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Little friend takes big brother home.



 
 
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  #12  
Old November 1st 03, 06:35 AM
Dana Miller
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In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:

The recent thread on "most beautiful things" has brought back many memories. We
were flying a maximum effort (56 Marauders) heading East into Germany We were
in the number two slot in the high flight flying deputy lead. Way in the
distance I saw a tiny spot coming toward us As it came closer I saw it was a
single B-17. When it came even closer I saw that it had one engine shut down
and the prop feathered. Another engine smoking but operational. And above and
to one side of the B-17 was a lone P-51 flying top cover taking the wounded
B-17 home. I got a bit choked up and wanted to applaud but knew no one would
hear me. As the B-17 passed us I examined it as best I could. I saw no gunners
in the waist window or anywhere else. Had they bailed out? Were they dead or
wounded? Had the pilot bailed the whole crew out and was taking the B-17 home
alone? When we got back to base I went to the A-2 guys and asked about that
B-17. But as usual A-2 officers only ask questions they never answer them. I've
thought of that B-17 and that P-51 every now and again over rhe past 60 years
and wonder if they ever made it home. I guess I'll never know, but that first
sight if the lone B-17 and that lone P-51 covering is a sight I never will
forget. I still get choked up thinking about it.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer


Art,

I've heard or read that single aircraft were at an extreme disadvantage
over Germany. You're without the supporting fire from your formation
and multiple attackers could concentrate on just a single bomber. In
just that situation, having that P-51 along would make a huge diference
in both your percieved and actual changes of returning home. I hope
both AC made it home without further incident.

--
Dana Miller
  #13  
Old November 1st 03, 06:54 AM
ArtKramr
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Subject: Little friend takes big brother home.
From: Dana Miller
Date: 10/31/03 9:35 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:

The recent thread on "most beautiful things" has brought back many memories.

We
were flying a maximum effort (56 Marauders) heading East into Germany We

were
in the number two slot in the high flight flying deputy lead. Way in the
distance I saw a tiny spot coming toward us As it came closer I saw it was a
single B-17. When it came even closer I saw that it had one engine shut down
and the prop feathered. Another engine smoking but operational. And above

and
to one side of the B-17 was a lone P-51 flying top cover taking the wounded
B-17 home. I got a bit choked up and wanted to applaud but knew no one would
hear me. As the B-17 passed us I examined it as best I could. I saw no

gunners
in the waist window or anywhere else. Had they bailed out? Were they dead or
wounded? Had the pilot bailed the whole crew out and was taking the B-17

home
alone? When we got back to base I went to the A-2 guys and asked about that
B-17. But as usual A-2 officers only ask questions they never answer them.

I've
thought of that B-17 and that P-51 every now and again over rhe past 60

years
and wonder if they ever made it home. I guess I'll never know, but that

first
sight if the lone B-17 and that lone P-51 covering is a sight I never will
forget. I still get choked up thinking about it.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer


Art,

I've heard or read that single aircraft were at an extreme disadvantage
over Germany. You're without the supporting fire from your formation
and multiple attackers could concentrate on just a single bomber. In
just that situation, having that P-51 along would make a huge diference
in both your percieved and actual changes of returning home. I hope
both AC made it home without further incident.

--
Dana Miller

..

Exactly right. That B-17 was a sitting duck trying to go home alone like that.
To see that a single P-51 broke away and fell in with the B-17 as top cover to
escort him home was an act of bravery and human coincern for a brother
fllier that gets me choked up every timeIthink of it.Now included I have
gotten quite a bit of e-mail as well as comments on this NG about that story,
Even got some posts from Germany and one from Scotland and another from
Australia. It is a story that every military flier with battle experience can
personally relate to. And it seems to touch just about everyone who reads it
..My only regret is that my attempts to locate the P-51 pilot through A-2 had
no success. I would like to have bought him a drink A big one. Thanks for your
comments. I appreciate it.

Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

  #14  
Old November 2nd 03, 02:37 AM
Vicente Vazquez
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Mr. Kramer,

I had a chance to talk to some of our Air Force's veterans who flew
P-47's in Italy (1st Fighter Squadron - Brazilian Air Force -
Tarquinia and later Pisa) and one of them told me that out of his 90+
missions (99% ground attack missions), the one that really "shocked"
him was one where he took part on a bomber escort. The mission took
place on Jan 28th 1945, and the target of the 30 USAAF B-25's teh
Brazilians escorted was a heavily defended "railway complex" at the
Brenner Pass. There was no enemy fighters activity so the Brazilian
pilots could just observe the B-25's going into the bomb run and
keeping that steady course as the bombs were released and flak started
to pop around them. Despite his combat experince (70 + missions at the
time), he said he was horrified to see those brave men going through
the flak without any evasive action, flying as if nothing was
happening around them and focusing only on their targets. Soon
parachutes appeared in the skies and bombers began to go down...

Our pilots escorted 30 B-25's to the target, but 6 never made it back
home. According to this veteran, he didn't fire a single shot that
day, but having a chance of escorting such brave men is a mission he
is most proud of.

Greetings,

Vicente Vazquez
São Paulo - Brazil
  #15  
Old November 2nd 03, 03:15 AM
ArtKramr
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Subject: Little friend takes big brother home.
From: (Vicente Vazquez)
Date: 11/1/03 5:37 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

Mr. Kramer,

I had a chance to talk to some of our Air Force's veterans who flew
P-47's in Italy (1st Fighter Squadron - Brazilian Air Force -
Tarquinia and later Pisa) and one of them told me that out of his 90+
missions (99% ground attack missions), the one that really "shocked"
him was one where he took part on a bomber escort. The mission took
place on Jan 28th 1945, and the target of the 30 USAAF B-25's teh
Brazilians escorted was a heavily defended "railway complex" at the
Brenner Pass. There was no enemy fighters activity so the Brazilian
pilots could just observe the B-25's going into the bomb run and
keeping that steady course as the bombs were released and flak started
to pop around them. Despite his combat experince (70 + missions at the
time), he said he was horrified to see those brave men going through
the flak without any evasive action, flying as if nothing was
happening around them and focusing only on their targets. Soon
parachutes appeared in the skies and bombers began to go down...

Our pilots escorted 30 B-25's to the target, but 6 never made it back
home. According to this veteran, he didn't fire a single shot that
day, but having a chance of escorting such brave men is a mission he
is most proud of.

Greetings,

Vicente Vazquez
São Paulo - Brazil


After a few missions you realise that there is nothing you can do against flak
on the bomb run. Fly straight in, bomb bay doors open rght to bombs away. Don't
worry about it. Just do it. That is what we were there for.

Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

 




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