Eyewitness statement, page 4 · 28 August 1944
STATEMENTS
On the way to the target about 50 or 60 miles inside the coast of Yugoslavia a
B-17 bearing the number 913 turned to the left out of formation and around 20000 or
22000 feet. When I saw it the waist and tail doors were gone and the bombs were falling
ffom the bomb bay. One man was already out and I count ed eight more chutes. The ship
made
a
large circle over the terrain in which the nine chutes were falling and then made
three or four more circles. The ship now seemed to get out of control. It hit the
ground far behind us and burst into flames. I never did see the tenth chute open but
there is a good possibility it may have as the ship was hard to see and it wa3 right
over some dark trees. When the men bailed out they opened their cutes right away.
731 Sgt Wayne C. Tate
34891635, Tail Gnr.
The first thing I saw was the ship drop the bombs then I saw fire come out of the
bomb bays. Then I saw the waist door fly out and six men came out and three out of the
front. None of the men delayed their jumps. I watched the ship clear to the ground and
it seemed to be under control all of the way.
never did dee the pilot go out.
/s/ Frank A. Mitchel
17068753, Ball T Gnr
At 1007 over Yugoslavia 45 degrees 30' 'N, 15 degrees 28' E, Capt Blank was flying
lead ship in #4 Squadron. He dipped his wings and broke away from the formation. Au his
plane crossed under our ship, which was #3 in the box, a door flew off his plane and one
man jumped out immediately. I saw another man jump right afterwards as the plane left
my sight under our left wing. At that time our altitude was 25000 feet. Our crew saw
nine chutes leave the plane.
/s/ Roman E. Frankouicz
2nd Lt., AU.
I looked at the plane and thought cockpit windows and turret were all frosted over,
then the pilot opened his window to let the smoke out. Tail door flew off and tail gunner
bailed out, his chute opened, and then the waist door flew off. Bomb bay doors were
opened, all the bombs were salvoed. Immediately afterwards two men bailed out. Two
men went out waist door, and two men went out nose hatch. I counted nine chutes open.
Plane kept circling around men in parachutes; it made about three circles and crashed
and immediately broke into flames. I think the pilot made it too, because he kept
circling his men and evidently wanted to be near them when he bailed out. I couldn't
see him though as it was too far away.
/8/ Charles W. Stuckert, Sgt
36581759
at 1007 approximately 60 miles into Yugoslavia the airplane piloted by Capt
Blank started a turn to the left. After considerable maneuvering, it started to pass
underneath our aircraft. We were flying on his left wing at the time. As he started
his diving turn to the left we banked left to follow him. I was flying from the CO
pilot's side and as we turned left I saw the right waist door leave the aircraft.
Following the door came a man then another door. Immediately after this the bombs were
dropped and as the plane passedbbeneath our ship and to the
On the way to the target about 50 or 60 miles inside the coast of Yugoslavia a
B-17 bearing the number 913 turned to the left out of formation and around 20000 or
22000 feet. When I saw it the waist and tail doors were gone and the bombs were falling
ffom the bomb bay. One man was already out and I count ed eight more chutes. The ship
made
a
large circle over the terrain in which the nine chutes were falling and then made
three or four more circles. The ship now seemed to get out of control. It hit the
ground far behind us and burst into flames. I never did see the tenth chute open but
there is a good possibility it may have as the ship was hard to see and it wa3 right
over some dark trees. When the men bailed out they opened their cutes right away.
731 Sgt Wayne C. Tate
34891635, Tail Gnr.
The first thing I saw was the ship drop the bombs then I saw fire come out of the
bomb bays. Then I saw the waist door fly out and six men came out and three out of the
front. None of the men delayed their jumps. I watched the ship clear to the ground and
it seemed to be under control all of the way.
never did dee the pilot go out.
/s/ Frank A. Mitchel
17068753, Ball T Gnr
At 1007 over Yugoslavia 45 degrees 30' 'N, 15 degrees 28' E, Capt Blank was flying
lead ship in #4 Squadron. He dipped his wings and broke away from the formation. Au his
plane crossed under our ship, which was #3 in the box, a door flew off his plane and one
man jumped out immediately. I saw another man jump right afterwards as the plane left
my sight under our left wing. At that time our altitude was 25000 feet. Our crew saw
nine chutes leave the plane.
/s/ Roman E. Frankouicz
2nd Lt., AU.
I looked at the plane and thought cockpit windows and turret were all frosted over,
then the pilot opened his window to let the smoke out. Tail door flew off and tail gunner
bailed out, his chute opened, and then the waist door flew off. Bomb bay doors were
opened, all the bombs were salvoed. Immediately afterwards two men bailed out. Two
men went out waist door, and two men went out nose hatch. I counted nine chutes open.
Plane kept circling around men in parachutes; it made about three circles and crashed
and immediately broke into flames. I think the pilot made it too, because he kept
circling his men and evidently wanted to be near them when he bailed out. I couldn't
see him though as it was too far away.
/8/ Charles W. Stuckert, Sgt
36581759
at 1007 approximately 60 miles into Yugoslavia the airplane piloted by Capt
Blank started a turn to the left. After considerable maneuvering, it started to pass
underneath our aircraft. We were flying on his left wing at the time. As he started
his diving turn to the left we banked left to follow him. I was flying from the CO
pilot's side and as we turned left I saw the right waist door leave the aircraft.
Following the door came a man then another door. Immediately after this the bombs were
dropped and as the plane passedbbeneath our ship and to the
National Archives, MACR 11278, page 4 · Machine-read from microfilm, uncorrected.