The 'Mighty Eighth' in action over Germany

20th December 1943: Two extraordinary stories from the air battle between the US 8th Air Force and the Luftwaffe

‘This photo, just released in Washington, shows Liberator and Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces, filling the sky as they head for the heavy All-American raid on Bremen, Germany, November 26th. More than 1,000 planes took part in the raid and more than 60 can be counted in this photo.

"A U.S. flying fortress (lower right) is brought to earth, its tail piece following, as other of the giant planes continue to unleash bombs over Bremen, Germany, December 1943. The 8th Army Air Force bombers leave their contrails in the flak filled sky, where more devastation goes hurtling downward than is tossed up from Nazi guns.

B-17s in formation release their bomb loads.

On the 20th of December, the USAAF went back to Bremen to hit another Focke Wulfe plant. The campaign against German aircraft factories was gaining ground. It had to be successful if the Allies were to achieve air superiority prior to the opening of the Second Front - Overlord was now only months away.

The air battles that developed as the bombers travelled to and from the target were equally part of the campaign - not only was the attack aimed at destroying fighter planes - it was also aimed at the German fighter pilots. During the next few months their ranks would be decimated as the 8th Air Force took the fight to them with aggressive new tactics from their escorting fighters.

Forrest L. 'Woody' Vosler (1923-1992) Medal of Honor. On December 20, 1943, Staff Sergeant Vosler was on his fourth combat mission. His aircraft, on its 28th combat mission, was a B-17F named the "Jersey Bounce Jr.," S/N 42-29664.

But of course, the bomber crews were also taking casualties:

For conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio operator-air gunner on a heavy bombardment aircraft in a mission over Bremen, Germany, 20 December 1943.

After bombing the target, the aircraft in which TSgt. Vosler was serving was severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire, forced out of formation, and immediately subjected to repeated vicious attacks by enemy fighters. Early in the engagement a 20-mm cannon shell exploded in the radio compartment, painfully wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the legs and thighs. At about the same time a direct hit on the tail of the ship seriously wounded the tail gunner and rendered the tail guns inoperative.

Realizing the great need for firepower in protecting the vulnerable tail of the ship, T/Sgt. Vosler, with grim determination, kept up a steady stream of deadly fire. Shortly thereafter another 20-mm enemy shell exploded, wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the chest and about the face. Pieces of metal lodged in both eyes, impairing his vision to such extent that he could only distinguish blurred shapes. Displaying remarkable tenacity and courage, he kept firing his guns and declined to take first-aid treatment.

The radio equipment had been rendered inoperative during the battle, and when the pilot announced that he would have to ditch, although unable to see and working entirely by touch, T/Sgt. Vosler finally got the set operating and sent out distress signals despite several lapses into unconsciousness.

When the ship ditched, T/Sgt. Vosler managed to get out on the wing by himself and hold the wounded tail gunner from slipping off until the other crewmembers could help him into the dinghy.

T/Sgt. Vosler's actions on this occasion were an inspiration to all serving with him. The extraordinary courage, coolness, and skill he displayed in the face of great odds, when handicapped by injuries that would have incapacitated the average crewmember, were outstanding.

The Luftwaffe fighter pilots and the bomber crews were mortal enemies. So one incident on the 20th December has been singled out for special attention, an extraordinary exception to the cruelties of combat.

‘Ye Olde Pub’ was not the only aircraft to survive serious damage on this raid. “Mission accomplished, an amazing display of courage and skill by Second Lieutenant William Elliot, USAF (8th) from Penca, Ohkla, he bought his battered Flying Fort back from Bremen to land in England with left horizontal stabiliser shorn off, rudder smashed beyond use, one engine dead and 5 gun positions knocked out of position.”

B-17F 'Ye Olde Pub' from 379th Bomber Group was damaged by flak going into the target and then drew the attention of the Luftwaffe fighters as a weakened aircraft. At one stage, there were as many as fifteen fighters trying to get into position to attack it. This is part of the account given by Charles A. Brown¹, the pilot:

At some point during our continuous twisting, turning, climbing and diving manoeuvres, the attacks finally ended and the fighter escort of P-47s reappeared. We had not seen friendly fighters since just prior to bomb release. During a few minutes of normal flight, I attempted to ascertain the casualties and full damage to the aircraft.

Somewhat later, as I looked out the right window, there, flying very close formation with his wingtip only about three feet from our wingtip, was an Me 109. For a moment I thought that I had lost my mind and if I briefly closed my eyes it would disappear. I tried - he was still there. I later pointed him out to Pinky who had returned from the rear.

