Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-5084

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn

MSN:

3623

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn at 0900LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea 12 km off Noirmoutier Island. Nine crew members were killed and one was rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt William M. Anderson, pilot, †
1st Lt James L. Lee, copilot, †
T/Sgt Rex O. Barker, mechanic, †
1st Lt John Henry Roten, navigator,
S/Sgt Anthony C. McCauley, radio operator, †
1st Lt Lyle G. Karnath, bomb aimer, †
T/Sgt Robert E. Marrer, air gunner, †
S/Sgt La Vern A. Senn, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Herman Odegard, air gunner, †
Sgt Richard Q. Flint, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-20-BO Flying Fortress off Saint-Nazaire: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24526

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Molesworth - Molesworth

MSN:

3211

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off the city. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt James B. Clark, pilot,
2nd Lt Paul Bouton Jr.,copilot,
2nd Lt Charles E. Hoffman, navigator,
S/Sgt Leroy W. Wilder, radio operator,
2nd Lt Don W. Lusk Jr., bomb aimer,
Sgt Arthur Brunnet, air gunner,
S/Sgt George F. Hall Jr., air gunner,
Sgt Jonathan S. Land, air gunner,
T/Sgt Thomas J. Reino, air gunner,
S/Sgt Merlyn D. Rukes, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-20-BO Flying Fortress off Saint-Nazaire: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24517

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Molesworth - Molesworth

MSN:

3202

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter, exploded in the air and crashed into the sea off the city. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt William H. Goetz, pilot,
Maj Charles C. Sheridan, copilot,
2nd Lt Robert L. Madrid, navigator,
T/Sgt Joseph H. Walters, radio operator,
2nd Lt Robert W. Smith, bomb aimer,
Sgt Merel D. Bradley, air gunner,
Sgt Martin F. McDonald, air gunner,
Sgt Walter E. Runge, air gunner,
S/Sgt Donald H. Rutt, air gunner,
T/Sgt James F. Shelly, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-15-BO Flying Fortress in Guérande: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24501

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Thurleigh - Thurleigh

MSN:

3186

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter. Some crew members bailed out then the airplane crash landed near Guérande and was destroyed. Four crew members were killed and six others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt James Mencill Ferguson, pilot,
2nd Lt John Bridge Elliott, copilot,
T/Sgt Charles Albert Edinger, mechanic,
S/Sgt Richard Gordon Hackworth, radio operator,
2nd Lt Donald R. Greene, navigator, †
1st Lt Robert T. Levy, bomb aimer, †
S/Sgt Rupert W. Arnold, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Earl Kerbow, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Robert L. Kingen, air gunner,
S/Sgt James Victor Loving, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress near Wells: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-5152

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Wendover - Wendover

MSN:

3691

YOM:

1942

Location:

Wells

Nevada

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Wendover AFB on a navigation exercise with a crew of 10 on board. En route, weather conditions worsened and the crew decided to cancel some parts of the mission. While cruising at an altitude of 11,000 feet in limited visibility, the airplane impacted the east side of a peak located in the Ruby Mountain Range, near the Pole Canyon, about 37 km southwest of Wells. As the airplane failed to return to base, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the airplane nor the 10 occupants was found. The wreckage was spotted on 24 June 1943.
Crew:
2nd Lt Cyril J. Casey, pilot,
2nd Lt Ray C. Hochheimer, copilot,
2nd Lt Clifford J. Elliott, navigator,
2nd Lt Arthur F. Kelly, bombardier,
Sgt Michael J. DiSalvo, flight engineer,
Sgt Alexander C. Johnson, assistant flight engineer,
Sgt Seymour E. Sonkin, radio operator,
Sgt Byron E. Olson, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Lowell T. Stoner, air gunner,
Sgt James A. Karnspon, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain. Official weather reports state that the mountain tops were probably obscured in stratocumulus clouds with scattered snow showers.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-35-BO Flying Fortress near Musselshell: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-5123

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Great Falls - Ainsworth Field

MSN:

3662

YOM:

1942

Location:

Musselshell

Montana

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Great Falls on a flight to Ainsworth Field, Nebraska. En route, weather conditions worsened with clouds and icing. While flying over Melstone, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent. In a relative flat attitude, it crashed on the slope of Mt Bull located south of Mussellshell. It slid along the ground passing between two pine trees which ripped off the wings and came to rest, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Crew (2nd BG):
1st Lt Edward Thomas Layfield, pilot,
2nd Lt Gerald K. Beem, copilot,
S/Sgt Frederick T. Brown, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Regis J. Newland, navigator,
S/Sgt Hulon B. Dutton, radio operator,
2nd Lt Chester A. Knight Jr., bombardier,
T/Sgt Wallace H. Hanson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Charles T. Valys, air gunner,
Cpl Fred E. Murray, air gunner,
Cpl Hobart L. Hall, air gunner.
Passengers:
Maj Orville A. Ralston,
Pfc Jacob V. Reiss.

Probable cause:

Examination of the wreckage from another B-17 showed that elevator fabric had torn loose from the supporting metal trailing edge structure. Boeing accident investigators concluded that separation of the fabric from the elevator was caused by a new attachment method. Unlike hand lacing where the needles passed between fabric threads, the pronged clips caused small tears in the fabric which escalated into attachment separation under pressure. An engineering fix had been designed and instituted on production models and follow-on Army Technical Orders were issued for retrofits on in-service aircraft. This plane had not been modified.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-30-BO Flying Fortress off Pointe de Landunvez: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-5078

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

3617

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in an anti submarine operation off Lorient. Flying along the French coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Pointe de Landunvez. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Floyd E. Love, pilot,
2nd Lt Kent H. Wolfsen, copilot,
T/Sgt Raymond N. Kirkendoll, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Roland B. Digman, radio operator,
2nd Lt Francis J. Wachel, navigator,
2nd Lt Laurence Goreski, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Raymond E. Bandy, air gunner,
Sgt Larry C. de Bruin, air gunner,
Sgt Robert E. Joyce, air gunner,
S/Sgt Peter G. Galarza, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress off Lorient: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24449

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn

MSN:

3134

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea off Lorient. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt William D. Bloodgood,
1st Lt Cecil R. Tabor,
1st Lt William S. Chubb,
1st Lt Frank T. Dreisbach,
T/Sgt Hubert B. Buchanan,
T/Sgt William H. Steele,
T/Sgt Willy H. W. Zeeck,
S/Sgt Arden G. Gearhart,
S/Sgt William R. Marks,
S/Sgt Donald Velasquez.

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-5-BO Flying Fortress near Bernières-sur-Seine: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft: