B-17G " Penny's Thunderhead "   42-31098     614th

11 December 1943   Mission #4   Target: Emden


                  11 December 43 , 0805 hours , engines are on.
                  22 planes are off on mission #4 , target today is the shipping center, port of Emden, Niedersachsen, Germany.

Missing Air Crew Report : 8711

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 614th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : South West.
       Target : Returned from Emden, Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : 7/10ths - 8/10ths.

4.    Last know date : 11 dec 1943
       time : 13:20
       location : Over Beerta, Netherlands, SW of Emden , Germany.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Aircraft returned , portion of crew only missing.

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-31098

7.    Nickname of aircraft : " Penny's Thunderhead ".

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 10 , 8 MIA.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot Richard Herbert Kaufman 2nd Lt 0-802121 RTD
Copilot Frederick Brownell Robinson 2nd Lt 0-684556 KIA
Navigator John Aloysius Barrett 2nd Lt 0-683892 POW
Bombardier Robert Grover Fitzgerald 2nd Lt 0-679459 RTD
Radio Operator Donald Hall Carlson S/Sgt 39329973 POW
Engr / Top Turret Howard Alexander Shaw S/Sgt 33253277 KIA
Ball Turret Gunner Forrest Ray Cope S/Sgt 35680079 DED
Tail Gunner Edward Warren Masterman S/Sgt 39196860 DED
Left Waist Gunner Tage Ragner Nielsen S/Sgt 37434765 DED
Right Waist Gunner Henry Leonard Bargfrede S/Sgt 37228695 KIA





Mission to Ludwigshafen, crashed at Zierolshofen, Germany


Missing Air Crew Report by Captain Ken W. Dauble.


   Lt. Kaufman, who flew No. 2 pos. in the 2nd element of the Lead Squadron, bombed the target as briefed
   and then came with the formation on the way out.

   At 13:12, just over the Dutch border, his aircraft was hit by flak and No.3 engine went out.
   Engine could not be feathered, was windmilling 3,000 RPM, vibrating the entire A/C tremendously.

   A few seconds later No.1 engine also was hit and the ship started to lose altitude.
   Subsequent flak hits destroyed the bomb bay doors and shattered the nose of the plane.

   Thinking his aircraft was doomed, Lt Kaufman ordered the crew to bail out, and jumping over what was
   believed to be Holland from 18000 feet.
   All man jumped except for Lt. Kaufman and bombardier Lt. Fitzgerald who had difficulty getting his chute
   adjusted.

   Then one of the runaway props frose and it was then that Lt. Kaufman and he decided to "ride it down".
   Straggling along by themselves, these two Officers flew the aircraft across the North Sea and landed it at
   Lindholm RAF base, England.






Captain Kaufman's first crew.

L to R Back Row: Capt. Kaufman , Lt. F. B. Robinson , Lt. R. C. Fitzgerald , Lt. J. A. Barrett
Front Row: Sgt. F. R. Cope , Sgt. H. A. Shaw , Sgt. D. H. Carlson , Sgt. T. R. Nielson , Sgt. H. L. Bangfrede , Sgt.E. W. Masterman

Photo Courtesy of Rick Kaufman.




  
Richard Kaufman Wisconsin       1919 - RTD    
Robert Fitzgerald     RTD    
John Aloysius Barrett New York   POW   Stalag Luft 1 south
Donald Hall Carlson Oregon       1914 - POW   Stalag Luft 1
Frederick Brownell Robinson Texas       1923 - 1943 KIA NE F - 11 - 26
Howard Alexander Shaw Pennsylvania       1920 - 1943 KIA NE B - 4 - 4
Henry Leonard Bargfrede Missouri       1921 - 1943 KIA NE B - 4 - 16
Forrest Ray Cope Kentucky       1922 - 1943 DED NE Wall of Missing
Edward Warren Masterman Washington       1922 - 1943 DED NE Wall of Missing
Tage Ragner Nielsen Iowa       1917 - 1943 DED CA Wall of Missing

NE = Netherlands, Margraten    CA = Camebridge , England

If you have questions, remarks or information , please feel free to Email me
or leave a message in my guestbook

Top