B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-102939

History of
B-17 42-102939

Delivered Cheyenne 20/4/44; Hunter 1/5/44; Dow Fd 15/5/44; Assigned 483BS Sterparone 20/5/44; transferred 340BS/97BG Tortorella 17/7/44; Missing in Action Vienna 16/3/44 with P: Donald G. Wilson – KIA; CP: Camile Kelley – RTD; NAV: John B. Turner – KIA; BOMB: Arthur G. Drago – RTD; ENG/TT: Elmer D. Heater, Jr. – KIA; RO: Wesley M. Herborn – KIA; BT: Nicholas A. Catello: KIA; WG: Mack D. Rupard – RTD; WG: Joseph R. Cornett – KIA; TG: Irving Shankles – RTD; coll with 44-6757, ditched Adriatic Sea; Missing Air Crew Report 10353.

Last updated: 4. September 2023

B-17 42-102939 Details

Mid-air-collision with B-17 #44-6757 on 16 March 1945. Dave Osborne mixed the crews of both B-17s in his Masterlog.

I have updated the crews based on Missing Air Crew Reports.

Statements

I, the undersigned, was flying with the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group on the mission of March 16, 1945. In proceeding to Wing rendezvous, Fox Box, in which we were flying was enclosed by bad weather. The visibility was very poor and the leader started a steep turn to the left. We did not see him till he was almost into us and then I yelled at the pilot to pull up, thus enabling us to miss the lead ship. The #2 ship then, turning with the leader, collided with us, cutting off our right wing, thus causing us to go into a spin.

2Lt. Camile Kelley, Co-Pilot

The undersigned officer was flying in aircraft #939, which was in #3 position in squadron formation on 16 March 1945, as bombardier. I was seated in my nose position, we were at approximately 13500 feet of altitude when our formation entered a heavy cloud bank, causing the lead ship on our right wing to be very dimly visible. 

Shortly after we had entered the cloud bank the pilot of the lead aircraft made a sharp turn to the left. In the „soup“ he was not visible until he was almost on us. The pilot of our ship pulled up abruptly to avoid a collision with him, and the lead plane slid just below us.

Meanwhile the deputy lead aircraft had followed the leader on around and was swinging right into us. Our right wing hit this #2 aircraft in approximately waist position, ripping off part of our wing. Our pilot gave the „bail out“ order immediately and I went through the nose escape hatch, being the third man out of this hatch.

2Lt. Arthur C. Drago, Bombardier

On March 16, 1945 we were flying a mission to bomb the Schwiechat Oil Refinery in Vienna, Austria. While rendezvousing around the bast, we entered heavy clouds about 13000 feet. About 14000 feet, the pilot, Wilson, must have gotten vertigo, and we struck out No. 2 plane in the squadron. Our right wing was cut off up to the No. 4 engine, and we must have cut the other ship in half, for only the Navigator and the Bombardier escaped. Wilson ordered us to bail out, and everyone forward of the bomb bay went out of the nose hatch, all bailing out safely except Wilson. The radio operator, Herborn, did not leave the ship, for he was not wearing a harness. Cornett, ball turret, did not leave the ship either, for he was on oxygen and the ship was in a spin. Catello, the waist gunner, couldn’t get out, due to shock or force of the spin. Of the crew, six of us bailed out safely and four were killed.

Unknown crew member

Source: MACR 13053

B-17 42-102939 Crew