B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 43-37877

History of
B-17 43-37877

Delivered Cheyenne 31/5/44; Hunter 12/6/44; Dow Fd 3/7/44; Assigned 379BG Kimbolton 19/6/44; transferred 837BS/487BG Lavenham 4/7/44; 836BS [2G-E]; Missing in Action Zeitz 30/11/44 with Lloyd Kersten, Henry Gerland, Arnold Shegal, John Eberhart, Everett Morris, Joe Miller, Maurice Sullivan (7 Killed in Action); Jim Hyland, Warren Richhart (2 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Halle; 7KIA 2POW; Missing Air Crew Report 11154.

Last updated: 25. December 2020

B-17 43-37877 Details

Direct hit by flak after bombs away about 13:15 set the right wing on fire, stretching back to the tail, burning off the horizontal stabilizer. Plane flipped over on its back and down, the wing coming off shortly after. Only the bombardier and navigator in the nose were able to escape before the plane broke up.

Eyewitness Statements to the loss of B-17 #43-37877

Just after bombs away CP AA fire, at first inaccurate, gradually came closer until about 3 bursts seemed to hit this A/C which blew it up about 50 feet. It then settled down momentarily, but a fire broke out in the tail and burned the horizontal stabilizer away. It rolled on its back and went into a spin. Some other observers reported that one engine was on fire, and that a wing came off in the spin, and the A/C exploded at low altitude.

Four chutes were possibly seen.

Source: MACR 11154

B-17 43-37877 Crew