B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies Lackin Shankin

“Lackin Shankin”, a B-17G-5-VE with the serial number 42-39929 was on a mission to Stettin on 11th April 1944. Engine no. 1 and no. 4 was damaged by flak. She flew on limping, because the engine no. 2 caused difficulties. The crew decided, that their only chance is neutral Sweden. Almost 20 km from the coast over an area, which they considered to Denmark, they were attacked by a German Me 210. The German aircraft missed the B-17 and fired in a Swedish artillery position. The Swedes shot back and hit the Me 210. “Lackin Shankin” orbited the shot Messerschmitt and headed towards east. When a Swedish warning shot hit the B-17, the crew bailed out with the parachute, except for the pilot Frank Ammon who lookout his B-17 for a place to land. He missed a flower field, made a belly landing finally on a picked field and broke through a stone wall. He got out dazedly, however, he was surprised, as him got clear, that he was nearby Ydstad (Sweden).