The last flight of the B-17 #42-3535
Bethe flew the shattered bomber direction north northeast to Denmark. The acre into the radio romm was brought, where John ever Hamlin did not supply the wounds. The on-board contactors Tony Segalla took the left pilot seat (Bethe flew due to the earlier position of the machine in the formation from the right seat) and had with the strength of both legs the left rudder pedal to press, since by air resistance the B-17 pulled to the right. The course hit on suspicion was only difficult because of the damage to keep and besides lost the machine fast at height. The crew tried to answer as it hastily everything from the machine threw which was not needed, with which it left a trace crosswise over the peninsula net curtain Heddinge. Were there also most parachutes damaged went also it over board, because each crew member had itself decided for it "the whole way to down-ride". When the coast of Denmark was reached, the navigator Hy Juskowitz must probably have suspected the fact that with geography somewhat was not correct because continued to fly and turned it to the north then to the east, where on this beautiful and clear day Sweden was recognizable perhaps already. In addition, with Soholm/Gjorskev still the last engine failed. Despite its small height Bethe decided to turn south of the Klippinge, because he had seen back a possible emergency landing field to 4 km. The approach took place with approximately 100 knots. Briefly after putting on the right bearing area met a telephone pole, whereby the machine turned to the right, missed scarcely a farm house and ate then into the earth. Bethe had carried whole work out. Left a road and a ditch were, on the right of a high voltage transmission line. The B-17 applied earth, which worked like a strong brake behind the radio room and filled with a ton. It was 14,00 o'clock as the crew without larger injuries (up to the acre, for which one out-carried) the wreck hastily left. They were 60 km of Copenhagen and 125 m a long furrow southern into 300 m a long clover field had plowed. The telefonmast put down during the crash landing proved as extremely helpful, because by the interrupted voice grade channels the message could not be passed on by the forced landing and the wreck of the B-17 by the German occupation troops only against 11.00 o'clock pm was in such a way found. Still larger luck had the crew by the fact that those belonged the break to observed Dane of the resistance movement immediately and worried about the Americans. After some days of hiding it succeeded to smuggle that outstanding organized Dane the crew on a fishing boat to Sweden. After that the wounds of the acre had healed, flew them with a B-24 (altogether 82 persons!) to Scotland, of where out they were brought to the further questioning to London. Since they had been saved by the Danish underground and these could not be endangered unnecessarily, the crew was drawn from the employment and could return as a transfer crew with a war-tired B-17 to its homeland. This was one of the few crews, which after the firing behind the hostile lines completely the shank could escape.
At this employment were involved over 1200 bombers and fighters. 52 B-17, 12 B-24 and 16 fighters were lost on this day. The 3rd Bomber Division had the heaviest losses with 33 machines. As intended the escort protection left the 3rd Division at the intended point, met no opposing airplanes, lost no machine and obtained thus also no air victories. With the entire employment 13 men was killed, announced to 47 wounded and 654 crew members as missed.
The details of this unusual employment of the #42-3535 can be visited together with an exhibition by individual parts from these B-17 in the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in the US, State Michigan.