The quote in the title of this post was from no other than the Air Marshal of the Luftwaffe, Herman Goering. That was his boast as what would become known as the Second World War began - things didn’t go exactly as planned however for the Third Reich. That was due in part to the three aircraft that we will look at here, the AVRO Lancaster, CONSOLIDATED B-24 Liberator, and the venerable BOEING B-17 Flying Fortress.
Since the quote for the title was taken from the side of one of these aircraft, let’s start with Britains’ best contribution to the bomber effort - the Lancaster.
AVRO Lancaster MkI
The Lancaster pictured above represents Lancaster / R5868.
One famous aircraft was typical of, and ultimately came to symbolize, the men and machines of Royal Air Force Bomber Command. Flying initially with 83 Squadron Pathfinder Force, then 467 Squadron RAAF, Avro Lancaster serial number R5868, call sign S for Sugar, took part in almost every major attack on Germany between summer of 1942 and the end of hostilities. With the life expectancy of a new Lancaster being just a few months, it was a miracle she survived the war.
The mighty Lancaster, the mainstay of RAF Bomber Command, crewed by volunteers from Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Rhodesia, South Africa, and many other nations opposed to Nazi rule, flew day and night sorties whenever there was a chance of reaching the target. Their unflinching courage and selfless devotion to duty paved the way for the D-Day invasion, and the ultimate liberation of Nazi occupied Europe.
Embellished with Goering’s infamous quotation “No Enemy Plane Will Fly Over The Reich Territory”, S for Sugar took her bombs to Berlin, Hamburg, Schweinfurt, Bremen, Hanover, Wurzburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and other prime targets, flying the second greatest number of operational sorties of any bomber in the Command. Time and again Sugar brought her crew home, often limping back riddled with flak and bullet holes, occasionally on three engines, and once all the way back from the German capital with a badly damaged wing following a mid-air collision over the target.
By the war’s end this trusty bomber had completed no fewer than 137 operations over enemy territory, bringing her crew home every time. Now magnificently restored to her former glory, S for Sugar resides in the RAF Museum at Hendon, providing a lasting tribute to the gallant men of RAF Bomber Command.
The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). First used in 1942, together with the Handley-Page Halifax it was the main heavy bomber of the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving with RAF Bomber Command. The “Lanc” or “Lankie,” as it became affectionately known, became the most famous and most successful of the Second World War night bombers, “delivering 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties. Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it excelled in many other roles including daylight precision bombing. The Lancaster gained worldwide renown as the “Dam Buster” used in the 1943 Operation Chastise raids on Germany’s important dams.
Technical Data:
AVRO Lancaster Mk I
Nation: Britain; manufacturer: A. V. Roe & Co. Ltd.; type: bomber; year: 194; engine: four Rolls-Royce Merlin XX 12-cylinder V liquid-cooled, 1,460 hp each; wingspan: 102 ft.; length: 69 ft. 6 in.; height: 20 ft. 9 in.; weight: 70,000 lb. (loaded); maximum speed: 287 mph @ 11,500 ft.; ceiling: 24,500 ft.; range: 1,660 miles; armament: 10 machine guns; 22,000 lb. of bombs; crew: 7
BOEING B-17G Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17G represented above was known by its crew as the Chow Hound.
Better known as the “Flying Fortress,” the B-17G was a 10-seat, long-range medium bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. The B-17G was introduced in 1941 and eventually became the most common B-17 variant with production eventually totalling 8,680 aircraft. The Flying Fortress could reach a maximum speed of 287 mph when empty (or weighing 36,135 pounds). It featured thirteen 12.7mm machine-guns and could store 17,600 pounds of bombs for a maximum take-off weight of 72,000 pounds. The ‘Chow-hound’ belonged to the 322nd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group (RAF Bassingbourn).
The following concerning the Chow Hound is taken from the Selma Times:
The hand of fate
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 9:08 PM CDT
Surviving warfare
By James G. Smith
Legionnaire
Special to the Selma Times-Journal
Call it the hand of fate, destiny or divine intervention, but some people are left to ponder why they were spared while others perished. Incidents of someone substituting for someone else and being killed occur quite frequently in combat.
