B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97215

History of
B-17 42-97215

Delivered Cheyenne 8/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Presque Is 12/3/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [BG-J] Horham 12/3/44; on practice mission 20/11/44 with Stew Reed, Co-pilot: Harry Rensch, Navigator: Tony Mamik, Radio Operator: Bill Raab, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Carrier, 5RTD OK when u/c collapsed; 80m, Missing in Action Hamburg 31/12/44 with Stewart Reed, Co-pilot: Harold Rensch, Bombardier: Chad Doughty, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Raab, Radio Operator: George Carrier (5 Prisoner of War); Navigator: Tony Marnik, Waist gunner: Morgan Heafey, Waist gunner: Dick Saafield,Tail gunner: Hyman Spencer (4 Killed in Action); crashed Wesermunde, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 11368.

Last updated: 18. May 2020

B-17 42-97215 Details

From MACR 11368

I hereby certify that there are no eywitnesses available for this report.

I further certify that the following is a correct statement of the facts as obtained from the S-2 files for this flight.

B-17G 42-97215 piloted by 2Lt. Reed was seen to be hit by enemy fighters from 6 to 8 minutes after “bombs away”. The attack was made from 5 to 7 o’clock high and out of the sun. The aircraft was hit on the first pass on the #3 engine causing it to catch fire. The pilot endeavored to put out the fire but failed to do so. The aircraft went down in a slow spiral under fairly control. One chute was seen before the aircraft was lost from sight at 53°20’N, 09°30’E, at 1153 hours.

David E. Olson
Captain, Air Corps
Asst Operations Officer

A note to the crash site:
The crash site mentioned in the reports “Wesermunde” had been renamed to Bremerhaven in 1947.

B-17 42-97215 Crew