B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 44-6379

History of
B-17 44-6379

Delivered Hunter 22/7/44; Presque Is 4/8/44; Assigned 96BS/2BG Amendola 13/8/44; Missing in Action {28m} Blechhammer 17/10/44 with Arnold Kwiatkoski, Co-pilot: Ed Buettner, Navigator: Fred Brilliant, Bombardier: Dave Eiseman, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Rich Ferro, Radio Operator: Bob Wolfe, Ball turret gunner: Jim Johnston, Waist gunner: Elton Schumann (8 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Rich Radlinger,Tail gunner: Jacob Fiebelman (2 Prisoner of War); coll with 42-107006, broke in half, no chutes seen; crashed Blechhammer, Ger.; Missing Air Crew Report 9149.

Last updated: 27. June 2021

B-17 44-6379 Details

Mid air collision with B-17 #42-107006 ‘Old Bird’ on October 17th 1944.

Eyewitness Statements to the loss of B-17 #44-6379

1st Lt. Louis L. Kolin, navigator on B-17 No. 487 of the 429th Squadron which was flying in the first wave, second squadron, second element, third plane.

The tail of B-17 No. 379 went by us and then I observed two chutes over us. The aircraft went down disappearing into the clouds. This is all I saw. This was at 1157 hours, 27,500 feet at 50 deg 18 min North 18 deg 15 min East.

1Lt. Louis L. Kolin

S/Sgt. Arthur R. Reeb, tail gunner on B-17 No. 483, 96th Squadron which was flying in the first wave, second squadron, first element, lead plane.

I observed No. 379 right after bombs away, the squadron was dispersed then, flying this way and that. The weather was bad. At the time there were no flak bursts in the squadron’s area. I next saw No. 379 when it broke in half at the waist door – the tail assembly floated back by itself while the front half of the aircraft went straight down. No chutes were seen and I lost sight of No. 379 as we went into clouds. This was at 1158 hours over the target from 29,000 feet.

S/Sgt. Arthur R. Reeb

S/Sgt. Jess H. White, radio operator on B-17 No. 399, 20th Squadron which was flying in the first wave, first squadron, first element third plane.

B-17 No. 379 collided with another aircraft over the target area. The tail just broke clean and dropped off. I lost sight of both aircraft in the clouds. I do not know which aircraft was the cause of the accident. This was at 11.58 hours from 29,200 feet at 50 deg 18 min North 18 deg 15 min East. No chutes were seen.

S/Sgt. Jess H. White

Source: MACR 9149

B-17 44-6379 Crew