Why someone next to you is blown to bits and you survive unscathed is puzzling. It is a question that has plagued combat veterans since the advent of warfare.
No one has thought more on the subject than Frank S. Bolen, B-17 bombardier, United States Army Air Corps, 1942-1945.
While Frank settled the issue within himself many years ago, some struggle for decades trying to answer the question. Being a man of strong faith, Frank credits God first and foremost, but also credits his fervent prayers and his wife, Frances’ prayers, and many other loved ones on his behalf.
Bolen’s B-17 crew assembled in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began practice runs around the southeast honing their skills.
The B-17 crew consisted of Jack R. “Tex” Thompson, pilot, David J. Nelson, co-pilot, Frank S. Bolen, bombardier, Charles F. Bacigalupa, navigator, Blake A. Treece Jr., radio operator, Richard R. Collins, waist gunner, Gerald F. Gillies, tail gunner, Warren D. Godsey, ball turret gunner and Henry F. Kortebein, top turret gunner.
It took nine men to fly, operate, deliver the bombs and defend the B-17.
The crew soon jelled and drew an assignment of delivering a new B-17 to Ireland. The flight took about 10 hours with one stop in Newfoundland.
After dropping the plane off in Ireland for combat modifications, the crew continued to their new duty station Bassingbourn, England arriving there on June 4, 1944.
They were assigned to the 322nd Squadron, 91st Bomb Group (H), of the 8th Air Force.
The new crew drew a combat ready plane named “Chow-hound.”
“Chow-hound” was no stranger to combat having already completed in excess of 50 missions by other crews.
In comparison, the famous B-17 “Memphis Belle” was retired after completing 25 missions, although these missions were at the beginning of the war when formations were not as tight and casualty counts much higher.
Bolen’s crew began practice runs around the English countryside awaiting being placed on the mission board. It came on June 20, 1944, and the first one was certainly no milk run. Hamburg was the target and it was heavily defended with anti-aircraft guns.
Bolen’s baptism in bombing runs was a hair raising experience. Sitting right in the nose of the B-17, it appeared they were flying right into the flak bursting all around them. The white cliffs of Dover sure looked good on return after completing the mission safely.
This same crew, assembled in Salt Lake City, completed 13 missions as a team in “Chow-hound.”
They had become very close personally knowing each other extremely well on and off missions. It was a brotherhood, or one for all and all for one relationship.
Mission 14 was to be a troop support mission on the front lines.
For this mission, Charles Sherrill was selected to replace Bolen on the mission. In order to fly bombing runs on troop support, you had to be checked out by the squadron bombardier and certified to do so. At the time, Bolen hadn’t been certified, therefore, the substitute was made.
Bolen was up early on Aug. 8, 1944, to see his aircrew and plane, “Chow-hound,” off on the mission.
He watched as pilot Tex Thompson skillfully lifted “Chow-hound” off the runway and tucked the landing gear safely away.
“Chow-hound” circled around and headed toward the English Channel and into the rising sun. He stood and watched until the plane was only a speck on the horizon before turning away a little despondent that he wasn’t onboard with his teammates
It was a long wait throughout the day in anticipation of the return from the mission.
Bolen made his way to the waiting area early to greet “Chow-hound” on its arrival. The plane count began with plane after plane circling the airfield before floating down to the tarmac. It was a struggle for some with engines out and visible flak damage to the fuselage.
Crippled and lame, but proud, they came in.
Anxiety increased as more and more came in and still no signs of “Chow-hound.”
Bolen continued to wait long after the main armada had returned in hopes of a delayed return.
As time wore on, anxiety turned into panic with cold sweats and difficulty breathing and swallowing. Finally, news came that “Chow-hound” took a direct hit south of Caen, France and went down with no survivors.
The news was devastating to Bolen.
The entire crew he had trained with and flew 13 missions were all gone.
He was the only remaining member of the original crew left to carry on. A lesser man probably would have had difficulty crawling back into another air plane, but Bolen knew he had to out of respect for his fallen comrades.
