B-17 Flying Fortress Mystery: B-17F at Illerrieden (Ulm) on 29 April 1944

An unknown B-17F crashed at Illerrieden (Ulm) on 29 April 1944, without crew members. over 500 km away from that day’s target Berlin, Germany.

B-17F at Illerrieden (Ulm) on 29 April 1944

B-17F at Illerrieden (Ulm) on 29 April 1944 Details

On April 29, 1944, a previously unknown B-17F crashed near Illerrieden (Ulm). According to the KU-1728 report, no crew was found and presumably one fatality. The B-17 was completely destroyed in the crash.

The target of the day for the 8th Air Force on Berlin, which is after all about 530km away from Illerrieden (Ulm).

For me there are a few inconsistencies, which I would like to list here.

If the B-17F was “completely destroyed” according to KU-1728, how did one recognize that it was a B-17F? Of course, F-versions were still in service in spring 1944, nevertheless the G-versions with the chin turret were already increasingly used.

On this 29.04.1944, only two B-17F were lost:

Crash sites of the two B-17s are known and therefore do not come into question.

Further information and documents

In the archives I found a document with chronological sequence of crashed airplanes of the US Air Force for the 29.04.1944. In it also the unknown B-17F near Illerrieden (Ulm) is mentioned.

The time data is German time, so English time +1 hour.

For the timing of the mission, I found the flight route of the 351st Bomb Group with time data – certainly English time.

Over the target (Berlin) the 351st Bomb Group was between 11:12 o’clock – 11:42 o’clock (English time).

Comparing the times from both documents, Berlin was attacked between 12:12 PM – 12:42 PM German time. And then at 13:30 the unknown B-17 is said to have crashed near Illerrieden (Ulm).

According to this, the B-17 flew over 500km in one hour. I think this is extremely improbable.

It remains exciting to find out which B-17 it was. Maybe it was not a B-17 at all?

Published: 5. October 2021 / Last updated: 5. October 2021

Brown Josef David Robert
09. January 2022 access_time 4:10
Josef David robert Brown
19. January 2022 access_time 1:24
Josef David Robert Brown
16. January 2022 access_time 22:03
josef david robert Brown
19. January 2022 access_time 1:43

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