B-17G " Carolyne " 42-31089 612th
4 January 1944 Mission #11 Target: Kiel
4 January 44 , 0705 hours , engines are on.
18 planes are off on mission #11.
Target today is Kiel , Germany.
Aircraft was enroute to bomb Kiel , but no. 4 engine caught on fire and plane had to turn.
64 miles before the English coast , the ship was ditched.
2 men were killed.
Missing Air Crew Report : 6468
1. Organization : AAF Sta 128.
Command : 8th Air Force.
Group : 401st.
Squadron : 612th.
2. Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
Target : Kiel , Germany.
Type of mission: Port facilities.
4. Last know date : 4 Jan 1944
time : 12:45
location : 64 miles before English coast.
5. Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Engine trouble.
6. Aircraft type : B-17G
serial no. : 42-31089
7. Nickname of aircraft : " Carolyne ".
8. Engines : R-1820-97.
10. Persons on board : Crew : 10.
11. List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot |
William C. Garland |
Captain |
0-24892 |
RTD |
Copilot |
Malcom K. Martin |
Major |
0-424978 |
RTD |
Navigator |
Edward P. Nolte |
2nd Lt |
0-683296 |
RTD |
Bombardier |
Floyd C. Howe |
2nd Lt |
0-734692 |
KIA |
Radio Operator |
Bert S. Stimmel |
T/Sgt |
3533227 |
RTD |
Engr / Top Turret |
Anthony V. Spacek |
T/Sgt |
32378819 |
RTD |
Ball Turret Gunner |
Thomas D. McNab, Jr. |
Sgt |
12095352 |
RTD |
Tail Gunner |
Erle G. Owens |
2nd Lt |
0-679108 |
RTD |
Left Waist Gunner |
John L. Parratt |
Sgt |
13000644 |
RTD |
Right Waist Gunner |
Ralph D. Newton |
Sgt |
33274765 |
KIA |
|
Mission to Kiel, germany, but they had to return early and crashed in the North Sea
Headquarters, AAF Station 128 , APO 557 U.S Army
Aircraft No. 42-31089 left the English Channel on schedule en route to bomb Kiel , Germany.
At a point between Helgoland island and the German coast No. 4 engine caught fire.
The remaining engines furnishing insufficient power to allow aircraft to remain in formation, aircraft was turned and headed for England at 1100 hours.
When the aircraft was sixty four (64) miles from the English Coast No. 3 engine went out of commission, the aircraft was steadily losing altitude so preparations were made for ditching.
Aircraft hit the water at approximately 1245 hours.
Water poured into the radio compartment to a height about knee deep.
Lt. Owens pulled the handle for the dinghies, but neither one came out. Lt. Owens and Lt. Nolte then pulled out the left dinghy on which the plate covering the dinghy compartment had stuck.
At that time a wave knocked Lt. Nolte off the fuselage. He and Lt. Owens then got in the left dinghy.
Sgt McNab swam back and climbed in , then Sgt Parratt got in.
In the cockpit the left window slammed shut and locked.
Major Martin and Capt.Garland got out through the right window.
Capt. Garland hung on to the right dinghy and Major Martin inflated and individual dinghy which he hung on to until a wave knocked him off.
When it floated past the tail Sgt. Spacek grabbed it and held it until Major Martin could again get to it.
Capt Garland and Sgt Stimmel then got into the right dinghy.
Lt. Howe and Sgt. Newton remained on top of the fuselage.
Sgt. Howe standing on the fuselage near the radio hatch.
About that time a powerful wave knocked both Lt. Howe and Sgt. Newton in the water and broke the right dinghy loose from the tail of the ship, ( waves were about twenty feet high that day and it was described as one of the roughest ever seen in the North Sea).
Sgt. Newton was not seen again and Lt. Howe was last seen swimming about half way between the aircraft and dinghy.
About 45 minuets later or 1330 hours a British Mine Sweeper, Monique Comille , with the use of a grappling hook picked up Lt. Howe and in the next fifteen minutes Sgt's Parratt, McNab, Stimmel , Spacek , Capt. Garland and Major Martin.
Meanshile a British Mine Sweeper , Typhoon , rescued Lts'Nolte and Owens.
Efforts were made to revive Lt. Howe but he died without regaining consciousness.
|
William Garland |
|
|
RTD |
|
|
Malcom Martin |
|
|
RTD |
|
|
Edward Nolte |
Texas |
1919 - |
RTD |
|
|
Bert Stimmel |
|
|
RTD |
|
|
Anthony Spacek |
New York |
1920 - |
RTD |
|
|
Thomas McNab, Jr. |
New Jersey |
1919 - |
RTD |
|
|
Erle Owens |
|
|
RTD |
|
|
John Parratt |
Pennsylvania |
1923 - |
RTD |
|
|
Floyd C. Howe |
Illinois |
1922 - 1944 |
KIA |
MA |
|
Ralph D. Newton |
Pennsylvania |
1916 - 1944 |
KIA |
CA |
Wall of Missing |
CA = Camebridge , England MA = Mount Auburn, illinois USA
|
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