As the saying goes, here is where you separate men from boys.
Bolen was integrated into another crew and assigned to the B-17 “My Baby.”
The pilot, David McCarty was from Birmingham, Ala., making the transition for Frank much easier. They flew two missions in “My Baby” before it was grounded for damage repairs.
The next mission to the I.G. Farben Chemical Plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany was flown in “Roxy’s Special.”
On board this mission was David McCarty, pilot, Neil M. Mylin, co-pilot, Donald L. Brazones, navigator, Frank S. Bolen, bombardier, John Cangemi, top turret, Frank F. Trim, Jr., ball turret, Charles E. Beebe, waist guns, Floyd Z. Dillon, tail gun, and Henry R. Schuls, radio operator.
On Sept. 8, 1944, short of the bomb drop near Ludwigshafen, “Roxy’s Special” took a hit ripping off a wing.
A spin ensued pinning Bolen and navigator Don Brazones in their nose bubble followed almost immediately by an explosion blowing them free of the air craft. Bolen and Brazones were the only two survivors of “Roxy’s Special.”
They both parachuted down, but not together, therefore neither knew the fate of the other until later. Bolen eluded capture for 7 days before being picked up and carted off to Stalag Luft 1 near Barth, Germany after interrogations. Brazones had been picked up before Bolen and processed through the channels to Stalag Luft 1. The two were reunited at Stalag Luft 1 where they spent the remainder of the war.
On Sept. 14, 1944, the day Bolen was captured, Frances gave birth to their first child, Linda, in Selma - a child Bolen would not see until returning from imprisonment and the war.
The “Roxy’s Special” crash site was near a Lutheran Church in Ludwigshafen. A very respectful group of Germans removed the remains of the air crew and buried them in the local cemetery. After the war, the remains were turned over to American authorities and they moved them to a National Cemetery in Northern France.
In 1947, Bolen served as casket bearer for David McCarty when he was brought home to rest in Birmingham.
In a strange twist of events, John Cangemi’s remains came up lost. A frantic call from Gaspar Cangemi to Bolen and Brazones in 1993 asked for help in locating his brother’s remains.
They obliged and after working through several Federal agencies were able to find John Cangemi in a cemetery in Minnesota. The family, according to Gaspar Cangemi, were not notified of the burial or his whereabouts. After permission was received to remove the remains, John Cangemi was moved to a family plot in New York.
The crash site of “Chow-hound” went virtually untouched until recently.
Although details of actual events immediately following the crash are at best unclear, it is known French citizens witnessed “Chow-hound” come down and were chased from the scene by German SS troopers. It is also known that three bodies were seen and apparently removed from the wreckage site. The three men, Charles Sherrill, Warren D. Godsey and Richard R. Collins eventually found their way into Overseas American Cemeteries in France.
Not until 2004 did JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command) excavate the crash site of “Chow-hound” and recover what remained of this gallant crew. The remains were turned over to the CIL (Central Identification Laboratory) in Hawaii for positive identification.
Finally after 62 years in an ugly scar in the ground near Caen, France, the “Chow-hound” crew is coming home. As far as we know, there had been no activity on this site until now and no monument to these men except the ugly scar in the ground caused by the impact.
JPAC remains vigilant in its pursuit of all sites, but apparently is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. Of the 78,000 still unaccounted for from World War II, there remains 35,000 deemed recoverable. How long must these families wait for results? It seems cruel and unjust for families to wait 62 years for closure to these tragic cases.
On Aug. 24, 2006, there will be a special interment at Arlington National Cemetery for the crew of “Chow-hound.”
Bolen’s original crew will finally be laid to rest on American soil. What a wonderful day, and what a sad day too. Home at last these too can claim their rightful place in the white polished markers of Arlington National Cemetery. A place so sacred, it is reserved for our national heroes.
Frank and Frances Bolen will not be able to attend the ceremonies, but will be represented there by David and Linda Bolen McKay, son-in-law and daughter. I’m sure the day won’t pass without some thoughtful reflections by Bolen who remains to bear witness of his fallen comrades.
