{"id":4836,"date":"2017-11-17T20:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-11-17T19:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/?post_type=b17database&#038;p=4836"},"modified":"2020-08-22T12:29:27","modified_gmt":"2020-08-22T10:29:27","slug":"42-38069-big-widget","status":"publish","type":"b17database","link":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/42-38069-big-widget\/","title":{"rendered":"42-38069 \/ Big Widget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>S\/Sgt. Charles R. Hill, tail gunner on <a href=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/44-6395\/\">B-17 No. 395<\/a> which was flying in the first wave, third squadron, first element, second plane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After we left the target, B-17 No. 069 lagged behind us. Our element was separated from the squadron at the time. I heard over the interphone that they were going to throw out all extra equipment and salvo the ball turret. A frew minutes later I saw one chute go out, then three FW-190 attacked No. 069. Four chutes came out then, one after the other. The plane flew on behind us for some time until I lost sight of it. This was at 1315 hours from 19000 feet at 46 deg 25 min North 17 deg 10 min East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>S\/Sgt. Charles R. Hill<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S\/Sgt. Donald E. Crutcher, lower turret gunner on <a href=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/44-6395\/\">B-17 No. 395<\/a> which was flying in the first wave, third squadron, first element, second plane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After we left the target, aircraft No. 069 started to straggle, they flew beind us for some time. I heard on the radio that they were going to throw extra equipment out and salvo the ball turret. They still lagged behind. I saw one chute come out, then a few minutes later three enemy aircraft (FW-190) attacked No. 069, attackig from about 7 o&#8217;clock, high an low, then four chutes came out. The last I saw of No. 069 it was still flying southeast, way behind us. This was at 1315 hours at 46 degrees 25 min North, 17 degrees 10 min East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>S\/Sgt. Donald E. Crutcher<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<small>Werbung\/Advertisement<\/small>\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8860322341892117\" data-ad-slot=\"8550213056\"><\/ins>\n<script><br \/>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<br \/>\n<\/script>\n<div class=\"mb-4\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S\/Sgt. John A. Lamb, tail gunner on <a href=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/42-97161\/\">B-17 No. 161<\/a> which was flying in second wave, third squadron, second element, third plane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B-17 No. 069 was attacked by two enemy fighters, I counted six chutes but the first one opened and did not blossom as far as I could see. This occured just as two fighters, a Me-109 and FW-190 attacked us from six o&#8217;clock. I last saw no. 069 at 1250 hours at 47 degrees 00 min North, 17 deg 00 min East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>S\/Sgt. John A. Lamb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S\/Sgt. Britt W. Jones, tail gunner on <a href=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/44-6379\/\">B-17 no. 379<\/a>, 96th squadron which was flying in the first wave, third squadron, second element, fourth plane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I saw no. 069 after fighters (Me-109) attacked. It was still flying level and pulled to the right mone chute came out and in about three minutes I saw seven more chutes open. Then the ship flew for about twenty minutes, P-38&#8217;s went over to her and it seems that they made a pass at no. 069, then she began to smoke and within one minute exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>S\/Sgt. Britt W. Jones<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S\/Sgt. George C. Howe, tail gunner on <a href=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/44-6116\/\">B-17 no. 116<\/a>, which was flying in the first wave, third squadron, first element, lead plane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our squadron was separated from the rest of the group right off the target, and tacked on to the 301st Group. No. 069 was lagging behind the formation about 1\/2 mile when 8 Me-109&#8217;s came in from their rear, and about four of them made passes, one at a time. The E\/A circled and then made another pass. After the first pass, one chute came out; after the second pass, a bug puff of smoke came out of some part of the plane and I saw two more chutes come out. I then lost sight of no. 069, this was at 1252 hours at 47 deg 10 min North, 17 deg 10 min East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>S\/Sgt. George. C. Howe<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: MACR 11270<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delivered Denver 2\/12\/43; memphis 20\/12\/43; Savannah 5\/1\/44; Assigned 96BS\/2BG Amendola [T] 26\/1\/44; {68m} Missing in Action Odertal, Ger; 22\/8\/44 with Charles Duncan, Co-pilot: Harry Bogie, Navigator: Merle Clark, Bombardier: ? Cazier, Flight engineer\/top turret gunner: Warren Van Den Plas, Radio Operator: Joe Levine, Ball turret gunner: Regino Rodrigues, Waist gunner: Sam Wentzel (8 Prisoner of War); Waist gunner: Teddy Tomasik,Tail gunner: Chas Willett (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft blew off most of nose, three chutes seen, ship exploded and crashed near Sarvar, Hungary. Missing Air Crew Report 11270. 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