Boeing B-17F "Ruthless"

"Ruthless" (SO-V)

Boeing B-17F-85-BO Flying Fortress

s/n 42-30043

547th BS, 384th BG, 8th AF

Ditched in the North Sea while returning from the 4 October 1943 mission to Frankfurt-am-Main. Entire crew was rescued, no MACR was issued.

Crew:

1st Lt. Giles F. "Junior" Kauffman, Jr. - Pilot (O-798518) Pennsylvania

2nd Lt. George "Hap" Molnar - Co-Pilot (O-578301) Ohio

2nd Lt. Frank "Pogo" Pogorzelski - Navigator (O-805199) Pennsylvania

2nd Lt. James J. LaCroix - Bombardier (O-676887) Minnesota?

T/Sgt. William "Whataman" Jarrell - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner (32359719) Delaware

T/Sgt. Jules T. Beck - Radio Operator (32414218) New York

S/Sgt. Jacob M. "Jake" Martinez - Ball Turret Gunner (38214909) New Mexico

S/Sgt. Paul Spodar - Waist Gunner (35518619) Ohio

S/Sgt. Peter Seniawsky - Waist Gunner (12060630) New York

S/Sgt. Stanley T. "Rube" Reuben - Tail Gunner (18051500) Oklahoma

 

The Kauffman crew was shot down by fighters 10 days later on the 14 October 1943 mission to Schweinfurt, Germany. The plane crashed near Bad Brückenau. They were flying a B-17F named "Big Moose" (42-29870).

MACR 1038

Kauffman - POW / Stalag 7a, Moosburg

Molnar - POW / Stalag Luft 3, Sagan

Pogorzelski - POW / Stalag Luft 3, Sagan

Sgt. David D. Danneman - Toggelier (34261537) Georgia - POW / Stalag 17b, Braunau

....................Lt. LaCroix* didn't fly mission due to illness.

Jarrell - POW / Stalag Luft 3, Sagan

Beck - POW / Stalag 17b, Braunau

Martinez - POW / Stalag Luft 3, Sagan

Spodar - POW / Stalag 17b, Braunau

Seniawsky** - EVADED (First U.S. airman to escape Germany on foot) E & E Report #239

Reuben - POW / Stalag Luft 3, Sagan

 

*1st Lt. James J. LaCroix completed his combat tour, his last date of duty with the 384th was 2 Aug. 1944.

 

**S/Sgt. Peter Seniawsky made it out of Germany and into France alone, through France with help from locals along the way. He entered Spain on 29 October 1943, Gibraltar on 29 November 1943, England on 1 December 1943.

Done