B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-30676 / Baby Dumpling

History of
B-17 42-30676 / Baby Dumpling

B-17 42-30676 / Baby Dumpling Details

I saw Lt Zeman’s Plane receive a direct hit under #1 engine from a rocket fired from the rear of his ship. Lt Zeman left the formation going down with the plane under control, but there was smoke from # 1 engine. After he had dropped a few thousand feet, I saw eight men bail out and the ship spin on in. One wing came off and it crashed. The plane burned after it crashed. There was plenty of time for all crew members to have left the ship. I think that it is possible that the other men pulled delayed jumps.

I was flying in Ship # 42-29888, lead ship of the second element. Lt Zeman was on our right wing. I was flying right waist.

S/Sgt. Richard G. Morrison
Right Waist Gunner

Source: MACR 1962

At the left turn, 30 miles beyond the target, there was a terrific explosion and the right side of the cockpit was knocked out. We lost our oxygen and my right ear was affected by the repercussion. The AFCE [Automatic Flight Control Equipment] was not working that day, but I had the ship trimmed up to fly as straight and level as possible; because of this, we still maintained fairly level flight after whatever it was, hit us, leaving me only semi-conscious.

The co-pilot unfastened my safety belt, and jerked me out of my seat. I fell between the seats. I vaguely remember looking for my chute, but I could not find it; finally I found one under the co-pilot’s seat. I crawled past the turret into the bomb bay and just fell out. There was no one else in the cockpit or bomb bay when I left. I blacked out as I left the plane. […]

2Lt. Jack R. Zeman
Pilot

Source: Escape and Evasion Report 417

We were making the turn after the target when there was an explosion. I snapped on my chute and was starting toward the escape hatch when an explosion broke the aircraft in two at the trailing edge. I went out the waist window. My ripcord caught on the window ledge and the chute hit me in the face. There were two chutes 500 feet above me, and debris filled the sky, and a propeller blade sailed by within 50 yards of my chute. I landed 3 minutes after jumping. […]

Sgt. Herve A. Leroux
Ball Turret Gunner

Source: Escape and Evasion Report 504

It was seven or eight minutes after we left the target, that the flak hit us. Number one, three, and four engines were knocked out. The ball turret gunner called the pilot to tell him about three and four. I told him about number one. The prop on number one was still turning, but the oil was pouring out of it and the gas tank had a huge hole. I called the pilot four times to find out about bailing out, but there was never any answer, nor could I get an answer from the co-pilot. The tail and ball turret gunners came into the waist. The radio-operator opened the bomb bays, but they looked as though they were on fire, so he came back to the waist. I tried to open the escape hatch, but it would not open. Sgt Cater [Right Waist Gunner] came over to help me, but we still could not make it work. I turned the handle, but could only get my head and shoulders out because of the slip stream. We were at about 17000 feet when the ship went into a dive and I was blown free in the explosion which followed.

I pulled my ripcord but the chute would not open. I pulled the case open, but still nothing happened. The chute opened at 11000 feet after I had started to pull out the silk itself. An ME 109 started to circle me and continued to do so all the way down, even circling my chute after I had landed. The life rafts floated down on either side of me, and I could see a door, but there were no other chutes. I pulled on the shroud lines and so guided my chute so that I landed in a field about seven yards from a row of trees. I made an easy landing, because my cousin is a paratrooper and had taught me how to do a forward roll.

I hid my chute in a ditch and covered it with brush. I started to run, and was met by two boys, who asked if I was an American. When I said yes, they led me to a house, where I was given civilian clothes. I put them on over my heated suit, and gave the rest of my flying equipment to the boys. Then I was taken to the woods and hidden. One of the boys said he would return. […]

Sgt. Raymond F. Chevraux
Left Waist Gunner

Source: Escape and Evasion Report 368

B-17 42-30676 / Baby Dumpling Crew

Other websites about this B-17 42-30676 / Baby Dumpling

1. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5555058
2. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5555145
3. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5555009