June 11, 1943, 10th victory
Archives and notes on my searches concerning this date & victory

Crew Boeing B-17 B-17F-65-BO "Lonesome Polecat" Serial 42-29693

of the 95 BG / 412 BS piloted by 1st Lt. MacKinnon

Source : message of James Lewis associate member of the 95thBG 10 Feb 00 Wilhelmshaven Raid

Hello!
I saw your listing on the 95thBG website in regard to loss of 95th B-17 on above mentioned raid.
According to "Operational Record of the 95th Bomb Group ( H ) by Mr. Paul M. Andrews, it shows that B-17, Ser# 229693, call letter O, of the 412th Bomb Sqdn, on 11 June 43, on return over North sea, and under fighter attack, left formation out of control, exploded and crashed into the sea.
MACR 2807. All crew members were killed.
This record does not show aircraft having a "Nickname".

Nickname must be confirmed but " Lonesome Polecat " is very probably B-17 having burst under guns of Heinz KNOKE. Details on return way over North sea sit well with KNOKE account.
The hour need to be verified with the contents of the MACR 2807, and find the claims of other German pilots in the sector.

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Searches concerning this victory :

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The mission of the USAAF

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COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES

FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)

Mission Number 62 :

252 B-17's are dispatched against the U-boat yard at Wilhelmshaven, Germany and the port area at Cuxhaven, Germany;
218 hit the targets; we claim 85-20-24 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 8 and 62 are damaged.
Casualties are 3 KIA, 20 WIA and 80 MIA.

The raid on Wilhelmshaven demonstrates the difficulty of operating beyond range of fighters escort as enemy fighters attacks prevent accurate bombing of the target.

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B-17 declared lost on June 11, 1943 (current result of my works) :

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Source : message of James Lewis associate member of the 95thBG

serial number	plane type / name	squadron	code	reason	mission lost on	pilot
42-29693	Boeing B-17F-65-BO "Lonesome Polecat"	95 BG 412 BS	QW-O	on return over North sea, and under fighter attack, left formation out of control, exploded and crashed into the sea	Cuxhaven Crash Location : North Sea	1st Lt. Mackinnon, F/O Wood, 2nd Lt. Powell, 2nd Lt. Jenkins T/sgt Mareck, T/sgt Vail, S/sgt John F Davoren FWG, S/sgt Babick S/sgt Bennett, S/sgt Blackridge 10KIA, MACR 2807

Source : Book "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story"

serial number	plane type / name	squadron	code	reason	mission lost on	pilot
42-3099	Boeing B-17F-25-DL	379 BG 527 BS	FO-R	flak	Wilhelmshaven Crash Location : North Sea	Pinson, 9KIA, 1POW, MACR 1368
42-3114	Boeing B-17F-25-DL	379 BG 525 BS	FR-T	fighter	Wilhelmshaven Crash Location : North Sea	Britten, 10POW, MACR 1295
42-3138	Boeing B-17F-25-DL	379 BG 527 BS	FO-M	fighter	Wilhelmshaven Crash Location : Tossens	Newman, 8KIA, 2POW, MACR 1357
42-3148	Boeing B-17F-25-DL	379 BG 527 BS	FO-A	fighter	Wilhelmshaven Crash Location : Marx	Brinkman, 8KIA, 2POW, MACR 1369
42-29875	Boeing B-17F-75-BO	379 BG 527 BS	FO-L	fighter	Wilhelmshaven Crash Location : Grossheide	Hamrick, 9 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 1358
?	?	379 BG	?	?	?	?

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Elements to direct searches :

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Source : Message of Clint Gruber

Hello Mr. Franck.
A detailed list of aircraft involved in this mission, Groups, losses, etc. can be found on page 65 of Roger Freeman's wonderful "Mighty Eighth War Diary." According to the book, ten Groups of B17's flew this mission, to Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven. 252 planes were dispatched, 218 bombed the targets, and 8 bombers failed to return. The 303rd BG lost one (lost in collision with an FW190), the 379th BG lost 6, and the 95th BG lost 1.
Hope this is a start. If you have access to this book, it is wonderful for details on all 8thAF missions.
I flew a B24 in the 93rd BG. Thanks for your kind remarks of gratitude.

