B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-30245 / Lucky Lady

History of
B-17 42-30245 / Lucky Lady

Delivered Cheyenne 3/5/43; Smoky Hill 17/5/43; Dow Fd 21/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-L] Ridgewell 15/6/43; Missing in Action 5m Schweinfurt 17/8/43; enemy aircraft, crashed Oostmalle, nine miles W of Turnhout, Bel. Missing Air Crew Report 381. LUCKY LADY.

Last updated: 6. August 2022

B-17 42-30245 / Lucky Lady Details

42-30245 went down at approximately 49°50’N – 08°10’E. Appeared hit in cockpit by two enemy aircraft. Ten chutes seen. Time 1430. Another ship reported this aircraft made a complete slow roll under fighter attack and went into a spin. One chute came out. Time 1435.

Following is a statement made by 1st Lt. Dexter Lishon, 534th Bombardment Squadron (H), concerning Aircraft No. 42-30245.

The position of our formation at the time Ship No. 42-30245 went down, was approximately 49°50’N-08°10’E. The Ship was flying as lead plane of the Spares and was attacked by two (2) enemy aircraft which came in from twelfe (12) o’clock level. It seemed as though one (1) of these enemy aircraft had passed. Ship No. 42-30245 pulled up into a vertical climb and the did a halfroll to the right. The pull up was almost a loop, then after the halfroll it peeled to the right and started a spin. It made three complete turns in this spin and then passed from my view underneath my plane.

From there my gunners say it pulled out of its spin enough to allow five (5) or six (6) chute to get out.

I did not observe any fire but one gunner reports that he thinks there were flames in the cockpit around the top turret.

The above action took place on August 17, 1943 and the objective was Schweinfurt, Germany.

Dexter Lishon
1st Lt. Air Corps
21 August 1943.

Source: MACR 381

B-17 42-30245 / Lucky Lady Crew