B-17G "Flying Fortress" - Krizatky, Czech Republic - Plane Crash Sites on Waymarking.com

About B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the B-24 and the multirole Ju 88.


About crash
CZ
Dne 21. cervence 1944 z jihoitalské vojenské základny, na které byla dislokována cást 15. letecké armády USAAF, vzlétlo nekolik desítek bobardovacích letadel typu B-24 Liberator a B-17 Flying Fortress, která mela za cíl bombardovat rafinérii Sudetenlandische Treibstoffwerke AG v Záluží u Mostu, a dále vojenské objekty v severoitalském meste Mestre. Melo se jednat o velký nálet, ovšem rada posádek pro špatnou viditelnost pri preletu Alp radeji bombardovala náhradní cíle v severní Itálii. Nad rafinéii v Záluží se tedy dostalo pouze 143 bombardovacích stroju od 5., 49. a 304 BW.

Pilot John J. Cunningham a navigátor Gerard V. Milburn z posádky B-17G, sériového císla 42 - 97531, zahynuli v troskách letadla, težce zranený strelec William D. Riber zemrel o tri týdny pozdeji v teplickém lazaretu. Ostatní clenové posádky vyskocili na padácích. Strelec Casimer Milaszewski pristál poblíž Souše, kde byl údajne ubit nemeckým obyvatelstvem. Dalšího letce, Roberta W. Buchholze, zanesl vítr k Loucné. Zde byl zadržen ozbrojeným rolníkem a predán do Oseka, kde jej ranou do týla zastrelil policista Albert Anton. Byl pohrben za tamní hrbitovní zdí. Zbylých pet clenu posádky padlo do zajetí a dožilo se konce války.
Pomník slavnostne odhalil 21. cervence 2001 bývalý clen britské RAF Jan Hladký,



EN
The airplane: B-17G, serial number 42 - 97531, 97th bomb box, 414th bomb squadron, 15 AF, the airbase Amendola
The shutdown time: 12:05
The plane was shot down when returning to the home airport after the air raid.

The pilot John J. Cunningham and the navigator Gerard V. Milburn died in the ruins of the plane, the heavily wounded shooter William D. Riber died three weeks later at the Teplice Hospital. The other crew members jumped on the parachutes. The shotgun Casimer Milaszewski landed near Souse village where he was allegedly beaten by the German population. The next flyer, Robert W. Buchholz, fired the wind to Loucná village. Here he was detained by an armed peasant and handed over to Osek, where police officer Albert Anton shot him in the back. He was buried behind the cemetery wall there. The remaining five crew members fell into captivity and survived the end of the war.
The monument was officially unveiled on July 21, 2001 by a former member of the British RAF, Jan Hladký.

Source and more information: (visit link)

Web Address for Related Web Sites: [Web Link] Date of Crash: 07/21/1944 Aircraft Model: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Military or Civilian: Military Tail Number: 42 - 97531 Cause of Crash: the aircraft was shot down when returning to the home airport (Amendola) after the air raid

Visit Instructions:
Only log waymarks if you have visited the site personally.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.