B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-3174

History of
B-17 42-3174

Delivered Cheyenne 10/3/43; Presque Is 8/4/43; Assigned 416BS/99BG Navarin 20/5/43; Missing in Action Messina 25/5/43 with Bob Goad, DeBow, Dingo, McGrath, Rhodes, King, Sproul, Kennedy, Barkas, Lawrence (10 Killed in Action); flak, crashed in sea and exploded, life rafts dropped by Orance crew in vain. Missing Air Crew Report 16451.

Last updated: 20. June 2020

B-17 42-3174 Details

Aircraft concerned had dropped its bomb load consisting of 500 pound bombs on the target and was returning to home base when its #3 engine was hit by flak and caught on fire. The aircraft went into a spin and a dive and crashed into the sea, exploding as it hit the water. Three men were seen to bail out of the ship by Major Albert Orance, then Squadron Commander, 416th Bombardment Squadron. Major Orance followed the disabled aircraft in its downward path and threw several life jackets into the sea where the men had bailed out. He also threw a life raft out of the aircraft but same unfortunately caught in the right horizontal stabilizer, after a short time Major Orance was forced to gain altitude and the men and aircraft disapeart from view.

Source: MACR 16451

B-17 42-3174 Crew