Can anyone help me identifying this B-17? (Markings on Rudder: A - 239822- O)

[German WWII Archive]

Hey everyone,

I need some help with identifying a certain B-17 Bomber.
These pictures are from a German propaganda newsreel, No. 698 from January 20th, 1944. According to the voice-over, this bomber was shot down on January 15th, 1944, but seeing this is a Propaganda newsreel, this is not necessarily true.
The markings on the Rudder reads, as seen in the picture: A 239822 O (or maybe a 0, can't tell the difference).

If anyone can identify this airplane, and tell me to which unit it belonged and when it was shot down, I'd greatly appreciate that.

I have very little knowledge about American unit markings etc., so forgive me if my question seems stupid.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Wurger]

It's the Boeing B-17G-1-VE s/n 42-39822 belonged to the 333rd Bomb Squadron of the 94th Bomb Group.

Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John Fees, Waist gunner: Bill Nall,Tail gunner: Joe Miksic (8 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Lou Nargi, Waist gunner: Ken Majeska (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crash landed near Holsten, three miles N of Rheine, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1887.

About ten minutes after bombs away over Brunswick, Lt Sharps' B-17 received a direct hit in the no.3 engine from German fighters. The engine immediately fell out. This loss of power made it difficult for Lt Sharps to keep up with the formation and slowly but surely they became in the unfortunate position of being a straggler. Approaching the Dutch/German border, things became really hairy. With no.1 and no.2 engines overheated, the crippled plane got riddled with bullets from attacking FW-190's. During these attacks the bombardier Lt Nargi and the Left Waist Gunner Sgt Majaska were fatally hit. Also the unfortunate Navigator, Lt Frederic Irwing, who already was wounded earlier by shrapnel, was hit by several bullets all over his body and was bleeding heavily. Lt Sharps considered the situation as being hopeless and ordered all his capable crewmen to bail out. After having given the bail out order, Sharp regained some control over the plane and decided to try to crashland the plane instead of bailing out too. He found a suitable place and put the plane on the ground near Osterwick, west of Münster, at 13:27 hours. Directly after after landing, Sharps immediately evaded the aircraft. Also the badly wounded Navigator Frederic Irwin managed to leave the plane.

the info/pic:

42-39822 | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

B-17 #42-39822: Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John...

b17flyingfortress.de

NARGI, Louis J

The Fields of Honor - Database honors over 48,000 U.S. World War II soldiers buried in and memorialized at the American War Cemeteries Ardennes, Epinal, Henri-Chapelle, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Margraten.

www.fieldsofhonor-database.com

 

[German WWII Archive]

It's the Boeing B-17G-1-VE s/n 42-39822 belonged to the 333rd Bomb Squadron of the 94th Bomb Group.

Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John Fees, Waist gunner: Bill Nall,Tail gunner: Joe Miksic (8 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Lou Nargi, Waist gunner: Ken Majeska (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crash landed near Holsten, three miles N of Rheine, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1887.



View attachment 739272
View attachment 739269
the info/pic:

42-39822 | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

B-17 #42-39822: Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John...

b17flyingfortress.de

NARGI, Louis J

The Fields of Honor - Database honors over 48,000 U.S. World War II soldiers buried in and memorialized at the American War Cemeteries Ardennes, Epinal, Henri-Chapelle, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Margraten.

www.fieldsofhonor-database.com

Thank you very much for the quick and detailled response, much appreciated!

 

[Wurger]

The tail markings:

the "A" in the white square - the 94th Bomber Group , the 3rd Air Division of the 8th AF.
the "239822" - a shortened serial number, the full is 42-39822.
the "O" - the Radio Call Letter (RCL) for the aircraft identification within the squadron used phonetically in radio call.

 

[Wurger]

My pleasure. And welcome to the site.

 

[pb43]

Hey everyone,

I need some help with identifying a certain B-17 Bomber.
These pictures are from a German propaganda newsreel, No. 698 from January 20th, 1944. According to the voice-over, this bomber was shot down on January 15th, 1944, but seeing this is a Propaganda newsreel, this is not necessarily true.
The markings on the Rudder reads, as seen in the picture: A 239822 O (or maybe a 0, can't tell the difference).

If anyone can identify this airplane, and tell me to which unit it belonged and when it was shot down, I'd greatly appreciate that.

I have very little knowledge about American unit markings etc., so forgive me if my question seems stupid.

Thanks in advance for any help!

View attachment 739259View attachment 739260

Lockheed/Vega B-17G-1-VE Fortress

42-39822 (MSN 17-6565) Accepted by USAAF at Lockheed Field, Burbank, CA 11Sep43. Long Beach Field, CA.
Scott Field, Belleville, IL 29Sep43. 333rd Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group, Rougham (Station 468),
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 8Oct43. Failed to return from a mission to the aero engine complex at
Brunswick, Germany 11Jan44 (8POW:2KIA). As weather conditions began to deteriorate
over the English bases, a recall order was sent to the bomber groups en route to the city.
While some the groups received the message and turned back for England, others did not
receive the order, and pressed onwards. When they arrived at the target area, they met
stiff resistance from the Luftwaffe. Shot down by enemy fighters, crash landed near Holsten,
three miles north of Rheine, Germany. MACR 1887

 

[German WWII Archive]

It's the Boeing B-17G-1-VE s/n 42-39822 belonged to the 333rd Bomb Squadron of the 94th Bomb Group.

Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John Fees, Waist gunner: Bill Nall,Tail gunner: Joe Miksic (8 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Lou Nargi, Waist gunner: Ken Majeska (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crash landed near Holsten, three miles N of Rheine, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1887.



View attachment 739272
View attachment 739269
the info/pic:

42-39822 | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

B-17 #42-39822: Delivered Long Beach 11/9/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 8/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 11/1/44 with Don Sharps, Co-pilot: Tom Sheedy, Navigator: Fred Irwin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Deutsch, Radio Operator: Gus Lobone, Ball turret gunner: John...

b17flyingfortress.de

NARGI, Louis J

The Fields of Honor - Database honors over 48,000 U.S. World War II soldiers buried in and memorialized at the American War Cemeteries Ardennes, Epinal, Henri-Chapelle, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Margraten.

www.fieldsofhonor-database.com

Coming back to this, I have uploaded the German Propaganda Newsweek issue in which this wreckage is shown to YouTube. There is also a section with an interview with a German crew, in which the gunner talks about a plane that was already crippled, so I strongly assume it's the same as in the photo.

In case you're interested, here's the link (you can turn on subtitles for an English translation, the wreckage is shown at 16:13, the interview with the gunner at 18:17)


View: https://youtu.be/x_u4xnHyFoA?si=oUcjWAQNGD7C2ocn

Thanks again for your help, I have credited you in the comments

 

[Wurger]