B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-31653 / Erie Ferry aka Kac’s Flak Shack aka Green Hornets

History of
B-17 42-31653 / Erie Ferry aka Kac’s Flak Shack aka Green Hornets

Delivered Cheyenne 2/12/43; Helena 4/12/43; Gt Falls 5/12/43; Cheyenne 6/12/43; Kearney 12/12/43; New Castle 17/12/43; Presque Is 19/12/43; Assigned: 410BS/94BG [GL-V] Rougham 26/12/43 ERIE FERRY; MIA Bohlen 11/9/44 Pilot: Merle Green, Irving Metzger, Frank Jones, Lou Lehere, Pete Riley, Jim Gegenheimer, George Ostrowski (7POW); Jack Williams, Sid Hatfield (2KIA); mid air coll w/42-97153 (94BG) badly damaging nose, crashed Gelnhausen, Germany. MACR 8840. KAC’S FLAK SHAK aka GREEN HORNETS.

Last updated: 6. June 2020

B-17 42-31653 / Erie Ferry aka Kac’s Flak Shack aka Green Hornets Details

Mid-air-collision with B-17 #42-97153 on 11 September 1944.

Remarks or Eyewitness Statements:

One minute after bombs away, while executing a sharp turn off the target, this aircraft slid over and hit A/C #153, another aircraft in the same Group, breaking the latter in two near the ball turret. A/C 653 had nose pushed in but continued to fly back and forth over the target area. Four (4) chutes were observed, but it is not known which aircraft they came from.

Considerable propwash was encontered from Belgium coast into target. Another Group of B-17s ran a collision course to our Group while on the bomb run. The high Group of the Wing running collision course, flew directly throught our formation. These incidents probably had a tiring and straining effect on all pilots and ca be considered as a contributory cause of the collision.

B-17 42-31653 / Erie Ferry aka Kac’s Flak Shack aka Green Hornets Crew