| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Boeing |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-55-BO: 42-102544 to 42-102743 |
| Delievered: | Cheyenne |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 94th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 410th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL: | GL-K |
| MACR: | 9558 |
| German Document: | KU-3163 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by enemy aircraft (07 October 1944) |
History of
B-17 42-102616 / Spirit of Valley Forge
Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Grenier 30/4/44; Assigned: 410BS/94BG [GL-K] Rougham 3/5/44; MIA Bohlen 7/10/44 Pilot: George Wheeler, Otto Schmidt, Bob Williamson, Jim Malone, Mike Kwasnesky, Merrill Failla, John Pitsch (7KIA); Jack Ogden, Ray Holston (2POW); Enemy aircraft set fire to ship, crashed Langenroda [33 km north of Weimar], Germany. MACR 9558. SPIRIT OF VALLEY FORGE.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 42-102616 / Spirit of Valley Forge Details
At approximately (50°55’N – 11°55’O), 12 minutes before the briefed I.P. [Initial Point] was reached, enemy aircraft made sudden attacks on the Group of which this aircraft was a member. The Squadron in which this aircraft was flying bore the brunt of the attacks which were sudden. About 50 to 60 S/E and T/E [Single-Engine and Twin-Engine] enemy aircraft comprised the attacking force. They were mostly FW-190’s although a few ME-109’S and ME-210’s were observed.
The attacks lasted for about 10 minutes and there were friendly fighters present, but not in sufficient numbers to give adequate protection. This aircraft fell out of formation in vicinity of the I.P.
No chutes were observed, coming from this aircraft at this time and due to extreme battle conditions, positive identification of any chutes could not be made. No further information regarding this crew is known.
Source: MACR 9558
B-17 42-102616 / Spirit of Valley Forge Crew
| Position | Rank | Name (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name) | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 2LT | George S. Wheeler | KIA | - |
| CP | 2LT | Otto S. Schmidt, Jr. | KIA | - |
| NAV | 2LT | Robert E. Williamson | KIA | - |
| BOMB | 2LT | James T. Malone | KIA | - |
| ENG/TT | SGT | Michael J. Kwasnesky | KIA | - |
| RO | SGT | Jack H. Ogden | POW | - |
| BT | SGT | Merrill R. Failla | KIA | - |
| WG | SGT | John O. Pitsch | KIA | - |
| TG | SGT | Raymond W. Holsten | POW | - |
This page was last updated on 30 May 2026
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Help preserve the archive: I invest a lot of time into these research results. If my work helps you, I would appreciate a small tip!
22. October 2025 access_time 7:00
This crew will be honored with a permanent monument in Germany at the crash site in June 2026. The group putting it on is called Vermisstensuche Thüringen. Please feel free to contact me for further details. We are trying to help their group find the families/descendants to invite them.
15. December 2025 access_time 17:24
My mother Dorothy Simpson was married to James T Malone bombardier on the Valley Forge