21 February 1944 again... B-17G 457BG/750BS 42-31596 'Tail End Charlie' was lossed due to flak. Target was Gütersloh but that was obscured by clouds. Another target of opportunity was bombed. Which? According to MACR 3004 the plane was last seen between ca. 52 25N - 7 40E, which is ca. village Halverde, and ca 52 33N - 7 20E wch is ca. Lingen, this is an area which is just north of Hopsten and west of the Fliegerhorst-triangle Achmer-Vörden-Hesepe.
According to the 8th AFHS the B-17 went down Bottorf which is 5 km west Quackebruck and ca 33 km north-east of Halverde.
http://www.8thafhs.com/get_mia_aircr...ate=1944-02-21
According to the website of 457BG the B-17 was hit by flak on the bomb run (of the target of opportunity).
http://www.457thbombgroup.org/Narratives/MA1.html
I looks like 42-31596 was on an bomb run to Hopsten, but that doesn't really matches with Bottorf. Who can shed light in this?
--Cees Steijger