{"id":6956,"date":"2018-04-01T20:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T18:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/?post_type=b17database&p=6956"},"modified":"2026-07-11T19:41:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T17:41:51","slug":"44-6179","status":"publish","type":"b17database","link":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/44-6179\/","title":{"rendered":"44-6179 \/ Firecracker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Narrative Statement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On 10 April 1945, First Lieutenant Vernon M. Neff, O-775496, was flying as Co-pilot of a B-17G type aircraft in the 463rd Bombardment Group’s operations against tactical targets in Northern Italy. The aircraft was carrying a load of clustered fragmentation bombs. Shortly after take-off, and while the formation was maneuvering to the rendezvous point, Lieutenant Neff’s craft developed serious engine trouble, necessitating the feathering of the left outboard engine, and the early return of the aircraft to its base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilots leveled the bomber out for the landing, but, at the last moment, decided not to land on the first attempt, but to repeat the traffic pattern instead. As they accelerated the aircraft, it began to bank steadily into the dead engine, and, despite every effort of the pilots to regain control, plunged into the ground, cartwheeling on a wing-tip and crashing nose first. The fuel tanks were smashed, and a flood of blazing gasoline gushed from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lieutenant Neff, despite the stunning force of the crash and the attendant shock, attempted to escape through his window, but found it jammed. He succeeded, however, in making his way across the cockpit to the first pilot’s window, and started to crawl out. Halfway through the window, his parachute harness caught on an obstruction in the cockpit, and Lieutenant Neff was left hanging head-downward over the burning wing. He managed to disentangle himself, however, and struggling clear of the aircraft, began to run to safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he made his escape, he glanced back toward the wreck, and was startled to discover the legs of the bombardier protruding from the nose escape hatch. Ignoring the menace of the flaming fuel, and despite the knowledge that the bombs would begin to detonate at any instant, Lieutenant Neff unhesitantly returned to the wreck, and pulled the bombardier clear. Then, supporting his half-conscious crewman, Lieutenant Neff again fought his way from the flaming plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, the remaining gasoline tanks exploded, and the tremendous concussion flung the struggling pair to the ground. Without thought for his own safety, Lieutenant Neff covered his semi-conscious comrade with his own body, until the shower of debris caused by the explosion ceased. Then, once more supporting the bombardier, Lieutenant Neff succeeded in reaching a point of safety before the delicate fragmentation bombs began to detonate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By his heroic action and the unselfish discharge of a duty he plainly saw was his, Lieutenant Neff has distinguished himself by heroism involving voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of conflict with the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
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Michael McNew via email<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Michael McNew via email<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

B-17 #44-6179 “Firecracker” name on nose. Issued to 775th Squadron, on loan to 774th Squadron for missions. This plane crash landed after aborting mission to Northern Italy because of a lost engine. It crashed at its base. Date of crash 10 April 1945. 5 crew members lost their lives in the crash, five lived. T\/Sgt. Charles R. Hill was the radio operator and died on this plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Details send by Gary R. Hill.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delivered Tulsa 24\/5\/44; Hunter 15\/6\/44; Dow Fd 28\/6\/44; Assigned 775BS\/463BG Celone 2\/7\/44; crash landed base 18\/4\/45 with Austin Cragg, co-pilot: Vernon M. Neff; radio operator: Charles R. Hill; returning from mission to bomb troops in Charlie area; burned out.","protected":false},"featured_media":21355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"airplane-status":[143],"status-date":[268],"status-day":[1877],"status-month":[1843],"status-year":[1844],"production-block":[106],"manufacturer":[131],"delivered":[1818],"project-number":[],"bomb-group":[499],"bomb-squadron":[500],"raf-service":[],"b17tags":[],"class_list":["post-6956","b17database","type-b17database","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","airplane-status-crash-landed","status-date-10-04-1945","status-day-1877","status-month-april","status-year-1844","production-block-b-17g-45-dl-44-6126-44-6250","manufacturer-douglas","delivered-tulsa","bomb-group-463rd-bomb-group","bomb-squadron-775th-bomb-squadron"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"en","enabled_languages":["de","en"],"languages":{"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database\/6956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/b17database"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"airplane-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/airplane-status?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"status-date","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-date?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"status-day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-day?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"status-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-month?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"status-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-year?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"production-block","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production-block?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manufacturer?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"delivered","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/delivered?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"project-number","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-number?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-group?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-squadron","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-squadron?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"raf-service","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/raf-service?post=6956"},{"taxonomy":"b17tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17tags?post=6956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}