B-17F-100-BO
'Phartzac', 42-30358
B-17F-100-BO
'Phartzac', 42-30358
Lost on October 8, 1943
100th BG on the Bomb Run over Bremen October 8, 1943" Salvo Sal " # 42-30818 Code LN-S (to the left)
" Phartzac " # 42-30358 Code LN-X (in the centre)
# 42-30840 Code LN-O (to the right)[ Photo from the 100th BG.]
One fact : all three planes photographed were lost during this same mission.
Data from Thomas Sarbaugh October, 1996 :
Jerry Ferroggiaro was trained as a Boeing B-17 gunner, usually assigned to the top turret and tail positions, but preferred the waist. There, apparently before the testing of the YB-40 gun-ship version of the B-17, Ferroggiaro fashioned a double 50 caliber machine gun mount.
The photo on p.62 of Great American Air Battles of WW II show him at his waist position on the 350th Sqdn. B-17F named "Phartzac." On August 17, 1943, Ferroggiaro was a gunner in this plane, which was piloted by 1st Lt. Norman H. Scott. The names between the rear edge (left side of fuselage) of the gunner’s position and the individual A/C code letter (X) indicate the place Jerry fought prior to WW II :
Chapei (Shanghai Volunteer Group) Kiangwan (Shanghai Volunteer Group) Madrid (Lincoln Battalion) Ebro (Lincoln Battalion) Torrosa (Sic ! this is probably Tortosia; Lincoln Battalion) Aragonne (Sic ! likely this is a spelling error, it does not refer to the WW I battle in France)
After the August 17th mission, Capt. Scott was transferred out of the 100th Group and the gunners of "Phartzac" were assigned to other crews. On another disastrous raid for the 100th. October 8th, 1943 attack on Bremen, Jerry was a gunner in B-17F 42-3233 piloted by Bernard A. Demarco, with the 350th Squadron Commanding Officer, Major Gale Cleven acting as Command Pilot. The B-17 was shot down, with several crew members. Including Cleven becoming POW’s. Ferroggiaro was in (the real) Stalag 17B for 19 months, although he did lead the first escape attempt. After WW II he remained in the USAAF as a gunnery instructor.
Source : 100th Bomb Group Foundation
Capt. Ev Blakely - Gp. Lead -- Bremen
Oct 8, 1943 (Bremen)
Group alerted early evening of the 7th - scrubbed soon afterwards - enemy bombed between Bungay and Nowich around 2200 hours. Lots of Ack Ack visible. There were a dozen or so planes reported shot down in the vicinity of our base, some in flames. Early radio reports stated 175 planes over England during the night.
At 0500 hours the group alerted for Bremen with take-off time set for 1145 hours. Two other big missions on with B-24's also with Bremen as their target.
Radio reported that the 100th bombed the primary at 1520 hours.
Group returned at 1700 hours - missing seven (7) planes and crews.
Major Cleven with DeMarco missing; Nash, Meadow, McDonald, Gormley, Murphy in the famed Piccadily Lily; and Becktoft
were also missing. Colonel Kidd and Blakely crashed landed near Norwich after a historic air battle all the way home from Bremen. Two crewmen were severely wounded - they claimed 12 fighters and were allowed nine.
October 8, 1943 1130 taxi time of the first aircraft
230358 Lt Frank H. Meadows
8 OCT 43 BREMEN MISSION CHRONOLOGY 1130 100Th leaves the english coast 1453
100th crossed european coast 10 miles nnw of groningen;
aggressive fighter attacks begin1510
230358
LN-X
PHARTZAC
For yet to be determined reasons, aircraft exploded, killing eight(8) of the crew, while two (2) were taken prisoner.
serial number
plane type / name
squadron
code
reason
mission lost on
pilot / crew
42-30358
Boeing B-17F-100-BO "Phartzac"
100 BG
350 BSLN-X
15h10
2 minutes after B-17 #42-3386 crashed near DollartBremen
Crash Location
?Frank H. Meadows P KIA
Lloyd Evans CP
8KIA, 2POW,
MACR 947
