Scads diverted to Sweden

[kettbo]

OK, so the plane is damaged and you divert to Sweden. Makes sense to me!
Doing some research last night on a neighbor, found his plane and the mission details. I was amazed to see so many during two days

1944-06-20 B-24J-150-CO Östersjön
1944-06-20 B-24J-145-CO Klagstorp
1944-06-20 B-24H-26-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-21-DT Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-151-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-151-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-21-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-16-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-31-DT Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-151-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-16-DT Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-21-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-26-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-21-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-16-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24H-21-CF Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-151-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-1-FO Hjortshög
1944-06-20 B-24H-25-DT Röstånga
1944-06-20 B-24H-25-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-20 B-24J-76-CO Halmstad
1944-06-20 B-24J-75-CO Halmstad
1944-06-21 B-17G-40-BO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-35-DL Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-35-DL Rinkaby
1944-06-21 B-17G-30-DL Rinkaby
1944-06-21 B-24J-146-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-30-DL Dörröd
1944-06-21 B-24H-26-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-24H-16-FO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-30-BO Sövde
1944-06-21 B-24J-105-CO Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-35-DL Bulltofta, F10
1944-06-21 B-17G-20-BO Bulltofta, F10

That is a LOT of bombers! Have I missed a previous thread with more info on this?

 

[GrauGeist]

Two heavy raids on that date and from what I've seen, the flak was tearing these bombers up.

Here's a few MACRs for that date: 20 June 1944 -- Missions #116 #117 -- Targets: Politz Crepy

 

[bobbysocks]

if you are going to be a prisoner....might as well be ( interred ) in a non-hostile country...sweden, switzerland, spain, portugal, or ireland. you are fed fairly well and had some freedoms....

 

[Glider]

That photo of the bomber that aborted take off made me shudder. Skidding along on your belly fully fuelled and bombed up, scary stuff

 

[drgondog]

June 20 - The 492nd took huge losses over Rugen Island to I. and II./ZG 26 before 355th could beat off the attack. IIRC seven of those listed were crippled B-24s from the air battle. There was no flak until crossing the Baltic and turning for the bomb run.

The entire 2nd BD was strung out over a 50 mile stream and when the 44th took a right turn toward Politz/Stettin, the 492nd was left way out to the left of the rest of the Wing and ZG 26 Me 410s hit them really hard. The escorting JG 300 Bf 109s also got a few. When the 355th hit them, they shot down 12 410s and 109s for no loss, then the 4th clobbered them again as the 410s/109s fled to the south. In all the 492nd lost 14 of which 7 made it to Sweden.

 

[kettbo]

Forgive me for nit citing FORCED LANDING website where I got the info in post #1.
Nödlandare från USA - B 24 J "War Goddess" - Serial # 42-109816

Neighbor was the navigator, Lee Burkhalter. He was from Alabama but had lived in SoCal for ages. We discussed his adventures back in 1989 so I'm not too sure on the sequence of events. I remember this:

I was in from Germany, Bad Kissingen, border Cav 2/11 ACR. Lee was watering his yard as I pulled into ISLAND. He waves me to come down. So I do, we chat. Went like THIS:

Lee: "Hey George! Where abouts are you stationed in Germany?"
GK: "Little town, Bad Kissingen." no recognition of this so I add "Oh, it is just north of Schweinfurt!"
Lee: "Schweinfurt? Hell, I used to BOMB Schweinfurt...Leipzig too!"

He went on to say he had a few close calls. One time a FW turned the guy next to him into pink mist. He said his B-24 was shot up a few times. The last mission she was not gonna get home, so to SWEDEN. Very glad that site had all the info in the linkie.