Welcome home “Chow-hound” crew; may we never forget your contributions to America and freedom around the world.
Information has come forth indicating three bodies were recovered from the “Chow-hound” crash site in 1944, and eventually found their way into Overseas American Cemeteries in France. Those three men were: Charles Sherrill, Warren D. Godsey, and Richard R. Collins.
Technical Data:
BOEING B-17 G Flying Fortress
Nation: USA; manufacturer: Boeing Aircraft Co.; year: 1943; engine: four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial air-cooled 1,200 hp each; wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in.; length: 74 ft. 9 in.; height: 19 ft. 1 in.; weight: 65,500 lb (loaded); maximum speed: 287 mph @ 25,000 ft.; ceiling: 35,600 ft.; range: 3,400 miles; armament: 13 machine guns; 17,600 lb of bombs; crew: 10
CONSOLIDATED B-24J Liberator
The aircraft in the above photos represents a B-24J of the 392 Bomber Group 8th Air Force ( H ) 577 Squadron serial # 42-94898. She was flown under two names, Marion and Terri Ann. While the photos show this craft with red engine cowls, the engine cowls were the same color as the overall craft. After flying 26 missions she returned to the U.S.A. in June of 1945. Anyone having further information about this aircraft and her crew please contact this post.
Crews of Marion -
13 Jan 1945 577th Sqdn.
A/C 898
P Popek, E. 2nd Lt.
CP Henry, H.E. 2nd Lt.
N Frederickson, L.T. 2nd Lt.
NT Zeanah, T. S/Sgt.
E Bombardier, W.J. T/Sgt.
R Yuhas, G. T/Sgt.
RW Trofnoff, F. S/Sgt.
LW Thompson, J.R. S/Sgt.
BT - -
TG Swee, E.A. S/Sgt.
29 Jan 1945 577th Sqdn.
A/C 898
P Cline, K.E. 1st Lt.
CP Garrett, A.W. 2nd Lt.
N Mercer, E.A. 2nd Lt.
B - -
E Thompson, R.H. T/Sgt.
R Leahy, W.E. Sgt.
RW Cobb, C.E. Jr. Sgt.
LW Girulat, R.M. Sgt.
BT Lehr, E.L. Sgt.
TG Larmee, W.H. Sgt.
11 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn.
A/C 898
P Prater, W.K. 2nd Lt.
CP Levin, R.J. 2nd Lt.
N Pilcher, W.L. 2nd Lt.
B Venuti, L.C. Sgt.
R Killian, C.J. Sgt.
E Lawrence, L.J. Sgt.
RW Kegler, S.D. Sgt.
LW Healey, J. Sgt.
TG Deshantz, D. Sgt.
14 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn.
A/C 898
P Myers, C.E. 2nd Lt.
CP Anderson, K.W. 2nd Lt.
N Warntz, W. F/O
B Zgurich, E.E. 2nd Lt.
R Jaklinski, B. Sgt.
E Payton, J.B. S/Sgt.
RW Thornton, A.H. S/Sgt.
LW Gillette, R.E. Sgt.
TG Kirk, G.A. S/Sgt.
3 Mar 1945 577th Sqdn.
A/C 898
P Gates, H.W. 2nd Lt.
CP Day, J.G. 2nd Lt.
N Siwy, W.J. 2nd Lt.
B Harrison, W.F. Sgt.
R Frigo, H.M. Sgt.
E Baker, R.E. Sgt.
RW Lamkin, R.B. Sgt.
LW Talcott, W.J. Sgt.
TG Ryan, W.M. Sgt.
Technical Data:
Consolidated B-24 J Liberator
Nation: U.S.A.; manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft Corp.; type: bomber; year: 1943; engine: four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial air-cooled, 1,200 hp each; wingspan: 110 ft.; length: 67 ft. 2 in.; height: 18 ft.; weight: 65,00 lb (loaded); maximum speed: 300 mph @ 25,000 ft.; ceiling: 28,000 ft.; range: 2,100 miles; armament: 10 machine guns; 8,800 lb of bombs; crew: 8 - 12
