Panzertruppen
Jagdpanther and C-47. Operation Market Garden, Holland 1944.
On the 17th of September 1944 Operation Market Garden started. In the air, squadrons of Dakota C-47s flew towards their drop zones, carrying their human cargo of British and American paratroopers. On the way in, and again during the return trip they had to face an unexpectedly aggressive Luftwaffe, a myriad of German Flak guns, and even small arms fire.
One of the hundreds of C-47s hit by German defensive fire was 42-108874 (7H-U) of the 306th Squadron, 442nd Troop Carrier Group (TCG) from Chilbolton, UK. It was on route back from having dropped paratroopers of the 3rd Btn., 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division over Son, near Eindhoven, in the Netherlands. One of the LZ's as part of operation Market Garden. It was hit by German FlaK and it crashed on an open field (fortunately already in friendly territory) North-East of Geel, near Larum in Belgium.
Only two crew members – Flight Officer John K. Barber (co-pilot) and S/Sergeant Jessie H. Beal (crew chief) – bailed out before it was too low for a safe jump. The others – 1st Lieutenants Thomas H. Mills (pilot) and Olin H. Jennings (navigator), and S/Sergeant Rollin R. Bailey (radio op) survived the actual crash.
With a last stroke of bad luck, the aircraft managed to hit the only obstacle in the otherwise clear field: a 45 ton Jagdpanther which had belonged to 1. Kompanie of the schwere Panzer-Jäger Abteilung 559 and was disabled sometime between September 10th - 12th, 1944, during the fighting in and around Geel.
John D’Arcy-Dawson, a war correspondent for ‘The Sunday Times’, saw the plane come down. He later reported: ‘(…) only two of his crew were injured, and when I talked to him (the pilot) he was as perky and cheerful as though he had landed safely at his base. “I was hit when we were in a tight formation just before we dropped our load”, he told me. “It was a bit difficult to keep her level with one engine and flying at 350ft, but I managed it.”‘(Source - IWM - AFPU Photographer Captain Malindine)
Jagdpanther and C-47. Operation Market Garden, Holland 1944.
On the 17th of September 1944 Operation Market Garden started. In the air, squadrons of Dakota C-47s flew towards their drop zones, carrying their human cargo of British and American paratroopers. On the way in, and again during the return trip they had to face an unexpectedly aggressive Luftwaffe, a myriad of German Flak guns, and even small arms fire.
One of the hundreds of C-47s hit by German defensive fire was 42-108874 (7H-U) of the 306th Squadron, 442nd Troop Carrier Group (TCG) from Chilbolton, UK. It was on route back from having dropped paratroopers of the 3rd Btn., 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division over Son, near Eindhoven, in the Netherlands. One of the LZ's as part of operation Market Garden. It was hit by German FlaK and it crashed on an open field (fortunately already in friendly territory) North-East of Geel, near Larum in Belgium.
Only two crew members – Flight Officer John K. Barber (co-pilot) and S/Sergeant Jessie H. Beal (crew chief) – bailed out before it was too low for a safe jump. The others – 1st Lieutenants Thomas H. Mills (pilot) and Olin H. Jennings (navigator), and S/Sergeant Rollin R. Bailey (radio op) survived the actual crash.
With a last stroke of bad luck, the aircraft managed to hit the only obstacle in the otherwise clear field: a 45 ton Jagdpanther which had belonged to 1. Kompanie of the schwere Panzer-Jäger Abteilung 559 and was disabled sometime between September 10th - 12th, 1944, during the fighting in and around Geel.
John D’Arcy-Dawson, a war correspondent for ‘The Sunday Times’, saw the plane come down. He later reported: ‘(…) only two of his crew were injured, and when I talked to him (the pilot) he was as perky and cheerful as though he had landed safely at his base. “I was hit when we were in a tight formation just before we dropped our load”, he told me. “It was a bit difficult to keep her level with one engine and flying at 350ft, but I managed it.”‘(Source - IWM - AFPU Photographer Captain Malindine)