{"id":4977,"date":"2017-11-20T02:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T01:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/?post_type=b17database&p=4977"},"modified":"2022-07-01T20:46:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T18:46:37","slug":"42-31432-old-glory","status":"publish","type":"b17database","link":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/42-31432-old-glory\/","title":{"rendered":"42-31432 \/ Old Glory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Statement of 2nd Lt. Hector F. Vital:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the mission to Lille, France on 22 June 1944, I was the pilot of aircraft 43-37654<\/a> which was flying in #3 position in the 4th flight of the high Group of the 41st B Combat Wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The missing aircraft #42-31432 was flying in #1 position in the same flight as shown by the diagram below. Just after bombs away on the target, the missing aircraft received a direct hit from anti-aircraft gunfire just back of #3 engine, probably in the gasoline tank. Immediately it burst into flames, spun off to the right and went down. Both wings snapped off as it went down. No one on my crew saw any chutes, but a man from another crew reported seeing one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2nd Lt. Hector F. Vital<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: MACR 6541<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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