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#11
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Subject: Little friend takes big brother home.
From: "Jukka O. Kauppinen" Date: 10/31/03 2:04 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id: hear me. As the B-17 passed us I examined it as best I could. I saw no gunners A very touching story. Thanks, Art. jok Moments that can never be forgotten. (sigh) Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer |
#13
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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
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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
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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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