LuftStalg1 Posted June 3, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 3, 2011 483rd Bomb Group B-17 with nose blown off flying. Now this has been a puzzle I have been trying to solve for a while with no luck so thought I would post it here to see if anyone can shed some new light on the subject. I purchased this original snapshot photo from a friend of mine many years ago. Over time I have seen it in a few books and articles with just basic information but I have not been able to verify what A/C tail number it is to find the MACR file. My snapshot shows the tail insignia clear enough to identify it as being an A/C of the 483rd Bomb Group of the 15th AF. The most information I have found as a caption in some article/book was: “B-17 hit by 88mm just behind the cockpit. The plane few about 40 seconds then rolled over and fell to earth. The Pilot and Co-Pilot were killed but the rest of the crew survived.” And some more information I picked up somewhere is: “Fareucvaros Railroad Yards near Budapest”, possible 14 July 1944? Now this large dark print I have I found on the net and it says in the lower right corner 53820 A.C. so I have done a search for MACR on the following A/C with no luck so I am not convinced that is the proper tail number. 41-53820 42-53820 43-53820 44-53820 45-53820 45-3820 Anybody have any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share #2 Posted June 3, 2011 Large dark pic I found on-line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted June 4, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 4, 2011 Yeah, I have seen that one before. It is one of the most haunting photos you will ever see. -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benguttery Posted June 4, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 4, 2011 I am a life member of the 483rd Bomb Group Association -- I had a cousin in the unit. There are a couple different pics of this airplane. This B-17 was flown by the Ewald A. Swanson crew of the 840th Bomb Squadron of the 483rd Bomb Group. From Heroes of the 483rd: The original crew came together at Salt Lake City, UT. They were sent to the 398th Bomb Group at Rapid City, SD, 29 November 1943. Henderson joined the crew there. While at Rapid City, Stoller was transferred to the Lester F. Weaver crew so he could be on the same crew as his brother, Roy H. Stoller. Hish, who had been on the Weaver crew, joined the Swanson crew at that time. The crew was transferred to the 483rd Bomb Group at MacDill, 1 January 1944. While training there, Shaw was removed from the crew and was replaced by Bell. Shaw and Stoller did not serve with the 483rd overseas. The crew flew overseas in B-17 42-32109, Mizpah, by the southern route in March 1944. The name Mizpah was suggested by Joe Henderson’s wife, Mary. The Biblical word means “May the Lord watch over us while we are absent one from the other.” Swanson and crew had just returned from a “most enjoyable week on the Isle of Capri” when they were shot down. The mission was to the Shell Oil Refinery in Budapest, Hungary, 14 July 1944. An 88mm shell exploded in the nose, causing it to peel up and over the cockpit, just missing the tail assembly. Henderson and Dudley were killed instantly. The back section of the plane filled with dense smoke and the five men in that section bailed out. Unbelievably, Swanson and Berndt kept the plane flying for about 10 minutes without instruments or windshield. Sub-zero weather and fear of stalling made it necessary for the three men up front to bail out. All eight survivors were captured. The officers were sent to Stalag Luft III, the enlisted men to Stalag Luft IV. The crew had flown about 38 to 40 missions. Robert W. “R.W.” Toombs, a waist gunner, flying with Bob Orton in B-17 42-109849, Joanne, in the number 5 position (Swanson was in the number 2 position) had his Kodak “Brownie” with him and took three photos of Mizpah as it slowly drifted out of formation. These are among the most celebrated combat photos of World War II. Edward Jablonski used one of the photos in his publication Flying Fortress, suggesting the pilot and co-pilot were carried off and the engineer wounded. Swanson, Berndt and Gramenzi were miraculously unhurt. Some crew members may have seen the famous photos of their plane in publications, but had no way of knowing it was their plane until they saw the photos in the Association archives. Mizpah was the only 15th Air Force bomber lost on this date, but Bob Goesling’s plane also received a direct hit on this same mission. Swanson lived until 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benguttery Posted June 4, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 4, 2011 I thought you might want to know all the crew. Ewald A. Swanson, Pilot Paul W. Berndt, Co-pilot Kenneth W. Dudley, Bombardier, KIA Frank V. Gramenzi, Engineer George J. Simonelli, Radioman Arnold R. Kelley, Armorer Ray L. Stoller, Gunner, (didn’t go overseas with the 483rd) Wesley D. Tucker, Gunner Virgil A. Shaw, Jr. Gunner, (didn’t go overseas with the 483rd) Joseph H. Henderson, Jr., Navigator, KIA Charles W. Bell, Jr., Armorer Dale R. Hish, Waist Gunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschneck Posted June 4, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 4, 2011 I am a life member of the 483rd Bomb Group Association -- I had a cousin in the unit. There are a couple different pics of this airplane. This B-17 was flown by the Ewald A. Swanson crew of the 840th Bomb Squadron of the 483rd Bomb Group. From Heroes of the 483rd: The original crew came together at Salt Lake City, UT. Great story about great heroes. The fact they continued to fly, even for a minute is a testament to the training and to the aircraft. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted June 4, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 4, 2011 And amazing how much damage those B17s could take and still get home. Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 4, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 4, 2011 That gut-wrenching scene in the movie "Memphis Belle" was doubtless inspired by this? Sabrejet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted June 4, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 4, 2011 Wow, the pilot and copilot survived that?!?! Amazing! My question is this. Did the nose rip off first and the plane flew for 10 minutes like this, or did it get hit and flew for 10 minutes then the nose ripped off? -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted June 4, 2011 WOW thanks for the response Ben! I am so used to the resources I had back in the early 90’s and all the brick walls I hit, I am going to have to start digging more of my junk out and get some late answers to old questions. This photo has made me crazy on several occasions over the last ump-teen years. Post some 15 year old questions at night and wake up to the answers, you can’t beet that! I have been working on a book about the POW’s of Stalag Luft 1 for several years now and had hoped one of the crew of this A/C had spent time there so I could include this in the book. Looks like no such luck on this one but what an amazing story. Thanks a million! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benguttery Posted June 4, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 4, 2011 Following the flak hit, the nose of the B-17 peeled over the top of the cockpit for a moment until it blew free. This is from a Statement of Witness by Lt Duwayne L. Goodwin who was in the number two position directly opposite Mizpah. “About two thirds of the way down the bomb run, the nose of 109 peeled up as though something had cut it off. It fell back over the cockpit. The ship nosed up into the air then settled back as though the pilot had control. Then he went out of my sight. The ship has sustained a direct hit.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted June 7, 2011 With that I was able to pull up the MACR. Here are a few of the main pages for your reading pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicjoy1945 Posted June 8, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 8, 2011 WOW !! That is an amazing photo and story !! :thumbsup: Imagine the determination and valor exhibited by those men...I am truly in awe !! Vic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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