401st BG Album - Aircraft

Croped photo from Crew photo.

Credited with 73 missions, including 67 successive missions without an abort. Damaged by flak and force landed in Sweden after mission to Politz 7 October 1944. Returned to Deenethorpe on 13 May 1945.

Landing gear collapsed after hard landing; note bent propellers.

Croped to show nose art better.

Originally assigned to the 351st BG (Polebrook). Transferred to the 305th BG (Chelveston).

An Image of the Hard Seventeen taken on its 25th mission.

NARA Photo Dog Breath.

This is from the Collection of WWII from WWW.W2COLOR.COM. The photo was provided at no cost to the group for display on the site only.

Don: I can help you with some verification of the information below.........I have deleted the other since I have no info one way or the other about it.....the call letters on 43-38458 were IN-A and the Bottle Baby name was given by me and I painted the nose(but no beautiful girls since I had
nothing to go by).......I was assigned the aircraft 43-38458 in January after it had been returned from forced landing in Europe.....It was the primary plane for me and my crew from then until the end of the war, although a few other crews flew it as well (613th crews), and I flew some missions in other aircraft at times, but 43-38458 was on “my” hardstand and serviced by “my” ground crew. Then as a final note, I flew 43-38458 with my crew and 10 additional personelle in the exodus to the US. We flew from Deenethorpe to Valley, Wales, then to Reykavik, Iceland, then to Goose
Bay, Labrador, then the final leg to Bradley Field, Connecticut. I can verify all the above even with the invoice made out to me charging me for the aircraft which I was flying to the United States. All the best, Jake

Image courtesy of The History Center, Diboll, Texas.

This B-17, previously captured by the Luftwaffe was also interned; on June 21, the B-17G-10-VE, 42-39969 USAAF numeral (401st BG, 614th BS), took off from France piloted by Lt. Wolfgang Pohl. Carrying three German agents, a former member of the French Foreign Legion and an Arab in order to transport them to North Africa. For this, the plane carried extra fuel tanks to extend its range. After leaving Marseilles on June 26 began the problems with fuel tanks. On June 27, 1944 this B-17 KG200 with German markings, registration A3 + FB, landed at the airport of Valencia Airport, where the pilot destroyed the flight plans and Agents were "secreted away". The plane was interned, being parked in an inconspicuous location of the airfield, with the German brands covered, until the end of the war. It seems that in 1948 was still at the Valencia Airport. It was re-designated as a TB-17G on 27 April 1948 and was finally scrapped.

612th & 615th Bomb Squadron

Originally assigned to the 615th Squadron as IY-R, this aircraft was reassigned in early 1945 to the 613th Squadron as IN-R.

Also shows Edward Damp the Navigator of Lt. Utter's crew. He also put his nickname "Noot" which can be seen under the left machine gun position.

Back Row : Bernard Weber (engineer) - Kenneth Brock (tail gunner) - James Keller (ball turret) - John Williams (waist gunner) - Irwin Friedman (waist gunner) - Michael Mercuris (radio)
Front Row kneeling : H. E. Hughes (bombardier) - Stephen Lozinski (pilot) - Eldon Child (co-pilot) - Louis Rush (navigator)

Unconfirmed Note: This involves 42-31330 Hells Angel Out of Chute 13. It's possible it was first named “Hell’s Angel” and the phrase “Out of Chute `13” was added later and was in reference to the aircraft being assigned to Hardstand #13. “Grossly Inadequate” was added later. Further research is required.

On a mission flown by Lt. Matt Marharick and crew

Last week I (Mark Hakvoort) went to the National Archive in Alkmaar. In this Archive all the local area (North Holland) historic documents are keeped (warehouse archive?).

I found a document (report) about the crash of the B17 plane Lady Jane.
The translation is this:
--------------------------------------------------------
Report about crash landing American bomber at 6 november 1944.

At Monday 6 November 1944 , around 14.00 hours, they (..) told me, that at 13.45 hours a plane crashed at field H42 at the Tussenweg (In betweenroad) farmer name R.Iwema. By car I went to the crash area. The plane was a 4 engine American bomber , type Fortress II. The plane was heavly demanged.
There where already soldiers of the German Army there, they captured 9 crew members. None of the crew members were wounded.
The crash location was already fenced (a fence around the plane) in by the Germans.
There was no damaged at the local population or buildings.
The pertrol I used was ca. 10 liter.
Wieringerwerf, 6 November 1944.
The commandor of the Air defence Wieringermeer, C.W. van Zijll-Langhout.

Seen by the mayor of the Wieringermeer, signature.
A double copy is made for the chief commandor Air defence Heerengracht 's Gravenhage.

43-38810 Mrs. Knobby.

The Pistol Packin Mama.

Standing: Left to Right: Harold Cook, Bill Merritt, D. Michel, Leroy Cohn, Earl Koehler, Myron Pierce, Charles Nicholas.

Kneeling Left to Right: Don Kirkuff, Ben Sobolak, L.J. Montone.

Info provided by Myron E. Pierce.