44-6149
Crashes > of the USAAF
During the bombing raid on the petrochemical plant in Wesseling, the B-17G came under very precise anti-aircraft fire. A direct anti-aircraft hit hit the open bomb bay door, exploded inside and immediately set the entire aircraft on fire. The aircraft sank about 300 meters after the flak hit, whereupon it broke into several pieces. The nose was severed directly behind the pilot's seats and the pilot, 2nd Lt. Max Levine, was pulled out of the plane by the air suction and fell to earth without a parachute.
The two wings separated and the fuselage broke apart again at the height of the ball turret. S/Sgt McGregor and S/Sgt Stevenson jumped out of the burning aircraft with their parachutes, S/Sgt Gilroy and S/Sgt Larson fell out of the breaking aircraft and were fortunately able to deploy their parachutes. S/Sgt Trlica was also ejected from the plane, but he also fell to the ground without a parachute.
The wreckage of the aircraft fell in a wide radius between the eastern outskirts of Sechtem and about 1 km south of Eichholz.
The disaster claimed the lives of four crew members, who were buried in the cemetery of honor in Bornheim. The five others were captured on the ground, some of them seriously wounded, and were taken prisoner of war by the Germans
Top left:
The crash area near Urfeld
top right:
The Urfeld crash site
Left:
The pilot of the B-17G, 2nd Lt. Max Levine
Below:
The B-17G. 44-6149 “Hot After It”