The Friday Saturday Flyby - No Greater Love...

The combat flight crew of the Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress, 42-31763, “Ten Horsepower.” Front row, left to right: 1/LT Clarence R. Nelson, aircraft commander; Flight Officer Ronald Bartley, co-pilot; 2/LT Walter E. Truemper, navigator; 2/LT Joseph Martin, bombardier. Back row, left to right: SSGT Archibald Mathies, flight engineer and top turret gunner; SGT Joseph Rex, radio operator/gunner; SGT Carl Moore, waist gunner; SGT Russell Robinson, ball turret gunner; SGT Thomas Sowell, waist gunner; SGT Magnus Hagbo, tail gunner.
(Source)

It was a bombing mission to Germany, back on the 20th of February of 1944, to Leipzig. Which from the American 8th Air Force base at Polebrook, home of the 510th Bomb Squadron, was over a thousand miles, round trip, over some of the heaviest aerial defenses of the time. Fighters, flak, this mission had it all. It was the first day of Operation Argument, the operation intended to drive the Luftwaffe from the skies. Bombs on target was, in reality, a secondary consideration for this operation. Destroying German aircraft and killing German pilots was the primary goal. For the invasion of Hitler's Festung Europa¹, air superiority, if not outright air supremacy, was the goal.

Polebrook to Leipzig - 1,101.9 miles according to Google Maps

In the grand scheme of things, losses were considered "light" on this mission, "only" 2.8% of the bombers were lost. Yet for each bomber lost, ten men were lost as well. Acts of bravery and heroism on this first day were percolating up to the headquarters of the Mighty Eighth as planning for the second day continued. Three Medals of Honor² (two posthumously) were eventually awarded for the actions of three B-17 crewmen that day, two on the same crew, the crew of Ten Horsepower.

She was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Fortress, tail number 31763 assigned to the 351st Bomb Group, her crew called her Ten Horsepower. She made it to the target but on the way home she was attacked by German fighters. A head on pass by one German fighter squadron left the co-pilot dead, the radio operator wounded, the aircraft damaged, and the pilot badly wounded and unable to fly the aircraft. The navigator, 2Lt Walter E. Truemper, and the flight engineer, SSgt Archibald Mathies, climbed into the cockpit in an attempt to get the aircraft back to England.

B-17G
(Source)

After gaining control of the aircraft, which had gone into a spiraling dive after the incapacitation of the flight crew, the two men managed to wrestle the damaged bird back to Polebrook. In radio communication with the ground, their commander ordered the crew to bail out³  as he judged that the aircraft was too badly damaged to be landed by the two non-pilots. But 1Lt Nelson, though badly wounded, was still alive. 2Lt Truemper ordered the rest of the crew to jump, he and SSgt Mathies would attempt to land the aircraft, otherwise 1Lt Nelson had no chance of survival. They did their best, but to no avail, Ten Horsepower crashed upon landing, killing 1Lt Nelson, 2Lt Truemper, and SSgt Mathies. Sometimes all you can do is try...

2Lt Walter E. Truemper

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which 2d Lt. Truemper was serving as navigator was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged Nevertheless, 2d Lt. Truemper and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, 2d Lt. Truemper's commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and that they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After 2 unsuccessful efforts their plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. 2d Lt. Truemper, the engineer, and the wounded pilot were killed.

SSgt Archibald Mathies

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which Sgt. Mathies was serving as engineer and ball turret gunner was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged. Nevertheless, Sgt. Mathies and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. Sgt. Mathies and the navigator volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving Sgt. Mathies and the navigator aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, Sgt. Mathies' commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, Sgt. Mathies and the navigator replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After two unsuccessful efforts, the plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. Sgt. Mathies, the navigator, and the wounded pilot were killed.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13 (KJV)

Suggested Reading:

• American Air Museum in Britain, Aircraft 42-31763 Link
• B-17 Flying Fortress Link
• TEN HORSEPOWER: 20 FEBRUARY 1944 - A poem by Lawrence A. De Graw Link
• This Day in Aviation, 20 February 1944 Link

Editor's Note:

I had originally intended to post this on Friday, the 10th of April. But yesterday was, as I'm sure most of you know, Good Friday. Based on that fact, I decided to go in a different direction for Friday's post and do the Friday Flyby on a Saturday. Hence, the odd looking title.

¹ Fortress Europe
² Juvat wrote of the other Medal of Honor awarded that day, to 1Lt William R. Lawley here.
³ Apparently the bombardier, 2Lt Joseph Martin, had already bailed out over Europe. He became a POW.