B-17 on Mission to Berlin February 3, 1945

Mission to Berlin February 3, 1945

 

B-17 on Mission to Berlin February 3, 1945 taken from the radio room top hatch

 

This image is part of a collection from a full uncut roll of film taken by Lew Funk that wonderfully preserves the 34th Bomb Group's role in the massive raid on Berlin on February 3, 1945.

 

Lew Funk's mission log states:

2-3-45 Berlin Germany, Out to squash the town 300lb Bombs at 50 ft. Intervals, 1500 Aircrafts, Did a damn good job. Pilot Hammersley, Ship #378, Time 6:35

 

This photo was taken from B-17 43-38378 "Little King" flow by the Hammersley crew:

Hammersley (P)

Inman (CP)

Morrison (N)

McGovern (B)

Stivender (R)

Adams (E)

Schroeder (TG)

Besnier (BG)

Thurner (G)

Funk (Photographer)

 

A photo of the B-17 is at: valortovictory.tripod.com/photo17/43-38378ph.htm

 

This image is part of a collection from an uncut roll of film taken by Lew Funk from the 34th Bomb Group during WWII. It show the 34th Bomb Group's role in the massive raid on Berlin on February 3, 1945. The sequence of the pictures in this collection preserve the story of the flight across the English Channel, bombs dropping on the target, the flak the men endured over enemy territory, and their safe return home to Mendlesham Air Force base. The American air attack on Berlin's railway system on February 3rd was one of the heaviest of the entire war. Overall 1,500 bombers from the Eighth Air Force flew this mission and 1,000 fighters joined to protect them. The 34th Bomb Group dispatched 38 planes for this mission and dropped 90 tons on the primary target.

 

This is color film, but the color degraded over time and most the colors oxidized and turned orange. Only a little bit of red that survived in the images. So most the images in the collection have been rendered in black and white like other images from that period.

 

Wikipedia has a great article on the Bombing of Berlin in World War II at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Berlin_in_World_War_II

 

Here is additional information Garry Farrel published Valor to Victory website about this mission

valortovictory.tripod.com/1945-02.htm

February 3, 1945

Mission #119 Berlin

Command Pilot: TAVASTI. 38 planes dispatched. 36 planes dropped 90 tons on the primary target and 2 planes failed to bomb. 37 Credit Sorties.

34th Bomb Group Planes and crew:

44-8237 H/I 391BS Dunham (PFF)

44-8235 H/X 391BS Sain (PFF)

43-38382 L/Q 391BS Jones, J. L. Queenie

43-38343 L/I 391BS Hammersley

43-38365 L/S 391BS Isaacs

44-8327 L/R 391BS Shifferer

44-8629 L/D 391BS Hansen

43-38789 L/F 391BS Blum

43-38972 L/C 391BS Layz

43-38299 L/U 391BS Anderson

43-38402 L/P 391BS Bass

43-38257 L/T 391BS Baker

44-8457 H/G 18BS Benedict (PFF)

44-6820 H/C 18BS Knowlton

43-38338 B/M 18BS Abrams

43-38971 B/A 18BS Lerch

43-38331 B/Y 18BS Nass

43-38416 E/C 18BS Fiedler

43-38415 L/G 18BS Hemingway

43-38138 B/I 18BS Mann Ole-Timer

43-38326 B/U 18BS Raymond

43-38953 B/D 18BS Jones, W. S.

43-38409 B/B 18BS Butler Aborted – oxygen leak.

43-38372 L/A 18BS Kennedy

44-8321 B/F 18BS Rainey Leaflets only.

44-8482 H/A 7BS Alling (PFF)

43-38991 H/Z 7BS Gibson

43-38403 E/Z 7BS Vick

44-8320 E/G 7BS McLean

43-38987 E/F 7BS Davis

43-38113 E/S 7BS Peterson Wee Willie's Wolves

44-6826 E/D 7BS Sheesley

43-38280 E/M 7BS MacTaggart

44-6465 E/O 7BS Barbaras Fancy Nancy

43-38263 E/N 7BS James

43-38286 E/T 7BS Giardini

43-38378 L/K 7BS Smith

43-38367 E/L 7BS Roscher

Done