B-17G " Battlin' Betty "   42-39847    614th

11 April 1944   Mission # 49   Target: Politz, Sorau , Germany


                  April 11, 1944 , 06:50 engines are on , 32 aircraft were airborne by 07:55
                  target today is a synthetic oil refinery at Politz , Sorau.

                  The primary target for this mission was the FW 190 assembly plant at Sorau, southeast of Berlin.
                  However, because the primary target was obscured by clouds, the Group bombed the secondary target,
                  the large synthetic oil refinery at Politz, just north of Stettin. Enroute to the target the Group encountered terrific flak,
                  during which three aircraft were lost..
                  Including the B-17's piloted by Lt. Francis L. Shaw

Missing Air Crew Report : 4016

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 614th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course :East.
       Target : Sorau , Politz.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : Clear.

4.    Last know date : 11 April 1944
       time : 10:55
       location : Near Hanover , Germany.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Enemy anti-aircraft

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-39847

7.    Nickname of aircraft : Battlin' Betty

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot Francis Louis Shaw 2nd Lt 0-748263 POW
Copilot William Ramsey Cole Jr. 2nd Lt 0-755647 POW
Navigator Elmer Wallace Engelhardt 2nd Lt 0-690389 POW
Bombardier Alfred Lafayette Autrey 2nd Lt 0-751794 POW
Radio Operator Kenneth Arthur Terroux S/Sgt 31258426 POW
Engr / Top Turret Richard Woodworth Macomber T/Sgt 14125864 POW
Ball Turret Gunner John Lewis Hurd Cpl 39553673 POW
Tail Gunner Carl Kermit Seagren S/Sgt 32479051 POW
Left Waist Gunner Harold Albert Highlen S/Sgt 36527080 POW
Right Waist Gunner Robert Turner Gordon S/Sgt 31298207 POW
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Julius F. Ostrowski          S/Sgt      31158476       615 th

-    Lt Shaw's ship was last seen, under control, about 10:55 No 3 engine was hit by flak.
      A/C left formation and turned back , seemed to be under control.
      All the crew bailed out just before A/C was attacked by Me 109's.
      Was then lost sight of , from appearances , ten chutes ultimately came out of the plane.




Mission to Politz, Poland, after being hit by flak, the plane had no 3 engine on fire.
They crashed near Blumenthal, Germany.


Will be continued soon



If you have questions, remarks or information , please feel free to Email me
or leave a message in my guestbook

Top