This time, during the works within the investment project entitled "Modernisation of the Swinoujscie – Szczecin fairway to a depth of 12.5 m” unique relics were found, which are related to, on one hand, history of World War II; on the other, turbulent and dramatic history of Szczecin.
The effects of the work carried out on the deepening of the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway have already surprised us for several times. The activities of the Maritime Office in Szczecin so far have resulted in the preservation of numerous, often extremely valuable, monuments of maritime, military and, recently, aviation technology. At the most recent time, by the decision of the Maritime Office in Szczecin and the West Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments, the collection of the Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg has been enriched with elements of the legendary American Flying Fortress. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was an American long-range four-engine bomber with an all-metal structure. It was designed and built in the mid 1930s by the American aviation concern Boeing Airplane Company. The aircraft had the following parametres: length 22 m, wingspan 31 m, curb weight 16 tons, armament - 13 12.7 mm M-2 Browning machine guns and up to 7983 kilograms of bombs in the bomb bay in the middle of the fuselage. During the war, these aircrafts were used to carry out air raids on important military targets of Nazi Germany.
Objects found during the works carried out in the fairway include Wright engine, which was one of the four power units of the American machine. The Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone G series aircraft radial engine was developed in the 1920s and 1930s at the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Bufallo (New York State) as an upgrade of the 1925 Wright P -2 model. Its production was launched in 1932 and lasted, including modernizations, until the 1950s. In addition to the plants in Bufallo, during World War II, license production was performed by the Pratt & Whitney Canada, Lycoming and Studebaker Corporation plants (the nameplate that has survived the found specimen indicates this manufacturer). Equipped with a General Electric turbocharger, the nine-cylindre Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone G series was characterized by a displacement of 29.88 litres and a power of 1,200 hp at 2,500 rpm. It has been equipped with a Stromberg PD12K10 carburetor. The fuel of the unit was standard American aviation gasoline with an octane value of 87. Four engines installed in pairs on the wings of the B-17 bomber were able to propel this machine, weighing 24,500 kg, to a speed of just over 460 kph (the average was about 290 kph) . Everything indicates that the elements of the engine No. 3 of the B-17 aircraft were recovered.
History of the Flying Fortress
Boeing B-17G bomber with airframe number 44-8046 from the 457th Bomb Group of the 750th US Air Force Bomber Squadron was shot down on October 7th 1944 over the Szczecin Lagoon. It had been last seen at 12.52. The Museum of Polish Arms has copies of declassified files that it received from the US Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). They are the documents, on account of which we can get to know the last, tragic moments of the flight. The bomber was leading an aircraft formation. The Boeing's direct target was was a synthetic petrol factory in Police near Szczecin. There were 11 crew members on board: Col. James R. Luper - commander, Capt. Alfred W. Fischer - first pilot, Major Norman A. Kriehn, Lt. William J. Morrow, Capt. Henry P. Loades, Lt. Frederick N. Asbell, Maj. Gordon H. Haggard, Lt. Edward A. Jr. McNeal, Sgt. Ancil U. Shepherd, Sgt. John W. Koehler, Sgt. John H. Derling.
The plane took off from the airport code-named Station 130 in England. The entire group of 149 B-17 bombers, part of the US 8th Air Force Army, was ordered to bomb the synthetic petrol factory in Police. After the mission was completed, 17 machines shot down did not return to the base, and 106 of those that returned were partially damaged. The B-17 of our interest was damaged as a result of intense and accurate fire from German anti-aircraft artillery as early as while approaching the target. According to the testimonies of eyewitnesses, engine 2 caught fire first, and then probably engine 3. After the ignition of engine 2, the plane fell out of line and entered a steep slide, under control for a while, and then it began to fall sharply in a spiral. It fell off the right wing, then the tail section, then exploded in the air and broke apart at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. According to the report, all fragments of the plane fell into the Szczecin Lagoon. Witnesses testified that they also saw 2 to 9 parachutes, one of them on fire. The plane probably did not drop the bombs as the bomb bay door was closed. The declassified file contains information on some of the crew members. Sgt. John W. Koehler died in the hospital in Szczecin on October 7th 1944 and was buried at the Military Cemetery in Szczecin. The body of Lt. Edward A. Jr. McNeal was washed ashore on the day of the plane's explosion and was also buried in the cemetery. The commander, Col. James R. Luper, Lt. William J. Morrow and Major Norman A. Kriehn were taken out of the water by a German navy unit and taken into captivity. William Morrow was transported as a prisoner of war to the Naval Hospital in Świnoujście. Lt. Frederick N. Asbell was taken prisoner of war in the village of Święta near Police on the day of the catastrophe around 2 P.M. Severely wounded Capt. Henry P. Loades died and was buried in the cemetery in Szczecin.
According to the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, cooperating with the Museum, and American historians from the Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency, among the wreck parts lying somewhere in the Szczecin Lagoon, apart from weapons and bomb loads, the remains of 4 missing crew members may be found.
Until the end of June 2021, the engine will be available at the courtyard of The National Museum in Szczecin – The Museum of Regional Traditions (ul. Staromłyńska 27). In July it will be transported to The Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg (ul. Emilii Gierczak 5), and finally it will be placed at The Museum of Air Force and Aviation Technology in Rogowo.
The DIrector of The Museum of Polish Arms in Kłobrzeg Aleksander Ostasz would like to thank Arek Siewierski "Woodhaven”, Michael Polczyński from DPAA, Piotr Brzeziński and the Museum staff, in particular Marcin Bojanowski and Magdalena Chmielewska for their contribution to preserving aviation technology relics. .
APPEAL
The Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg requests all the persons who may have knowledge or have taken part in finding aviation technology objects in the Szczecin Lagoon after World War II to contact us. We are also seeking contact with the relatives of the crew of the Boeing B-17G number 44-8046 from 457th Bomb Group of the 750th US Air Force Bomber Squadron or veterans of 8th US Air Force Army (or their relatives), who on October 7th 1944 took part in the synthetic fuel factory in Police air raid. We would be grateful for contacing us by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone +48 601402400.
