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MACR PILOT: Capt  Robert M.  Knox  - O-438010
MACR: 00677 FICHE : 00223

ORGANIZATION
LOCATION: AAF Station #139 COMMAND: VIII AF GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
SQUADRON: 418th BS DETACHMENT:  
     

DETAIL
DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 INITIAL COURSE: Regenssburg  
INTENDED DESTINATION: North Africa    
MISSION TYPE:Operational    

WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT
CONDITION: CAVU    

GIVE
DATE: 1943-08-17 TIME: 10:30 LOCATION: Near Frandfurt

SPECIFY:

Last Sighted

CONFIRMED OR BELIEVED REASON FOR LOSS
LOSS DUE TO : Enemy anti-aircraft

OTHER REASON FOR LOSS:

AIRCRAFT: 42-30063
TYPE: B-17 SERIES: F  
     
     

ENGINES:
MODEL: R-1820-97    
A: 42-79072
B: 43-58741
C: 43-58757
D: 43-58755
    

INSTALLED WEAPONS:
A: 458645
B: 494440
C: 583428
D: 494547		 E: 458071
F: No number
G: 494548
H: No number		 I: 503772
J: 458199
K: 458427
L: 503969

PERSONS BELOW ARE LISTED AS:
CASUALTY TYPE: Battle casualty  
NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD:    
CREW: 10 PASS: 0 TOTAL: 10

PERSONNEL:

POSITION NAME RANK SERIAL
P1
P2 Robert M.  Knox Capt O-438010
CP John O. Whitaker 2Lt O-798061
NAV (N) Ernest E. Warsaw 2Lt O-667461
BOM (B) Edwin F. Tobin 2Lt O-732685
RAD Walter Paulsen TSgt 12077723
ENG Glover E. Barney TSgt 39601716
BAL Frank W. Tychewicz SSgt 36344174
WG (W) Henry A. Norton SSgt 14090803
WG (W) Alexander W. Markewski Sgt 12170779
TG (T) Joseph F. LaSpada SSgt 32035862

PERSONS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LAST KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT

Bernie Lay Col O-309771
Last sighted
   

PERSONNEL WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED

REASON: Parachutes were used OTHER:  

EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF CRASH

Report: 
B-17 # 063 was seen to turn back from formation near Frankfurt.  Plane was still under control when last sighted.  Ten chutes were reported to have been seen. (Bernie Lay)
   
   
Second Witness: No Data  
Report: 

      

    





  
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT

  

    

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PREPARING OFFICER


PREPARED BY: CLAUDE L. HOSFORD 1st Lt  Air Corps Personnel Officer  


DATE PREPARED:
  1943-09-05


  



TRANSCRIBER NOTES



    
    REPORT: 
This is the 100th aircraft linked the "Gear Down Legend" incident. Supposedly the lowering of the gear signaled surrender. In this case when enemy fighters joined with PICKPLEPUSS the gunners fired on them. Thus the Luffwaffe from that time on singled out the Square D aircraft and attacked them with greater intensity than other Groups. This never occurred in regard to the 100th. Martin Middlebrook has traced a similar incident to another Group. He traced and interviewed the Luffwaffe pilots credited with shooting down PICKLEPUSS and they refute the gear down theme and say they never approached the aircraft with the purpose of leading them to landing. (Adolf Galland, Commander Fighers Luftwaffe, had never heard of any special attention to any Group until after the war.)..pw