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Spirit of Flak-Wolf
B-17G-20-BO 42-31616

303rd Bomb Group, 427th Bomb Squadron

 

The replacement Fortress for the earlier "Flak-Wolf"

This B17 was named as a replacement for the earlier 42-3131 "Flak-Wolf" which was lost on 11 January 1944 on a mission to Oschersleben.

"Spirit of Flak-Wolf" piloted by the crew of Lt McGarry crashed on 9 April 1944 taking off for a mission to Marienburg. It hit a tree and lost part of its tail stabiliser then struck another tree and finally crashed south of Winwick.

Spirit of Flak-Wolf had completed 18 missions successfully including two to Berlin, as well as the recalled attempt on 3 March 44. It had been hit by machine-gun fire over Aschersleben and flak over Berlin and had been the regular mount for the crew of Lt Harrison who had aborted on 9 April flying in another Fort.


  Additional image Of  
 

Known Mission List

Date Pilot

Target

 Notes
23 Nov 1943  Assigned to USAAF
27 Nov 1943  To Cheyenne Modification Center
5 Dec 1943  To Grand Island AAB
17 Dec 1943  To Presque isle AAB
21 Dec 1943  Assigned overseas to 8th Air Force
14 Jan 1944  Assigned to 303rd Bomb Group at Molesworth
21 Jan 1944F/O K A HoegBeaulieu V-weapon target 
29 Jan 1944E S HarrisonFrankfurt 
30 Jan 1944E S HarrisonBrunswick 
3 Feb 1944E S HarrisonWilhelmshaven 
4 Feb 1944E S HarrisonFrankfurt 
8 Feb 1944J J McGarryFrankfurt 
11 Feb 1944E S HarrisonFrankfurtReturned early, non-sortie - (BT) oxygen out
20 Feb 1944E S HarrisonLeipzig 
21 Feb 1944E S HarrisonDeipholz airfield 
22 Feb 1944E S HarrisonAscherslebenCategory A damage - mg hit to #1 engine
25 Feb 1944E S HarrisonStuttgartLanded at RAF Redhill
3 Mar 1944S W EstesBerlin (Recall) 
4 Mar 1944S W EstesBonn & Cologne 
6 Mar 1944E S HarrisonBerlinCategory A damage
9 Mar 1944H F GlassBerlin 
16 Mar 1944E S HarrisonAugsburg 
18 Mar 1944E S HarrisonLechfeld 
19 Mar 1944E S HarrisonWizernes V-weapon site 
23 Mar 1944G W ShopeHamm rail yards 
26 Mar 1944E S HarrisonWizernes V-weapon site 
9 Apr 1944J J McGarryMarienburgCRASHED soon after take-off after hitting a tree and losing part of tail
Plane Names & Fancy Noses Tales To Noses Over Berlin Merseburg: Blood, Flak & Oil Plane Names & Bloody Noses The Flight of Eagles  
Information Update for Readers of
"Plane Names & Fancy Noses - 91st Bomb Group (Heavy)"


© Ray Bowden 25 January 2020