The German pilot nodded but Pinky and I were in a state of shock and did not return the greeting. Although the German pilot appeared relaxed, I was most uncomfortable and felt that at any time he would unleash some type of new German weapon to destroy us and our aircraft. Somehow, all of the briefings and combat training sessions had omitted to inform us as to the proper protocol or reaction when a German fighter pilot wanted to fly close formation with us.

I finally surmised that he was probably out of ammunition, but I was amazed at his curiosity and daring in flying that close to even a badly crippled enemy bomber.

At that point, only a single gun in the top turret was functioning out of the original eleven guns on the B-17F, with the other weapons in the ‘guns down’ or inoperable condition. I was also able to get Frenchy to return to the cockpit and join Pinky and myself in observing the audacious German pilot.

Now we had three wide-eyed American airmen in the cockpit plus Blackie in the ball turret going eyeball to eyeball with one German pilot.

(Blackie adds: ‘He was closing in at a very slow rate from the low rear. Finally, he came up on our wing, so close that his wing actually overlapped ours. I kept my dead guns trained on him. We looked directly at each other. He was also looking inside the plane. The pilot motioned with his right hand as if to say, “I salute you. I gave you my best and you survived.”

With that he went into a dive down to his right and disappeared. There was something different about this fighter. First of all it was quite dark in colour. There was also quite a large round bulge just to the left and in front of the cockpit area, (which about a month later intelligence personnel at the 379th identied as a new supercharger installation).’

After a few more seconds, my nerves could stand it no longer and I asked Frenchy to get back to his turret and point his guns at the German pilot. When the fighter pilot saw the engineer’s head appear in the top turret, he saluted, rolled over, and was gone. An abrupt end to one of the briefest, but most unusual encounters in the short history of the heavy bombardment as a major weapon of war.

...

An assessment of casualties indicated that Eckenrode was dead, Yelesanko was in a critical condition with a major leg wound (which later required amputation), Blackie was unable to walk because of frozen feet, and Pechout could not use his hands. The decision had to be made as to the possibility of trying to limp back to England or bale out.

A crash-landing was never seriously considered since we were under strict instructions that if a crash-landing became necessary as a last resort, we were to destroy the aircraft and activate the explosive charge in the SECRET Norden bombsight. Since it appeared that in addition to Eckenrode, three more of the crew would not survive a parachute jump into northern Germany in the winter, and possibly all of us would perish in a crash-landing, I decided I would fly back over land to let any of the crew bale out who wished to do so, and I would then try and fly the aircraft back to England.

A captured RAF Messerschmitt Bf 109 with a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 379th Bomb Group at Kimbolton, 8 January 1944. Rivals in the air battles over Europe, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a German Me109, are seen together at a U.S. Heavy Bomber Base "somewhere in England". Rebuilt after crashing in England and painted with the R.A.F. colours, the enemy fighter tours air bases in this country to help familiarise personnel with its performance.

The full story did not emerge until many years later. The home airfield for B-17 ‘Ye Olde Pub’ was RAF Kimbolton - US Army Air Force Station 117. Today the Kimbolton Parish Council² keeps alive memories of the American airmen who served nearby, remembering this story especially:

The compass [of ‘Ye Olde Pub’ ] was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton. After flying over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17.

When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.

When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.

The crew of 379th Bomb Group's "Ye Olde Pub." Left to right standing: S/Sgt. Bertrand "Frenchy" Coulombe, Sgt. Alex Yelesanko, T/Sgt. Richard Pechout, S/Sgt. Lloyd Jennings, T/Sgt. John "Hugh" Eckenrode, and S/Sgt. Sam Blackford. Left to right kneeling: 2nd Lt. Charles "Charlie" Brown, 2nd Lt. Spencer "Pinky" Luke, 2nd Lt. Al Sadok, and 2nd Lt. Robert Andrews

Carcasses of B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 379th Bomb Group, cannibalized for parts at Kimbolton technical site, January 1944. “The 'graveyard' at a US Bomber Base ‘somewhere in England’ where many parts of scrapped airplanes are salvaged and used in the repair of other aircraft."

1. James A. Brown's account of the mission and how they got back to England can be found in Martin W. Bowman (ed): Raiders Of The Reich.

The incident has subsequently attracted considerable attention. It was not until 2001 that the two pilots finally met, and a little more was learned about what had happened. The full story was finally told in the bestseller A Higher Call.

2. Kimbolton Parish Council.