The oldest B-17G nonetheless in service with the 91st Bomb Group and the following to final B-17 misplaced to hostile motion by the group met a horrifying destiny within the skies over Germany on April 8, 1945, simply 30 days earlier than Germany surrendered on Might 7.
Captured within the black and white photographic photos from an computerized strike digicam aboard one other B-17, the destruction of Wee Willie within the waning days of World Conflict Two after being struck by enemy anti-aircraft hearth produced among the most dramatic and iconic photos of World Conflict Two within the skies over Europe. Just one crew member would escape the speedy and fiery breakup of the heavy bomber earlier than the plane was utterly destroyed upon influence.
B-17G #42-31333
Assigned to the 322nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) of the 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 1st Air Division, eighth Air Power, B-17G Flying Fortress serial quantity 42-31333 got here off of the Boeing Plant No. 2 manufacturing line in Seattle, Washington because the 302nd B-17G. In October of 1943, the bomber was delivered to Cheyenne, Wyoming and the USA Military Air Power (USAAF).
The heavy bomber was then transported to Royal Air Power (RAF) Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom (UK), receiving its task to the 322nd. The battle-scarred veteran of 128 missions had served for one 12 months, three months, and 20 days. Hit by anti-aircraft hearth on Feb. 3, 1944, over Welhelmsahaven, Germany, and out of motion till Feb. 20, the plane could be repaired and proceed on till her closing mission on Apr. 8, 1945.
The plane was dubbed Wee Willie with corresponding nostril artwork, and the identification letters LG W painted on either side of the bomber’s olive drab fuselage. Denoting the first Bombardment Wing, a white triangle containing a black letter A ((1st Bomb Group) was displayed on either side of the vertical fin with the larger space of the fin painted crimson. The A within the white triangle was displayed in addition to on the highest aspect of the correct wing. With each higher and decrease crimson wing ideas together with crimson masking a lot of the horizontal stabilizers, the elevators and rudder have been left olive drab, together with a lot of the remaining higher surfaces of the bomber. The crimson indicated eighth Air Power 1st Air Division, and was used for efficient visible identification at lengthy distances. The undersurfaces of the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizers have been painted impartial gray.
The B-17G was a four-engine heavy bomber powered by Wright Cyclone R-1820 engines producing 1,200 horsepower every. Most velocity was 300 mph, vary 1,850 miles, and the ceiling was 35,000 ft. The plane had a wingspan of 103 ft 10 in, with a size of 74 ft 4 in and a peak of 19 ft 1 in.
B-17G fashions differed from the earlier B-17F model primarily within the addition of a twin .50 caliber machine gun chin turret, growing the defensive capabilities in opposition to frontal assaults. A complete of 13 Browning .50 caliber machine weapons have been carried by the B-17G, together with a bomb load of as much as 6,000 lbs.
The Final Mission
Wee Willie left RAF Bassingbourn on April 8, 1945 with a crew of 9, certain for railroad targets in Stendal, Germany together with 72 different B-17s. Utilizing floor search radar referred to as H2S, the bombers positioned their targets by the cloud cowl. Average anti-aircraft hearth was encountered. What occurred subsequent is finest defined by a watch witness, a gunner on one other B-17 from the 401st Squadron, Employees Sgt. George Little:
“We have been flying over the goal at 20,500 toes altitude after I noticed plane B-17G, 42-31333 to obtain a direct flak hit roughly between the bomb bay and #2 engine. The plane instantly began right into a vertical dive. The fuselage was on hearth and when it had dropped roughly 5,000 toes the left wing fell off. It continued down and when the fuselage was about 3,000 toes from the bottom it exploded after which exploded once more when it hit the bottom. I noticed no crew member depart the plane or parachutes open. (Lacking Air Crew Report [MACR] 13881)
Wee Willie had suffered a direct hit from the dreaded German 88 mm flak gun, inflicting the left wing together with its two engines to detach from the plane. Within the ensuing demise spiral, probably blown out by the primary reported explosion, pilot 1st Lieutenant Robert Fuller did handle to flee the doomed plane.
