Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

Can anyone perhaps helps me with the identity of this shot down B-17 and perhaps someone also knows who shot it down?

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

Thim -
B-17F Model. The Lady has a " Cowboy Hat ". Back in the Wild West Days ,
there was a famous Lady Hell Raiser nicknamed "Calamity Jane".
?????
Mike

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

The gun looks almost like a Tommy Gun. Annie Oakley? Buffalo Gal????

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

This appears to be "Trouble Shooter" of the 95th Bomb Gourp, 334th Squadron. 42-30135 MACR 855.

Lost 14 OCT 43 on the Schweinfurt raid. Hit by flak 5 minutes past the target. All 10 men reportedly bailed out. They all did survive the war. The plane must have crash landed on its own? Not much information in the MACR. The Pilot was William R McPherson.

See down toward the bottom of this link for the picture. The odd thing is in the link there seems to be the name "Trouble Shooter" right below the girl. I don't see that in the picture you posted.

http://www.8thafhsoregon.com/archive...o-42-30161.pdf

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

Thanks a lot for that! Does the MACR perhaps give any further information as to where the plane crashed?

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

There is a statement by 1st Lt David E Olsson.

B-17F 42-30133 piloted by Capt. WILLIAM R. MCPHERSON, JR, was seen to be hit by flak and drop from formation five minutes past the target at 50 degrees 0 minutes N – 10 degrees 17 minutes E. The pilot after feathering the #3 Engine put down the wheels, waved to the rest of the group and had his men bail out. Ten cutes were seen to leave the ship.

There is a map attached to the MACR with an X and notation at the location 50 deg 10 min N, 10 deg 17 min E. This is where the ship was last seen. There is no time given in the MACR. I wonder if the wheels were left down? All 10 men apparently bailed out.

There are no statements made by the crew and there are no German "KU" documents translated or otherwise in the MACR. I will check on footnote to see if there is an OCT 43 index of KU statements. Sometimes these are on footnote.com and if I can match them up to the correct plane, they sometimes give a location.

Some clearer pics:
http://www.95thbg-horham.com/page244.html

http://www.95thbg-horham.com/page243.html

Re: Help needed for identification of a B-17
 

If you use Google Maps to find the last seen location, 5010N,1017E it appears to be about 15 km NNE of Schweinfurt.

Joe Baughers website (search for 30135 on link below):
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_2.html

puts the crash of:

"42-30135 (351st BG, 511th BS then to 95th BG, 334th BS, "Trouble Shooter")
shot down by AAA and crashed 7 km SE of Schweinfurt, Germany Oct 14, 1943. 10 POW. MACR 855"

So maybe 7km SE of Schweinfurt is the actual location of the crash. That would put it somewhere around Gochsheim.