B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne

History of
B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne

Delivered Denver 29/12/43; 1SAG Langley 11/1/44; Assigned 49BS/2BG Amendola 2/3/44; transferred 32BS/301BG Lucera 9/4/44; transferred 774BS/463BG Celone 4/44; Missing in Action Ploesti 5/5/44 with Rich Fontaneau, Co-pilot: Nat Drutman, Navigator: Alphonse Adams, Bombardier: Chester Haas [Gp. Bomb.], Waist gunner: Don McDowell (5POW/ Returned to Duty); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Norbert Kemper, Radio Operator: Ray Svatos, Ball turret gunner: John Cullen,Tail gunner: Howard Sippel (4 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Moreni; Missing Air Crew Report 4712. BLUE CHAMPAGNE.

Last updated: 25. June 2022

B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne Details

While making the bomb run the plane was hit by flak. Causing the plane to go up and over on its back and into a spin. I saw the Navigator, who did not have on a chute, thrown against the right side of the ship in the nose, when the plane started spinning, and I never did see him leave the position. After some difficulty, due to the spinning plane, I bailed out, opening my chute at about 3,000 or 4,000 feet and laded northeast of Moreni, Rumania. I saw the plane falling about a half a mile away in four pieces.

Major Chester R. Haas

Source: MACR 4712

B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne Crew