B-17 kiel raid 1943

[jim norton]

hi,

six machines were lost on the mission to kiel on 19.5.43. one b-17 crashed at nuechel south-east of kiel. does anybody has further data of this machine? three of the crew were dead, the rest left the plane in the air.

all the best
jim

[Rottler]

Hi Jim,

this machine was the B-17 F-27-BO 41-24624
305th BG, 366th BS, KY-J, nickname „Madame Butterfly“.
Capt Charles D. Clark crew, MACR 15549.

Crash location – two divergent informations:

1 MACR 15549 (taken from SR&D #820)
The above plane participated in a mission to Kiel, Germany on 19 May 1943 and was attacked by an enemy airplane as it proceeded to the northward of Kiel and it was seen to make a steep dive and hit the water as it passed over the entrance to Kiel Horbor.

2 MACR list May 1943
19 May 1943 1330 hrs B-17 F 41-24624 East of Nüchel over Eutin East Holstein

Regards
Leo

[jim norton]

hi leo,

thanks a lot! do you know what happened to the crew? and why are there two different crash sites?

all the best
jim

[Rottler]

Hi Jim,

here are some additions and corrections:

according to Dave Osbourne’s Master Log this plane originally was assigned to 305th BG, 366th BS (KY-J) and later transferred to the 422nd BS , code JJ-J.
The MACR 15549 - from 1946 - relates to the crew, so on 19 May 1943 a 366th BS crew flew an aircraft of the 422nd BS.

The nickname of the 41-24624 was „Madame Betterfly“, not „Madame Butterfly“.

The crew:
Pilot Capt Charles D Clark POW
Co-pilot 2nd Lt Robert L Ruse POW
Navigator 2nd Lt John J Ward POW
Bombardier 2nd Lt Charles R Woodworth POW
Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt Everett A Howard POW
Radio Operator T/Sgt Kenneth W Baldridge POW
Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Kenneth L Edwards KIA
Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Louis P Haviland KIA
Tail Gunner S/Sgt Lewis F Clayton POW
Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt Earl H Rheinhardt KIA.

The crash location Nüchel stems from a German loss report (Luftgau report) referenced by the number 111334, the microfilm frame number of a captured German document.

Regards
Leo

[jim norton]

hi leo,

that`s interesting. so the usaf thought that the b-17 ditched into the harbour? but the german report must be right...

allt he best
jim