Clint Gruber

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Source : message de James Lewis associate member of the 95thBG 10 Feb 00 Wilhelmshaven Raid

Hello! I saw your listing on the 95thBG website in regard to loss of 95th B-17 on above mentioned raid.
According to "Operational Record of the 95th Bomb Group ( H ) by Mr. Paul M. Andrews,it shows that B-17,Ser# 229693,call letter O, of the 412th Bomb Sqdn,on 11 June 43,on return over North sea,and under fighter attack, left formation out of control,exploded and crashed into the sea. MACR 2807. All crew members were killed. This record does not show aircraft having a "Nickname".

In the way of introductions: My name is Jim Lewis,an associate member of
the 95thBG. My wife and I operate the PX for the Group and take care off the annual Wreath Laying at
their Memorial located at Air Force Museum, Dayton,Ohio. We live about 12 miles from it.
Please feel free to contact me at any time you feel we could help you Where is home for you??.

Respectfully, Jim Lewis

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Message de Darrell McCoy AM2ndAD 389thBG

Can give you this much: Wilhemshaven 11 jun 43 U-Boat yards, 8 A/C lost 62 damaged. CASUALITIES WERE 3 KIA, 20 WIA and 80 MIA. About all I have at the present.

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Photo of Lead Crew of the 358th BS for mission #41 on June 11, 1943 Wilhelmshaven.

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Jersey Bounce, Jr. #42-29664 (358BS) VK-C
103rd PBCW Lead (358BS) - Pilot Capt R.J. Nolan / CoPilot LtCol C.E. Marion

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Description of this victory by Heinz Knoke and different information :

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Warning ! To facilitate the reading, lines of Heinz Knoke's flightbook, appearing above, were modified with small computing assembly. If the disposal is not in accordance with the original, the main thing of the information, namely the mission 199 of June 6, has no change.

	Heinz Knoke Informations	Personal comments
Source	I flew for the f... page 101
Date	June 11, 1943
Type of claimed plane	Fortress
Place of the interception	Far out above North Sea, formation heading for home
Crash Location	Far out in North Sea	Probably no survivor
Presumed mission USAAF
Presumed route USAAF	Heading for home
Schedule	On evening. Twice Knoke take off to intercept (from Jever). Victory on the second mission	Probably first time for bombers coming, and second time on way for home return...
Weather report
Knoke's Unit	5./JG11
Description of the fight	KNOKE noted in his book : "One of the Fortresses finaly goes down after my fourth run at it."

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Luftwaffe' Official Victories on June 11, 1943.

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Source : Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11 Tail 1 1939 - 1943 Jochen Prien, Peter Rodeike.

Rank / Pilot	Unit	Plane	Schedule
Olt.Sommer	4./JG11	B-17	17.54
Lt.Arlt	4./JG11	B-17	17.57
Lt.Hondt	6./JG11	B-17 HSS	17.58
Uffz.Hartmann	6./JG11	B-17
Lt.Kâmpf	6./JG11	B-17
Lt.Hondt	6./JG11	B-17 n.b.
Hptm.Specht	II./JG 11	B-17	18.05
Uffz.Klotz	4./JG 11	B-17	18.20
Uffz.Herzog	2./JG 1	B-17 HSS	18.15
Ofw.Laun	1./JG 1	B-17
Lt.Wintergerst	9./JG 1	B-17
Olt.Knoke	5./JG 11	B-17	19.35
Fw.Schneider	6./JG 11	B-17 HSS	19.35
Fw.Schramm	3./JG 11	B-17 HSS	19.50

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