I saw this online yesterday.
This Flying Fortress was attached to the 551st Bomb Squadron of the 385th Bomb Group. It was damaged by enemy fire over France and ditched in the Bay of Biscay on 12-5-1943.
Seven of the 10 crew members died when their life raft was machine-gunned by members the German shore patrol in France at the time. The other 3 crew members survived and were made POWs until the end of the war.
b17flyingfortress.de
It's never been free.
This Flying Fortress was attached to the 551st Bomb Squadron of the 385th Bomb Group. It was damaged by enemy fire over France and ditched in the Bay of Biscay on 12-5-1943.
Seven of the 10 crew members died when their life raft was machine-gunned by members the German shore patrol in France at the time. The other 3 crew members survived and were made POWs until the end of the war.
42-3397 / Fighting Cock | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies
B-17 #42-3397 / Fighting Cock: Delivered Denver 5/6/43; Dow Fd 14/7/43; Assigned 551BS/385BG [HR-H] Gt Ashfield 15/7/43; Missing in Action Bordeaux 5/12/43 with Theo Kleuser, Co-pilot: John Slater, Navigator: Fred Albert, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ernie Hibbard, Ball turret gunner: Stan...
b17flyingfortress.de
It's never been free.