Hard to Get
In the area Bergen this was taken imprisoned and into the city prison in mountains transport of there out went it to far to Luebeck where the prisoners at the 2.Mai.1945 from the 8.Britischen tank army unit, which filled Luebeck, was released. The airplane flew on after the bombardment and the jump of the crew leaderless. After the tank had dropped empty or the right bearing area (this was not found in Brunkensen), fell the Hart To Get and Brunkensen met.
After our search the airplane must have been attacked from direction Holland coming in the area Verden Visselhövede by the ME 262 and in the right wing a hit abbekommen has, on which in the wing a fire broke out, rose the 9 men crew approx 12.30 (with all larger attacks a X-time meisst one hour in former times fixed) with the parachutes out and came in mountains into the city prison at that time.
Was there the machine on autopilot posed flew this still 1 hour without crew further and probably well trimmed by handbills on board, which should be thrown off at height of new cathedrals, by the damaged wing a large complete circle again toward the north, you fell after our time at 12.30 o'clock by empty tanks (lack of fuel) in Brunkensen.
How was the airplane found?
After the airplane had fallen in Brunkensen, had Herbert Paust, as previously mentioned, foundet pairs of overalls, in which the document of Howard L Johnson was inside. Since the Americans comming in from direction of Coppengrave and had threatened Pluenderern with shooting, Mr. tracing threw the pair of overalls and the papers again away. Long time noted Mr. Tracing the name Howard L Johnson.
I experienced from the crash of the bomber, after I visited the homeland room in Brunkensen. There handbill, which were in the bomb slot in the airplane, is situated as well as a cover plate of the engine of B-17. I asked older inhabitants from Brunkensen, whether someone something about the crash tell kann.Nachdem I with Mr. Paust conversed, indicated me its knowledge to this and called myself the name Howard L. Johnson. Then I began to search the InterNet for appropriate pages and forums. I became acquainted with some people, which gave me the appropriate tips. Gradually I encountered pages to test it me enabled data bases in the USA. Among other things a page of the 390th BG. I input in the data base the names of Howard L Johnson also here and became find. It turned out that this Mr. Johnson at the 7 April fell 1945 in a B-17 with the name Hart To Get, which became to shot against noon.
It had to be the Brunksen B-17!
The data base gave me further data, me among other things the airplane number, the crew number, all flown applications, which names of the pilot as well as the crew of the Hart To Get betrayed. Now I made on the search for today still living persons of the Hart To Get, those for far on the crash day on board the machine was and discovered Mr. Bowler from Springfield. Over an acquaintance in Boulder, the USA, I got contact with Mr. Bowler. That in the meantime 84 yeard old was very much surprised, because any longer had not counted the crew of B-17 to ever hear again something over the airplane.
Mr. Bowler could acknowledge everything that I had found B-17.
More about the Hard to Get in: http://www.hard-to-get.org