From Michal Gůgl Štěpán Flak damage completely destroyed the nose section of this Boeing B-17G-80-BO S/N 43-38172 Lovely Julie, a 601st Bomb Squadron, 398th Bomb Group aircraft flown by 1Lt. Lawrence M. Delancey over Cologne, Germany on Oct. 15,1944. (U.S. Air Force photo) Crew for this aircraft on this mission was: Pilot - 1st Lt. Lawrence Delancey Copilot - 2nd Lt. Phil Stahlman (on his last mission) Navigator - 2nd Lt. Ray LeRoux (WIA) Togglier - S/Sgt. George Abbott (KIA) Engineer/Top Turret - T/Sgt. Ben Ruckel Radio Operator - T/Sgt. Wendell Reed Ball Turret Gunner - S/Sgt. Al Albro Waist Gunner - T/Sgt. Russell Lachman Tail Gunner - S/Sgt. Herbert Guild A direct hit by a 88 shell that creased the nose turret and exploded in the nose compartment, killed Sgt. Abbott instantly and knocked out and wounded the navigator, Lt. LeDoux. The pilots flew home with no instruments and the windshield partially covered with debris from the remains of the nose section. The blast also took out the radio and intercom, broke the oxygen lines, and burst a hydraulic line under the cockpit which meant they would have no brakes when they landed. The navigator stood between the pilots and gave them the headings from memory once they found some landmarks. They had to drop down to a lower altitude due to the lack of oxygen and had to deal with some ground fire, but fighters were not a problem due to two P-51s that stuck around to provide some cover. Lt. Delancey, amazingly, made a perfect landing at the 398ths home field in Nuthampstead.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 23:38:18 +0000
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