Hello, RSwank,
thank you for your comprehensive response...
I have the book by Martha Gellhorn both in the English original and in the German translation here in my bookcase.
The tanks she describes really can't belong to the 13th Armored Div., especially since they can be seen "behind the burning plane". I assume that these were tanks of the German Wehrmacht, which was already on the retreat towards Hoffnungsthal (Bergisches Land) at this time.
The plane definitely crashed in flames and exploded on the ground, according to contemporary witnesses. All five crew members were actually recovered from the debris, according to eyewitnesses from the area.
As an addendum: The B-26 crashed in close proximity to a large 8.8 Flak position. These soldiers and civilians from Lülsdorf recovered the crew. Among them was the catholic priest of the village. He insisted that the wounded were not treated as prisoners of war by the Wehrmacht soldiers, but were brought to the village and treated there with makeshift care. A German paramedic and a Belgian forced labourer paramedic treated the wounded Americans. The Catholic priest then went to the bank of the Rhine with a white flag and called the American troops of the 505th PIR on the other side of the Rhine. They then used boats to bring the four wounded and the dead Dwyer over to the left side of the Rhine...
Actually the B-26 was occupied by 7 crew members, about the whereabouts of the other two crew members nothing is known. It is also not sure whether the plane started with only 5 crew members. The crew is mentioned in all sources with only 5 crew members. An inquiry at the American-Air-Museum in England did not bring any further information, the crew is only mentioned there with five persons.
In the meantime I have found information about the pilot John T. Hopkins Jr. he was born on 20.09.1923 and died on 08.08.1978 in Virginia ( source.
www.findagrave.com ).
But there are still some questions left unanswered. Unfortunately, it is not easy from Germany to research the National Archives in DC. Do you have a possibility to search for the crew there ?
Thanks again. I wish you a merry christmas already now
Greeting
Manni
Translated with
www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)