B-17's that took a beating

**B-17engineer** · 01-05-2008 07:28 AM

Here are some photos

**B-17engineer** · 01-05-2008 07:29 AM

I have a lot more if you want to see

**luftwaffemesserschmitt** · 01-05-2008 07:34 AM

cool picktures would love to see more !
jou got information what hit the bomber ? (FLAK,fighters)

**B-17engineer** · 01-05-2008 07:41 AM

(In order)
1. THe first one was struck by a .88mm shell
2.was a 2 cm flak hit
3. 20mm shell by a Fw-190
4. was a 20mm cannon shell too and then caught fire when landing. All crew survived
5. THere is no info on that one but I would say a .88 shell.

**B-17engineer** · 01-05-2008 07:42 AM

Later ill add some more i got some things to do today
5 oclock i will post more

**Gnomey** · 01-05-2008 07:50 AM

Battle-Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses: Contents

**B-17engineer** · 01-05-2008 07:54 AM

Yep GNomey good site right?

**seesul** · 01-05-2008 10:50 AM

The 2nd Bomb Group

Plane 38078 on Mission 279

to Debrecen, Hungary

Marshalling Yards on

Sept. 21 1944.

The Flight Crew Story

This raid produced one of the great flying fortress survival stories of the war 2nd Lt Guy M. Miller and crew of "Sweet Pea" were approaching the target when an 88mm antiaircraft shell slammed into the plane's mid-section. exploded, and nearly tore the Fortress in two. Huge sections of the waist on both sides instantly disappeared, control cables were cut, electrical and communications systems went powerless and silent.

Half of the bombs fell out of the bomb bay, the lower turret was jammed with the gunner inside, and the explosion blew deadly debris in all directions. The left waist gunner, Elmer H. Buss was killed instantly. The right waist gunner James F. Maguire, had multiple wounds but was saved by his back pack parachute, serving as a flak suit, saving his life. The tail gunner , S/Sgt. James E. Totty, was mortally wounded and died on the airplane. The radio operator, S/Sgt Anthony Ferrara was peppered like buckshot with shrapnel fragments in the chest.

The stunned crew started its battle for survival. Lt. Miller and his copilot Lt. Thomas M. Rybovich struggled for control of the airplane and begin assessing what they had left to do it with. Most of the control cables were cut and his major control was through use of the engines, which miraculously, were undamaged.

Lt. Miller thought about ordering bail out, but decided against that when he learned he had one dead, three wounded, and one stuck in the ball turret.
The wounded were gathered in the radio room for first aid. The bombardier/
gunner S/Sgt Robert R. Mullen came back from the nose section and helped
Sgt. Gerald McGuire, UTG, bring the mortally wounded S/Sgt Totty from the
tail to the radio room. McGuire did finally succeed in freeing Cpl William F.
Steuck from the ball turret. Later it was learned that turret was resting on
three safety fingers which were all that kept the turret from falling out of the
airplane, with Steuck inside. There were still six bombs hung up in the racks
and Mullen climbed into the bomb bay and released them one by one with
a screw driver.

Against seemingly impossible odds. Lts. Miller and Rybovich now faced the reality of trying to nurse their mangled airplane and its battered crew across several hundred miles of enemy territory and almost 600 miles back to base. Navigator, 2nd Lt. Theodore Davich, plotted a course, and the pilots very gingerly set what was left of "Sweet Pea" on the long trek homeward. (This account is set out in "Defenders of Liberty" but I thought it such an outstanding achievement for this crew I would repeat it here.)

source: Second Bomb Group