B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-30127

History of
B-17 42-30127

Delivered Cheyenne 15/4/43; Gore 21/4/43; Smoky Hill 22/4/43; Morrison 20/5/43; Assigned 32BS/301BG St Donat 25/5/43; Oudna 6/8/43; Missing in Action {24m} Wiener Neustadt 2/11/43 with Herb Pattison, Co-pilot: Beutke, Navigator: Apelhot, Bombardier: Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sifferd, Radio Operator: Connell, Ball turret gunner: Funk, Waist gunner: Daleo,Tail gunner: Hoops (9 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Wiener Neustadt, Aus. Missing Air Crew Report 1094.

Last updated: 30. August 2020

B-17 42-30127 Details

Witnesses’ Statements on Missing Aircraft #42-30127

I was flying Ball Turret on A/C #42-30333 and A/C #42-30127 was flying right wing in our second element. Fighters attacked A/C #42-30127 as it was on the Bomb Run and set #4 engine on fire, the plane fell back aways and then came back up into position and salvoed his bombs, the Fighters hit him again and #1 engine started to smoke and then the engine quit. The plane started down in a circle for about 2000 feet and then started straight down, about 9000 feet from the ground the plane blew up. No Chutes came out of this plane.

Alexander Walter
S/Sgt, 32nd Bomb Sq.

I was flying Tail Gun on A/C 42-3343. Just before we reached the target Fighters attacked A/C #42-30127. The first was of Fighters seemed to get this plane as ship blew up in the air as it was going down. No chutes came out of this plane. In all their attacks on our planes the Fighters were attacking in Echelon of threes, we were getting the lead Fighter but the other two were getting our planes.

Howard B. Campbell
Sgt, 32nd Bomb Sq.

I was flying Ball Turret on A/C 42-3343. We were flying 1. position. About five (5) minutes before we reached the target we were attacked by between twenty (20) and thirty (30) Fighters, they attacked #42-30127 while it was on the Bomb Run and this plane after being hit salvoed his bombs and then the plane blew up.

Harold K. Ream
Sgt, 32nd Bomb Sq.

I was flying Tail Gun on A/C #42-30333 which was leading the 32nd Squadron, we were the last squadron in the group. As we were on the Bomb Run our squadron was attacked by at least thirty (30) Me-109s. They came down out of the sun from between 5 and 7 o’clock. They attacked A/C 42-31027 first, which was flying the right wing of our second element. The fighters started #4 engine on fire right behind the nacelle of the right wing, 127 then salvoed his bombs, he was over the target at this tim, and then he dropped back aways and the Fighters attacked him again and knocked out #1 engine, 127 then made a big circle and started down and had dropped about 2000 feet when the plane exploded. No chutes came out of this plane.

Kenneth R. Bayless
S/Sgt, 32nd Bomb Sq.

Source: MACR 1094

B-17 42-30127 Crew