February 24, 1944, 21th victory
Archives and notes on my searches concerning this date & victory

Boeing B-17

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On February 24, 1944 Fifteenth Air Force made operations on Austria. All 17 shot down bombers are listed below. They are not concerned by the victory claimed by Knoke. That's why the colour of the text is blue...

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COMBAT CHRONOLOGY (Continuation)

THURSDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS :
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force) :

The 15th Air Force Heavies returned to Steyr in Austria, when its B-17s, led by the 97th Bomb Group, set out again for the Steyr-Daimler-Puch aircraft plant. Despite a heavy escort of P-38s and P-47s rocket-firing Bf110s and single-engined fighters succeeded in shooting down 10 B-17s in the 2nd Bomb Group, bringing up the rear, before the target was reached. The attack continued after the target was bombed and a further 4 2nd Bomb Group B-17s were shot down. 2 more B-17s were also brought down during the onslaught.

Another, smaller force, of 27 B-17s, which had become separated from the main force, bombed the oil refinery and torpedo works at Fiume for the loss of 1 B-17.

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B-17 (15th Air Force) declared lost on February 24, 1944 (current result of my works) :

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				Reference Point for crash location : Hamelin		Refer to Heinz Knoke Informations
serial number	plane type / name	squadron	code	reason	mission lost on	pilot /crew
41-24571	Boeing B-17F-258-BO "Indianapolis War Bird"	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		Shot Down	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location ?	Meyer No chute seen MACR 2619
41-24618	Boeing B-17F-BO "Lil Jo"	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location ? Kranj ?	Durney, MACR 2614
42-29638	Boeing B-17F-65-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Fiume	Glass, MACR 2618
42-29639	Boeing B-17F-65-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 96 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location ? Kaisergut ?	Byrne 4 chutes seen MACR 2702
42-31390	Boeing B-17G-15-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 96 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location ? Kranj ?	Mayfield 4 chutes seen MACR 2708
42-31419	Boeing B-17G-15-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Wels (Aus)	Vandy MACR 2632
42-31425	Boeing B-17G-15-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 20 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location in mountains (Aus)	Smith no chutes seen MACR 2709
42-31437	Boeing B-17G-20-BO	15 USAAF 301 BG 352 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Enns (Aus)	Abramson MACR 2636
42-31459	Boeing B-17G-20-BO "Lyon's den"	15 USAAF 2 BG 96 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Letten (Aus)	Lyons 8 chutes seen MACR 2622
42-31478	Boeing B-17G-20-BO	15 USAAF 301 BG 32 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Ditched in Adriatic	Robertson MACR 2633
42-31640	Boeing B-17G-25-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 96 BS		fighter & flak	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Wegesheid (Aus.)	McCord 4 chutes seen MACR 2686
42-31666	Boeing B-17G-25-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 96 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Ditched in Med. Sea	Thalken MACR 2579
42-31671	Boeing B-17G-25-BO	15 USAAF 301 BG 353 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Lambach (Aus.)	LaForge 9POW MACR 2634
42-31859	Boeing B-17G-30-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Wels (Aus)	Verbruggen MACR 2620
42-31870	Boeing B-17G-30-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Wels (Aus)	Moyer MACR 2589
42-31873	Boeing B-17G-30-BO	15 USAAF 2 BG 49 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location ?	Pausha MACR 2710
42-37970	Boeing B-17G-20-DL	15 USAAF 2 BG 20 BS		fighter	Steyr (Aus.) Crash Location Obernau	Foust 7 chutes seen MACR 2621