navigators and the bombardier bodies were recovered, and the two gunners that jumped were captured and imprisoned as P.O.W.'s.