More information on B17 ditched in Calvi, Corsica, France

[Wirralian]

Hi,
I am a pilot living in the UK. I lived in Houston for a couple of years.

I need your help. I'm also a qualified diver and often dive on the wreck of a WW2 USAF B17 (photo attached) which was shot down by German fighters (Feb 14 1944). Being a pilot I have been doing a lot of research into the aircraft's history.

3 of the 10 crew were shot and killed before the plane ditched and went down with the plane when it sank. The other 3 crew members survived.

I understand because the 3 crew members who died were unaccounted for the USAF were unable to close the file on the crash and so they came to Calvi, Corsica, France to survey the plane to see if they could trace the missing crew members.

Their Unit number was 97. The location of the crash site is listed as Mediterranean. The MACR Number (Missing Aircraft Report Number) is 2395.

Please could you help me find the department in the USAF who keep records for aircraft that crashed during WW2 (B-17 42-31044 / Her Did)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Snautzer01]

42-31044 Boeing B-17G-1-BO Her Did

Delivered Cheyenne 10/9/43; Assigned 350BS/100BG Thorpe Abbotts 24/9/43; transferred 340BS/97BG Depienne 5/10/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Missing in Action Verona, It. 14/2/44 with Frank Chaplick, Cowell, Sedgely, Baron Wounded in Action, Bradley, Grilliott (7 Returned to Duty); Householder, Duca, Murphy (3 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, ditched 100 yds offshore at Calvi, Corsica; crew all swum ashore; Missing Air Crew Report 2395.

Joseph P Baron
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Frank Earl Bradley
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Frank G Chaplick
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Thomas Marshall Cowell
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Tony Duca
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

Orville Francis Grilliot
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Robert Henry Householder
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

George Joseph Murphy
(FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

Armand Clarence Sedgeley
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. 37 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Warder Howard Skaggs
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Report from the pilot, 2Lt Chaplick:

"When we approach the goal, the group had a more pronounced effect on the left to correct the attack-planned flight angle bend. Our plane lying on the right-wing training, I found myself displaced and especially isolated to avoid possible collision some time. This was fatal for us, for our B-17 was caught in part by enemy fire.
With two engines on fire and a third who coughed it only remained for us to do much, if not cling to orders ...
Unfortunately, our radio operator and gunner had been killed during the attack. Equally terrible, our rear gunner just had the strength to tell us over the intercom that he would die.
Suddenly, a Me-109 had the bad idea to come together steal a few moments with us, and to our left!
Immediately, the two walked browser 50 of the chin turret on it and literally riddled impacts.
German aircraft nosed by releasing a long plume of black smoke, while the P-47 came to the rescue fortunately net stopping the fight.
One of them escorted us and we took a direct course for Corsica.
Here, a call to the control tower Calvi made us know that the track was limited to receive a damaged our scale.
I then decided, despite our two engines now cut (the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler wings), to make the first pass to assess the field. We are finding a new sea, I was doing the tried our final approach when the third affected engine stopped without having enough power at that time and immediately losing altitude, I had only one choice: ditch.
So I put the B-17 on the water, very close to and facing the citadel Calvi. The aircraft is not broke during the operation and with float a few minutes, which allowed us to evacuate except for the three gunners killed during the attack and whose bodies sank with the wreck."

Source of information and photos: www.aerosteles.net, www.waymarking.com

The luftwaffe fighter taking a peep likely is
Fischer, Gerhard Uffz 1/JG-77 (Italy) Bf 109G-6 Werk # 161572 "White 5" (lost 2/14/44) Wound Badge
Fighter Operational Clasp WIA 14 February, 1944 during aerial combat near Verona, bailed safely (Bf 109 Loss List).

Kracker Luftwaffe Archive

A list of all known Axis Powers pilots and crew 1939 - 1945

aircrewremembered.com

 

[Wirralian]

42-31044 Boeing B-17G-1-BO Her Did

Delivered Cheyenne 10/9/43; Assigned 350BS/100BG Thorpe Abbotts 24/9/43; transferred 340BS/97BG Depienne 5/10/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Missing in Action Verona, It. 14/2/44 with Frank Chaplick, Cowell, Sedgely, Baron Wounded in Action, Bradley, Grilliott (7 Returned to Duty); Householder, Duca, Murphy (3 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, ditched 100 yds offshore at Calvi, Corsica; crew all swum ashore; Missing Air Crew Report 2395.

Joseph P Baron
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Frank Earl Bradley
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Frank G Chaplick
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Thomas Marshall Cowell
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Tony Duca
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

Orville Francis Grilliot
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Robert Henry Householder
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

George Joseph Murphy
(FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2395

Armand Clarence Sedgeley
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. 37 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Warder Howard Skaggs
Assigned to 340BS, 97BG, 15AF Failed to Return (FTR) Verona 14-Feb-44 in B-17 42-31044; attacked by fighters, ditched off the coast off Calvi in Corsica. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 2395

Report from the pilot, 2Lt Chaplick:

"When we approach the goal, the group had a more pronounced effect on the left to correct the attack-planned flight angle bend. Our plane lying on the right-wing training, I found myself displaced and especially isolated to avoid possible collision some time. This was fatal for us, for our B-17 was caught in part by enemy fire.
With two engines on fire and a third who coughed it only remained for us to do much, if not cling to orders ...
Unfortunately, our radio operator and gunner had been killed during the attack. Equally terrible, our rear gunner just had the strength to tell us over the intercom that he would die.
Suddenly, a Me-109 had the bad idea to come together steal a few moments with us, and to our left!
Immediately, the two walked browser 50 of the chin turret on it and literally riddled impacts.
German aircraft nosed by releasing a long plume of black smoke, while the P-47 came to the rescue fortunately net stopping the fight.
One of them escorted us and we took a direct course for Corsica.
Here, a call to the control tower Calvi made us know that the track was limited to receive a damaged our scale.
I then decided, despite our two engines now cut (the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler wings), to make the first pass to assess the field. We are finding a new sea, I was doing the tried our final approach when the third affected engine stopped without having enough power at that time and immediately losing altitude, I had only one choice: ditch.
So I put the B-17 on the water, very close to and facing the citadel Calvi. The aircraft is not broke during the operation and with float a few minutes, which allowed us to evacuate except for the three gunners killed during the attack and whose bodies sank with the wreck."

Source of information and photos: www.aerosteles.net, www.waymarking.com

The luftwaffe fighter taking a peep likely is
Fischer, Gerhard Uffz 1/JG-77 (Italy) Bf 109G-6 Werk # 161572 "White 5" (lost 2/14/44) Wound Badge
Fighter Operational Clasp WIA 14 February, 1944 during aerial combat near Verona, bailed safely (Bf 109 Loss List).

Kracker Luftwaffe Archive

A list of all known Axis Powers pilots and crew 1939 - 1945

aircrewremembered.com

Thanks to everyone who have added to the story. It was a coincidence in that last Sunday I went to the Cosford Airshow and saw a P47 Thunderbolt doing a flying display. See photo of the display aircraft.

 

[mjfur]

MACR - https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90921049?objectPage=11
It's scanned in reverse order. Page 14 is the beginning.

42-31044 | American Air Museum

www.americanairmuseum.com

 

[Wirralian]

MACR - https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90921049?objectPage=11
It's scanned in reverse order. Page 14 is the beginning.

42-31044 | American Air Museum

www.americanairmuseum.com

Hi, This is the best contribution yet. First hand accounts of what happened prior to and after the aircraft ditched from the pilot and bombardier. So you know it's factually correct. Thanks for your help.