Destruction of 100th BG, fiction or fact?

[robert_schulte]

Hi all,
I have just started reading the novel “A Real Good War” by Sam Halpert, a B-17 veteran.
In this book the crews tell each other many rumours they had heard of, such as Hitler has died and has been replaced by an actor.
One of these rumours did really strike me and I wonder if this is actually only a rumour or did it really happen. It goes like this:

3 B-17s of the 100th BG are shot up so bad that they can’t keep up with the formation. As these 3 B-17s are attacked by a group of fighters, one lowers her landing gear as like to surrender. After the 2 other bombers are knocked off, the fighters turn to the remaining B-17 and escort her to the fighter’s home base. As the planes are about to land, the pilot of the B-17 orders to shoot down the German fighters, which are feeling safe now, knocks off all six of them and runs low level back to the 100th home base.
Next day, there is a massive force of German fighters, looking for the signs of the 100th BG. As the 100th is identified, all German fighters turn to this BG ignoring all other bombers and in a few minutes they wipe out the complete 100th BG without any survivors.

So my question is, as this sounds kind of plausible, was this just a rumour or fiction by the author, or did this really happen, however perhaps with an other BG?
Perhaps somebody can shed some light on this.
Best wishes
Robert

[Steve49]

My understanding is that this myth, like many is based on a bit of fact anf much fiction. The surrendering bomber shooting down all of the fighters and then escaping doesn't appear to pass the reality test, but the 100th Bomb Group did suffer badly on many occasions.

For example on its first mission, 25th June 1943, the group lost 3 aircraft, on the 17th August 1943 the group lost 8 aircraft, then on 8th October the group lost another 8 aircraft, but its worst mission was on the 10th October 1943 when the Group despatched 13 aircraft to Munster and 12 failed to return. The surviving aircraft was also written off.

There has been much speculation that the group was being specifically targeted, but there is no evidence to support it, and the belief that the Luftwaffe was raging a war solely against one Group doesn't pass a reality test. It just seems the group was extremely unlucky during this difficult phase of 8th AF operations and rumours just started as a way of explaining away some of the misfortune.

Steve

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The story of a haevily damaged bomber shooting down 6 german fighters and escaping from above a German airfield is just too hard to believe.

As for the 100th BG, it will be interesting to know if there was a reason for their heavy losses outside bad luck. I doubt that Luftwaffe targetted a given unit especially, and I am quite sure identifying it in the air will be really hard, and almost impossible soon enough to bring all fighters together to attack it. On the other hand, 100th BG was never targetted alone when it suffered big losses.

But maybe this Group was not flying a perfect defensive formation and that was the reason it was so often attacked. Or maybe it was used in a way (for example often leader group, or tail group) that was more dangerous than the norm (and for a B-17 in 43-44 the norm was already bad).

US bombers were more dangerous flying in tight formations, so once a formation was disrupted/broken, German pilots will attack it more often, so decimating it, while letting other units nearby untouched.

Alos, for most of 8th AF raids, there were not enough German fighters to engage every US bomber group in strength, so some were hardly hit while other were untouched. This is especially true with the Strumstaffel and Sturmgruppen attacks in 1944.

[Vraa84]

Hi
I have heard this rumor too, however it is to my knowledge as stated above lot of fiction and little reality. It is mentioned in Martin Middelbrooks The Schweinfurt/ Regenburg mission.

Also you might try http://www.100thbg.com/.

Cheers Nick

[shooshoobaby]

The " Wheels Down Story " was attributed to the wrong Group. This actually involved a B - 17 from the 390th BG. # 230316 " Madie "
Pilot Lt. Regan Crashed Bremen. See Appendix of Middlebrook's book for the complete story.
Cheers

[Adam]

I seem to recall that the 100th BG was not the BG with the most casualties during the war, despite its moniker/reputation

Was I just dreaming this?

[Kutscha]

I don't know how accurate this listing is.

Bomb Group - Station - Bomber Type - Missions Flown - Losses

34 Mendelsham B-17 170 34
44 Shipdham B-24 343 153
91 Bassingbourn B-17 340 197
92 Podington B-17 308 154
93 Hardwick B-24 396 100
94 Bury St. Edmonds B-17 324 153
95 Horham B-17 320 157
96 Snetterton Heath B-17 321 189
100 Thorpe Abbots B-17 306 96 177
303 Moleworth B-17 364 165
305 Chelveston B-17 337 154
306 Thurieigh B-17 342 171
351 Polebrook B-17 311 124
379 Kimbolton B-17 330 141
381 Ridgewell B-17 296 131
384 Grafton Underwood B-17 314 159
385 Great Ashfield B-17 296 129
388 Knettishall B-17 306 142
389 Hethel B-24 321 116
390 Framlingham B-17 300 144
392 Wendling B-24 285 127
398 Nuthampstead B-17 195 58
401 Deenthrope B-17 256 95
445 Tibenham B-24 282 95
446 Bungay B-24 273 58
447 Rattlesden B-17 257 97
448 Seething B-24 262 101
452 Deopham Green B-17 250 110
453 Old Buckenham B-24 259 58
457 Glatton B-17 237 83
458 Horsham St. Faith B-24 240 47
466 Attlebridge B-24 232 47
467 Rackheath B-24 212 29
486 Sudbury B-17 188 33
487 Lavenham B-17 185 48
489 Halesworth B-24 106 29
490 Eye B-17 158 40
491 Metfield B-24 187 47
492 North Pickenham B-24 64 12
493 Deebach B-17 158 41

[robert_schulte]

Guys, thanks for these comments, much appreciated!