Fuller would turn into a POW (Prisoner of Conflict). The remaining eight crew members have been KIA (Killed in Motion), together with: Co-pilot 2nd Lieutenant Woodrow Lien, navigator Technical Sgt. Francis McCarthy, bombardier Employees Sgt. Richard Proudfit, high turret Gunner Employees Sgt. Wylie McNatt Jr., ball turret Gunner Employees Sgt. William Cassidy, radio/radar operator Employees Sgt. Ralph Leffelman, waist gunner Employees Sgt. James Houtchens, and tail gunner Sgt. Lemoyne Miller.
Wee Willie was the oldest B-17G in service with the 91st Bombardment Group, and the next-to-last B-17 of the group misplaced resulting from enemy motion earlier than Germany capitulated on Might 7, 1945, ending the struggle in Europe. A complete of 12,731 B-17s have been produced between 1936 and 1945, with 4,735 being misplaced in fight.
The Eighty-Eight
The German Flak 18/36/37 (German eighty-eight) was a flexible gun that fired an 8.8 cm projectile at a muzzle velocity of two,690 toes per second (FPS), and a excessive charge of fireplace of 15-20 rounds per minute (RPM). It was answerable for creating the acquainted black puffs within the air after the 17 lb projectiles exploded at altitude and projected fragments of jagged steel in all instructions, ripping into and piercing the skinny aluminum skins of plane.
Plane inside a 200 yard radius of the explosions have been liable to being broken or destroyed. Hundreds of Allied plane have been victims of this weapon. Crewed by ten males, the gun may attain altitudes of 26,000 to 32,500 ft. The lethal eighty-eight was additionally an efficient anti-tank weapon, efficient in opposition to floor targets, and likewise put in on some German armor. Over 21,000 have been produced through the struggle.
The Different Loss that Day
Whereas Wee Willie is remembered by a set of horrifying photographs, 4 different B-17s have been closely broken through the raid, with 13 others receiving minor damages. The targets have been hit and the raid was thought-about successful, however a second B-17 was additionally misplaced that day through the raid.
B-17G serial quantity 42-102504 Occasions A-Wastin’ was additionally hit by German flak. This plane belonged to the 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and was piloted by 1st Lieutenant Peter Pastras. Technical Sgt. William Carson witnessed the occasion from one other B-17:
“I first noticed plane B-17-G, 42-102504, to be in bother at about 30 seconds to 1 minute after bombs away. I noticed the No. 2 engine smoking badly and there gave the impression to be flames between the No. 2 engine and the fuselage. The proper wing and engines gave the impression to be untouched. The plane then nosed upward, stood on the correct wing tip, and aspect slipped downward in a steep dive. After it had fallen for a few hundred toes I noticed one (1) man depart the plane and his parachute opened instantly. The plane continued downward in a steep circling dive to the correct. I instructed the Ball Turret-Gunner of our ship to observe it go down and he said that solely the one (1) parachute got here from topic plane earlier than it crashed and burned. (MACR 14295)
All however two of the crew of Occasions A-Wastin’ could be listed as KIA, with the 2 survivors being taken as POW’s. Her crew included pilot 1st Lieutenant Peter Pastras, co-pilot 2nd Lieutenant Robert Morris, navigator 2nd Lieutenant George Latches, bombardier Employees Sgt. Don Lemons, ball turret gunner Sgt. Edgar Harrell, waist gunner Employees Sgt. George Wong, tail gunner Robert O. Smith, high turret gunner Lyle Jones, and radio operator Bob A. Smith. Solely Lyle Jones and Robert A. Smith would survive.
Etched in Historical past
The tragic story of Wee Willie is without end informed in dramatic and horrifying photographs, giving us a glimpse of the risks confronted on a regular basis by the younger aircrews risking all of it within the skies of World Conflict Two. The 2 tales informed right here is only a sampling of the examples of the bravery and tragedy that unfolded when the world was on hearth, as 1000’s of plane and crews skilled comparable fates all through the battle. And though these two plane have been misplaced in the direction of the top of a struggle that clearly appeared gained, it additionally illustrates that struggle is a harmful and lethal enterprise proper as much as the top.
