B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-30678

History of
B-17 42-30678

Delivered Dallas 10/7/43; Dow Fd 28/7/43; Kearney 6/8/43; Topeka 12/8/43; Scott 17/8/43; Assigned: 366BS/305BG [KY-B] Chelveston 6/9/43; MIA Augsburg 25/2/44 Pilot: Bob Safranek, Co-Pilot: Capt George Richard, Navigator: Milton Stammann, Bombardier: Harry Hill, Radio Operator: Herb Johnson, Waist Gunner: Bernie Beese, Waist Gunner: Henry Cunningham (7POW); Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Elvin Cox, Ball Turret Gunner: Roy Courtright, Tail Gunner: Vern Barnett (3KIA); flak, crashed Neresheim, N of Stuttgart, Germany. MACR 2765.

Last updated: 24. March 2020

B-17 42-30678 Details

From MACR 2765

This A/C was leading a group. After beeing hit by flak he apparently was unable to keep up with enough speep to lead and called his deputy and told him that he was going to joing a lower group. When last seen, he was still under control and seemed to be heading for Switzerland.

Remarks from interrogation:

SaFranek was captured alone in a suburb of Stuttgart, 27 Feb 1944, 07:00. He stated, that his craft (Boeing Fortress) was shot down 25 Feb 1944 in 7000 m altitude by a single-engined German fighter. He bailed out in 5000 was the last of the crew. He says to know nothing of the other 9 men of the crew. the only man known to him has been the Navigator-Officer, by name of Phillip Jenkens. The prisoner was about 44 hours abread and walked 60 km. The craft is said to have crashed with full bomb-load.

B-17 42-30678 Crew