| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed/Vega |
| Production-Block: | , B-17F-30-VE: 42-5855 to 42-5904 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 100th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 418th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL: | LP-D |
| MACR: | 675 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by enemy aircraft (17 August 1943) |
History of
B-17 42-5860 / Poontang aka Escape Kit
Delivered Long Beach 30/3/43; Denver 2/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill Fd 17/5/43; Dow Fd 29/5/43; Assigned 418BS/100BG [LD-P] Thorpe Abbotts 2/6/43 as POONTANG (never painted on); Missing in Action Regensburg 17/8/43 with Curtis Biddick, Co-pilot: Dick Snyder, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry Godbey, Radio Operator: Bob DeKay (4 Killed in Action); Navigator: John Dennis, Bombardier: Dan McKay, Ball turret gunner: Walt Halunka, Waist gunner: Howard Brock, Waist gunner: Bill Blank,Tail gunner: Clarence Bowlin (6 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft hit nose which caught fire, crashed Schweinberg, 18 miles SW of Wurtzburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 675. ESCAPE KIT.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 42-5860 / Poontang aka Escape Kit Details
B-17 42-5860 / Poontang aka Escape Kit Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1LT | Curtis R. Biddick | KIA | never found |
| CP | F/O | Richard L. Snyder | KIA | found months later, still hanging in tree |
| NAV | 2LT | John C. Dennis | POW | - |
| BOMB | 1LT | Dan B. McKay | POW | - |
| ENG/TT | T/SGT | Lawrence E. Godbey | KIA | - |
| RO | T/SGT | Robert R. DeKay | KIA | - |
| BT | S/SGT | Walter Halunka | POW | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Clarence R. Bowlin | POW | - |
| WG | T/SGT | Howard J. Brock | POW | - |
| TG | S/SGT | William M. Blank | POW | - |
This page was last updated on 24 February 2024
13. May 2020 access_time 18:13
“B-17 42-5860 / Poontang aka Escape Kit” wurde von Uffz. Heinz Lieschke *1920 , JGr 50, abgeschossen – sie explodierte in der Luft im Raum Hardheim-Schweinberg. Lieschke hat am 14.Okt1943 eine weitere B-17 bei Schweinfurt abgeschossen und ist am 23. November 1943 gefallen.
13. May 2020 access_time 18:15
Uffz. Lieschke flog eine FockeWulf 190 A-4 – “Gelbe 1”