B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-102891

History of
B-17 42-102891

B-17 42-102891 Details

Eyewitness Statements

I undersigned was flying with the 340th Squadron, on mission 7 February 1945. I was flying in the ball turret in no. 4 position. The aircraft seemed to be in good flying condition up to about 20000 feet, after that they seemed to have trouble keeping up with the formation and unable to maintain their climb.

They dropped their bombs one by one, most of them over Yugo., falling back into position and kept on going normally. About 10 or 15 minutes before the I.P., they started straggling again, all four props were going but there was one engine with no vapor trail coming from the engine. They turned back and I trailed them until the ship was out of sight.

S/SGt. Elfren Gallego

I undersigned last saw 891 about 10 minutes before the I.P. It left the formation with all four engines going leaving three vapor trails. One engine must have been windmilling. We were flying in No. 4 position, 892 in No. 7 position. I was flying as top turret gunner in the formation that day, when 891 dropped out and turned around heading back to base. That is all I saw.

S/SGt. Thomas Conway

Source: MACR 12141