B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97219 / Revel’s Revenge

History of
B-17 42-97219 / Revel’s Revenge

Delivered Cheyenne 8/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Grenier 12/3/44; Assigned: 560BS/388BG Knettishall 12/3/44; MIA Merseburg 28/9/44 Pilot: Vic Olson (KIA); Francis Miller, John Kern, Ben Spevack, Wilmer Breckenridge, Theo Wilke, John Wyman, Chas Patterson, Casimir Piatek (8POW); flak, crashed Merseburg, Germany. MACR 9378. REVEL’S REVENGE.

Last updated: 25. March 2024

B-17 42-97219 / Revel’s Revenge Details

Aircraft #219 received a direct burst of flak between the #1 and #2 engines and was last seen spinnig down in the target area.

Source: MACR 9378

Witness Rudolph Günter described the crash:

“Suddenly at 1 p.m. there was a strong engine noise. That could only be a bomber.

Then a B 17 appeared on the horizon at low altitude from the east, heading west. We all knew that the plane wouldn’t get far. Before the small town of Schafstädt, 4 km west of our village, the bomber turned north. Shortly before the belly landing, it shaved off the tops of 4 plum trees standing on the dirt road at a height of 3 meters and swept away the railway embankment, which was about 75 cm high. The railroad tracks were totally bent. It was a terrible sight.

It then came to a halt in an easterly direction, where it had come from. In other words, it landed on its belly and, to our amazement, didn’t even catch fire. There it was, the air giant, barely an inch tall to our eyes at an altitude of 8,600 meters.

The bomber had a crew of 7. One crew member had been killed. The nose cockpit was smashed. In front of it was a mountain of machine gun ammunition, about half a ton. The bomber was equipped with 13 12.7 caliber machine guns. Our fighters didn’t have an easy time of it and suffered heavy losses in the air battle. Nevertheless, the monster offered us curious people a fascinating sight that I can never forget.

Except for one member, the crew was very lucky that the aircraft did not explode on contact with the railroad embankment. (…) By May 12, 1944, we had become aware of what a tremendous air power America was and what still lay ahead of us.”

Source: B134a – Luftschutzbunker Krumpa

B-17 42-97219 / Revel’s Revenge Crew