B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel

History of
B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel

Delivered Tulsa 6/3/44; Hunter 15/3/44; Dow Fd 8/4/44; Assigned: 545BS/384BG [JD-P] Grafton Underwood 29/4/44; MIA Bohlen 17/3/45 Pilot: Bill Schauer, Van McKay, Willis Gallop, Dan Frankel, Lamar Tumlin, Claude Shaffer, Francis Condon, Ken Stewart (8POW); Vernon Cooksey (KIA); flak, crashed in the vicinity of Oschatz, Germany. MACR 13114. DARK ANGEL.

Last updated: 17. October 2021

B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel Details

According to MACR 13114, B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel was last seen over the English Channel on its return flight at about 5 p.m. (English time). It left the formation and flew towards the continent.

The note states the following:

A/C 7148 left the formation over the channel on return journey and was believed at the time to be headed for landing on the continent. However, nothing further had been heard of the A/C since it left the formation.

But the crews of #7148 stated that they bailed out near Oschatz, Germany – about 50 km east of Leipzig, 45 km northwest of Dresden at between 12:00 to 12:45. The aircraft also crashed near Oschatz.

Consequently, the B-17 which left formation at 17:00 on the return flight must be a different one.

However, B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel was the only B-17 of the 384th Bomb Group which did not return that day.

MACR 13114 (excerpts)

B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel Crew