Source:
www.fold3.com
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed/Vega |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-20-VE: 42-97536 to 42-97635 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 2nd Bomb Group, 301st Bomb Group, 463rd Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 32nd Bomb Squadron, 49th Bomb Squadron, 774th Bomb Squadron |
| MACR | 4712 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by enemy aircraft (05 May 1944) |
History of
B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne
Delivered Denver 29/12/43; 1SAG Langley 11/1/44; Assigned 49BS/2BG Amendola 2/3/44; transferred 32BS/301BG Lucera 9/4/44; transferred 774BS/463BG Celone 4/44; Missing in Action Ploesti 5/5/44 with Rich Fontaneau, Co-pilot: Nat Drutman, Navigator: Alphonse Adams, Bombardier: Chester Haas [Gp. Bomb.], Waist gunner: Don McDowell (5POW/ Returned to Duty); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Norbert Kemper, Radio Operator: Ray Svatos, Ball turret gunner: John Cullen,Tail gunner: Howard Sippel (4 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Moreni; Missing Air Crew Report 4712. BLUE CHAMPAGNE.
B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne Details
While making the bomb run the plane was hit by flak. Causing the plane to go up and over on its back and into a spin. I saw the Navigator, who did not have on a chute, thrown against the right side of the ship in the nose, when the plane started spinning, and I never did see him leave the position. After some difficulty, due to the spinning plane, I bailed out, opening my chute at about 3,000 or 4,000 feet and laded northeast of Moreni, Rumania. I saw the plane falling about a half a mile away in four pieces.
Major Chester R. Haas
Source: MACR 4712
B-17 42-97583 / Blue Champagne Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 2LT | Richard A. Fontaneau | RTD | - |
| CP | 2LT | Nathaniel Drutman | RTD | - |
| NAV | CPT | Ralph L. Robison | KIA | - |
| BOMB | MAJ | Chester B. Haas | RTD | - |
| ENG/TT | T/SGT | Norbert F. Kemper | KIA | - |
| RO | T/SGT | John P. Cullen | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Howard R. Sippel | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Raymond P. Svatos | KIA | - |
| TG | S/SGT | Donald J. McDowell | RTD | - |
| RCM | 2LT | John F. Adams | RTD | - |
This page was last updated on 25 June 2022
08. September 2023 access_time 9:59
Cuanta nostalgia solo el imaginar aquel escenario arriba de lo más alto del cielo donde el alma vuela literalmente al cielo