B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 44-8224

History of
B-17 44-8224

B-17 44-8224 Details

Interrogation summary

While on the bomb run, about one minute before bombs away, on the combat mission to Neuss, Germany 23 January 1945, this aircraft received a direct flak hit in the right wing. The ship lurched to the left, and about fifteen feet of the right wing broke off. The ship then went into a dive with a slow, but apparently tightening spin to the right. There was no evidence of smoke of flames. Members of the group formation saw it spin about one and one half times before it disappeared in the contrails about 2000 feet below the formation which was flying at 25000 feet. They saw no one leave the ship.

We were flying number two in the low low element of the lead Sq. As the togglier couldn’t see the lead ship very well because of contrails, I was watching for bombs away as a double check. When Colonel Hunter’s ship was hit I would say about where the star is on the under side of the right wing, the wing broke off and the piece came back past us. (This measures about fifteen feet from the end of the wing). When it was hit, the ship fell off to the right crossing in front of us. I followed it down about two thousand feet and it had made about three-fourths of the first spin. I didn’t see anyone get out and am doubtful if they could, because the ship seemed to be totally out of control.

1Lt. Allen D. Gidcumb

Co-Pilot, B-17 #42-107190

On the bomb run there were dense persistent contrails from our own group and just before the lead ship was hit we crossed behind another group cutting down visibility that much more. The flak was very accurate and it was apparent the flak batteries were tracking the lead element. I saw two bursts explode about fifty feet below the lead ship and at the same time one exploded in or on the right wing tip of the lead ship. About four to six feet of the right wing disappeared entirely, the ship started a slow roll to the right and when completely upside down headed straight down. Because of poor visibility it was difficult to follow and although I called my ball gunner to watch it, he could not pick it up. I saw no chutes and there was no evidence of fire.

1Lt. Andrew R. Thomas

Pilot, B-17 #42-97317

I was flying on Col Hunter’s right wing when it was struck by a burst of flak. The shell seemed to enter the wing and explode inside without showing any smoke or flames. I would say that the right wing was knocked off near or very near the right landing light. Apparently Col Hunter had drained his tokyo’s for there didn’t seem to be any gas in the air nor any trace of flame. His ship rolled into a bank to the right and passed under the nose of my ship. From here on I was busy on the bomb run and saw nothing further in regards to Col Hunter’s aircraft.

1Lt. John E. Smith

Pilot, B-17 #8475

About one minute before bombs away on the mission to Neuss, Germany 23 January 1945, I saw the lead ship receive a direct hit in the right wing, about half way between the number four engine and the end of the wing. The ship lurched to the left upon impact, the end of the right wing broke off, and the ship started in about a fifty degree dive to the right gradually turning over on its back. It glided down this way for about a thousand feet and then appeared to go into a slow barrel rolling spin. I saw it spin around about twice and then I had to watch for bombs away. He was about two thousand feet below and to the left of us when I last saw him. I saw no one leave the ship and there appeared to be no fires. The ship had not salvoed the bombs when I last saw it.

S/Sgt. Robert J. Sherrer

Togglier, B-17 #43-38562

Just prior to bombs away I observed a direct flak hit on the right wing tip of the lead ship (224-A). It immediately turned on its back, nosed down and started into a spin. When last observed it had completed one and one-half turns and was still in the spin. In my opinion the spin was tightening when last seen. The damage to the right wing was quite extensive. The right wing tip was completely gone, right aileron destroyed, and most of trailing section of panel gone. Bombs were not released and when I last saw the ship no bodies or chutes had appeared. It was down about a thousand or fifteen hundred feet when our wing obstructed my vision.

1Lt. Robert S. Lucy

Co-Pilot, B-17 #43-38970

Source: MACR 11799

B-17 44-8224 Crew