'Big Week' hits Germany

20th February 1944: Medal of Honor for Navigator and Engineer who die attempting to land their B-17 to save the severely wounded pilot

“In Sunday's heavy attack by a record force of 8th AAF heavy bombers on enemy aircraft factories at Leipzig, Brunswick and Bernburg, and military targets at Gotha, Tutow, Oscherleben and other points in Central and Northern Germany, major damage was inflicted on at least six aircraft components and assembly plants, pictures made during the attack indicate. Dense smoke covers the related ME 109 components plant at Leipzig, Heiterblick, but pinpoints of fire are seen in the vicinity of components making and sub-assembly shops and power plants. 305th Bomb Group. 20 February 1944.

B-24s bomb Diepholz airfield in Germany - this important air base was hit several times during Big Week

Two P-51D Mustangs at an English airfield in early 1944. The ground crew is fitting the second of two underwing fuel tanks, which allowed the Mustangs to escort American strategic bombers to their targets inside Germany, engage German fighters and return to their bases in England.

Just as the Luftwaffe launched their final bombing campaign on London, the 8th Air Force began an intense series of raids on Germany. The sequence of raids from 20th-25th February in ‘Operation Argument’ were designed to attack not just the aircraft industry on the ground but to lure Luftwaffe fighters into engagements with the Allied fighters escorting the bombers.

2d Lt. Truemper and Sergeant Archibald Mathies replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and that they would not desert him.