B-17G " Flak Rat "   42-37770     614th

31 December 1943   Mission #10   Target: Cognac


                  31 December 43 , 0655 hours , engines are on.
                  21 planes are off on mission #10.
                  Target today is Bordeaux, France , but due to clouds they continued to the secondary target, a Luftwaffe Airbase at
                  Cognac , which was bombed with excellent result.

                  Just before bombing , 2nd Lt H.E. McDanal and crew , were attacked from the rear by enemy fighters ( FW-190 ).
                  The plane went down and several chutes were seen.
                  3 members RTD ( returned to duty ), also 1 member was RMC( Returned to Military Control ) 1 men POW
                  and 5 members were KIA ( killed in action ).

Missing Air Crew Report : 1871

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

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

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : Heading of 80.
       Target : Bordeaux, France.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : Scattered clouds, visibility fair to good.

4.    Last know date : 31 dec 1943
       time : 12:00
       location : 44° 5'N - 1° 10'W. rear and SW.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Enemy aircrafts.

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-37770

7.    Nickname of aircraft : " Flak Rat ".

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

9.   Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

10.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

11.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot Homer Ernest McDanal 2nd Lt 0-803840 RTD
Copilot(Sq.C.C.) Ivan Wayne Eveland Major 0-392811 RTD
Navigator Lucas Harry Sprinker 2nd Lt 0-690688 POW
Bombardier Daniel Hughes Goetsch 2nd Lt 0-729472 RTD
Radio Operator Donald Lee Jerue S/Sgt 16086210 KIA
Engr / Top Turret Joseph Lloyd Kirkner S/Sgt 13114971 RMC
Ball Turret Gunner Hubert J. Reasoner Sgt 18183085 KIA
Tail Gunner Morton Arinsberg Sgt 33577903 KIA
Left Waist Gunner Francis Gene Kelly Sgt 32312328 KIA
Right Waist Gunner Harold Wesley Sanders Sgt 35167939 KIA
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Could , George.        1st Lt        0-900201

- At approximately 44° 5'N - 1° 10'W. aircraft was attacked by an enemy aircraft.
  The plane ( Flak Rat ) began smoking and peeled off to the left.
  It was then attacked by 3 more E/A, one of which was shot down.
  One parachute was observed coming out of plane as it dived into the clouds.

Crew of 2nd Lt Kaufman , Richard H.        0-802121    614th

- At approximately the same position as above , aircraft was observed to have been attacked by E/A.
  The ship lost some altitude and appeared to be heading for the clouds.
  No particular damage was observed ( fire evidently went out ) and ship seemed to be under control.
  A very short time after the ship was seen to emerge from the clouds still under control but lossing some altitude
  and falling behind.
  When last seen it was being pursued by enemy fighters, heading in the direction of Spain.

Missing Air Crew Report by Captain Ken W. Dauble.






Mission to Cognac, crashed at Belin, France




Casualty questionaire

This is the report a crewmember writes after he was back in England


- Your name : HOMER E. McDANAL.
- Rank : Capt.
- Serial number : 0-803840.

- Mission : Bombing Bordeaux 1. Cognac 2.
- Target time : 12:15.
- Altitude : 18.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Due west of Bordeaux.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : All mebers ahead of bombbay bailed, do not know about others.

- Tell all you know : Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Bombardier, Engineer, bailed out of navigator`s escape hatch.
                                     All others no knowledge.

- Where did your aircraft strike the ground ? : Believe near Morcenx, France.

- More information : All damage to A/C was done back of the bombbay ( to the best of my knowledge ).
                                    Some of the men may have been injured. No communication was made after being hit.
                                    Lt Goetsch had been making regular contact with them prior to the time of being hit.
                                    Jean Laborde, a French farmer with whom I spend some time said that 3 bodies had been
                                    found in my airplane (No proof that it was mine as several others went down near there)
                                    They were buried on Sunday January 2, 1944 by the French people.



- Your name : JOSEPH LLOYD KIRKNER.( Died 24 Jun 1998 )
- Rank : T/Sgt.
- Serial number : 13114971

- Mission : 1st Bordeaux.
- Target : 2nd Cognac.
- Target time : Approx. 12:30.
- Altitude : 20.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : On I.P. Just ready to bomb.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Four others to my knowledge.
- Were when did you last see all members ? : Just before take-off , all in good health.





  
Homer McDanal Colorado   RTD    
Ivan Eveland Montana   RTD    
Daniel Goetsch Wisconsin       1916 - RTD    
Joseph Kirkner Pennsylvania       1924 - 1998 RTD    
Lucas Sprinker Washington       1921 - POW   Stalag Luft 1 South
Donald Lee Jerue Michigan       1922 - 1943 KIA RH C - 9 - 7
Harold Wesley Sanders Indiana       1917 - 1943 KIA RH A - 5 - 20
Hubert J. Reasoner Texas       1924 - 1943 KIA NG  
Francis Gene Kelly New York       1920 - 1943 KIA LI J - 16079
Morton Arinsberg Pennsylvania       1923 - 1943 KIA    

RH = France , Rhone        LI = Long Island National Cemetery , NY , USA        NG = New Gordon, Texas, USA

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