ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192911
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| Date: | Wednesday 17 January 1945 |
| Time: | 13:55 |
| Type: |  Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress |
| Owner/operator: | 509th BSqn /351st BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-31384 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | east of 48619 Nienborg, Nordrhein-Westfalen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
On 17 January 1945, during Eighth Air Force Mission 798, 700 bombers and 362 fighters were dispatched to make visual attacks on oil refineries at Hamburg and Harburg and Gee-H and H2X attacks on rail targets; 9 bombers and 7 fighters were lost:
1. 158 B-17s were dispatched to hit the Rhenania (40) and Albrecht (34) oil refineries at Hamburg and the U-boat base at Hamburg (73); 1 other hit a target of opportunity; 4 B-17s were lost and 88 damaged; 1 airman was KIA and 39 MIA. Escorting were 61 P-47s and P-51s; 3 P-51s were lost (pilots MIA) and 1 P-47 was damaged beyond repair.
2. 78 of 84 B-24s hit the Rhenania oil refinery at Harburg; 1 other hit Borkum Airfield as a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s were lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 57 damaged; 7 airmen were WIA and 44 MIA. Escort was provided by 46 of 55 P-51s; 2 P-51s were lost (pilots MIA).
3. 458 B-17s were sent to hit the Paderborn marshalling yard (397) and the Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld (37); 4 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 was lost and 6 damaged; 9 airmen were MIA. The escort was 108 of 118 P-51s; 1 P-51 was lost (pilot MIA).
4. 80 of 87 P-51s flew a fighter sweep against a rail target without loss.
5. 25 of 28 P-51s flew a scouting mission; 1 P-51 was lost (pilot MIA).
__________________________________________
One of the losses of the day was the B-17G 42-31384 "Buckeye Babe" of 509th BS, 351st BG that was the only bomber that did not return from the Paderborn raid. It was flying as lead plane of the low squadron, low element. In the target area he started lagging and could not keep with the formation. There were no Flak, nor fighters and the bomber showed no signs of damage. Actually two engines of the B-17 had failed. He was heard on the radio asking for fighter support. The last time it was seen it seemed as though he was trying to get in with another Group’s formation behind the 351st BG and bomb with them. It was then around 1230 hrs, and the bomber was at 23,900 feet by 51° 43’ N 8° 44’ E.
The German crash report KU 3579 shows that this B-17 belly-landed at 1355 hrs east of Nienborg, in Rheine area. The nine crew survived and were all captured. The report says the bomber was shot down by Flak and was destroyed at 40%.
Crew (all POW):
2nd Lt Marius N Della-Cioppa (pilot)
2nd Lt Dell Joseph Harvey (co-pilot)
2nd Lt Spurgeon William Clark, Jr (navigator/bombardier)
Sgt Walter Joseph Soltys (nose gunner)
Sgt Richard Melvin Smith (top turret gunner)
Sgt Edward Venezia (radio operator)
Sgt Herman Richard Fancher (waist gunner)
S/Sgt George Frederick Shearer, Jr (ball turret gunner)
Sgt James Eugene Fager (tail gunner)
Sources:
MACR 12000 (http://www.fold3.com/image/46703712/)
List of German crash reports, January-March 1945 (http://www.fold3.com/image/251/38614588/)
http://www.351st.org/ken.harbour/planedetail2.HTML
http://351st.org/loadlist/search.php?type=m&mission=259&ac=42-31384
http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii/usaf/html/Jan.45.html
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nienborg
http://www.maplandia.com/germany/nordrhein-westfalen/munster/borken/nienborg/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Jan-2017 18:36 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 27-Jan-2020 18:56 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 27-Jan-2020 18:59 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 03-Feb-2020 10:03 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 31-Mar-2020 09:51 | DB | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 01-Feb-2022 18:05 | Anon. | Updated [Location] |
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