From a crash witness...translated via web app - no corrections made.
On April 11, 1944 emergency landing a B-17 Flying Fortress at Molle Hall just outside Kristianopel in eastern Blekinge,
flygmaskien had the name "Mission Bell" with registration number 42-30197.
It had so far participated in over 60's bombing mission over Germany.
The plane had once again started with hundreds of other
from Great Ashfild in England in the morning. Bomb Group Mission
was to wipe out industries in Politzer (then a German city that now belongs to Poland).
In bombing struck one of the engines at Mission Bell by
German anti-aircraft shell and became inoperable. Mission Bell could
therefore no longer keep up with the bomb group, but left the for-
mation. Shortly thereafter, also stopped on the third engine of the plane.
In this mode, the pilot reported that they planned to travel to
neutral Sweden to make a forced landing.
Swedish military telegraphed to the army leadership that a Flying Fortress
had been discovered south of Utlangan at 13:44. It was Mission Bell
an hour later, after circling in the skies between Kristianopel
Bergkvara and, finally, emergency landing at Molle Hall.
But the local HOME GUARD respective military was what was on the welcoming committee Molle Hall on the afternoon of April 11, 1944?
The crew of Mission Bell consisted of the following young airmen:
Duane Pangle, pilot (Lieutenant)
Önner Davis, co-pilot (Lieutenant)
In Samuel Kaiser, navigator (Lt.)
Robert C. Breasbois, tower gunner (Sergeant)
Herbert L Witherington, new towers (sergeant)
James E. Gant, telegraph (Sergeant)
Herold C jones, bombardier (Sergeant)
Thomas W. Cavanagh, bombardier (Sergeant)
Arthur V Brandt, right gunner (Sergeant)
Vincent L Corleto, left gunner (Sergeant)
The pilot, Duane Pangle, told me before he died with the rank of major in
March 2003, that his entire crew were interned in camps in the Loka
Värmland and held there until just a few months before the end of the war
in May 1945.
The witness Erik Anderson trod:
With violent roaring machines came flying at low elevated right
over our head. The smoke from one of the engines. As lost revolved
the massive planet in large circles. We stood by the adults and stared
up against the intimidating air craft.
- A flying fortress, "said her friend with trembling voice.
Any such was never our decade-long sensory organs experienced before.
We were enchanted and simultaneously terrified at the thought of what war
machine up there in the air could pose some. Think about it
dropped bombs or whether it might crash just around our homes. The
was, after all, World War, the largest airborne machine of war with bombs
and machine-guns and gun turrets pointing in all directions.
Only after that huge airplane after several over-flights
disappeared in the forest curtain in the south with the direction of Kristianopel,
released paralysis. On a bike for ladies, friend on the pedals and
I on the carrier, we set off in the direction of the plane.
Something told us that it was looking to land at suitable open land surface.
The height of Skärholmsvägen on the road between the brake and Kristianopel we got
even a glimpse of the flying fortress. The engines were turned off
and it slid heavily down. Arriving at Avaskär confirmed our
forebodings, for up at Molle Hall stage huge cloud of dust up. And
suddenly the road was filled with people with the same goals we:
to see a monster, what it asked for and with, at best,
to meet U.S. military aviators. We had heard of it
occasional emergency landing bombers here and there in the country following the bomb-
missions over Nazi Germany.
BELLY LANDING
When we arrived we could see the huge aircraft very
Emergency water landing was really after having demolished a stone wall and
with right-wing in the wall nearly spun a half turn from the depressed-
direction. The dust had settled, and although it certainly was
hundreds of meters between us and picking out the place, we could see the crew emerged from the plane and stood about ten feet
in front of it. Some civilians must have been on the ground as soon as
BELLY LAND plane and plowed all time biggest sheep on the field, for
only one piece of the crew was a handful of people easily
shocked and hesitant about what to do.
Young Crew
A long moment passed without anything happening. Aircraft crew
consisting of ten young American boys were the ones who took the
calmest. They took out cigarettes and gave each other while
they looked at the natives who stood stunned on the road between
Avaskäroch Stensborg. But then a couple HOME GUARD uppmed
mausergevär m 96 on the shoulders, pushed his way through the crowd and
approached questionable crew. Nothing seemed to be saying the confusion of language hindered. But the gestures were
it passably communicate with each other. And I saw the pilots
smiled when they received confirmation that they will in any case not met an enemy,
they landed in the neutral country of Sweden. This meant that the war
for their part was over. In all cases, a blow.
Happy land
By that time the bark parish constable Karl Kristiansson on bike taken
in the six kilometers from Fågelmara to Mölle Hall-bar. He had
police hat on them and wore his service pistol in his hand. But at
sight of the pilots together with the Swedish Home Guard men relaxed
both he and we are curious spectators of. It seemed even be
handshakes and smiling faces from all up front at
aircraft wreckage. For wreck was what remained of the once
handsome and dangerous flying fortress. Numerous bomb mission had
it and its young crew conducted during the war, met with both
anti-aircraft fire by machine guns from attacking German fighters.
But it was the stone wall and land on Molle Hall which was its final
fate. I have no recollection of what happened next, but the defendants
that the soldiers came and took care of the flight crew who
were interned in camps. The wreck, or at any rate parts of the low, left-long
times the edge on the field. When I read the priest Martin Frigell in
Kristianopel four years later there were still a plåtskjul with
aircraft remains there.
The crew was certainly lucky to have escaped further action
death machine and to be constantly exposed to self become explosive
in the air. Via the internet I have found some facts about the big bomb-
plane's emergency landing at Molle Hall outside Kristianopel a spring day
war years 1944th It is a confirmation that everything that a ten year old
perhaps too easily painted for himself, in all cases had a lot of
truth in it.
Text taken from Eastern Blekinge native compound.
Among the local Home Guard men were we that time an acquaintance grandfather as a young Home Guard soldier, after the Mission Bell's emergency landing was stolen various souvenirs, including the Home Guard guys! My friend's grandfather picked on a signal-pistols, these were adapted to be fired from inside the aircraft through a bayonet barrel. Through the course of time got pistols out of storage shed, where it has not felt too great, but is still in pretty good condition and fully operational. My friend's grandfather has now left the earth life, and I had to take care of the Mission Bells signal pistol.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CRASH
B-17 "Mission Belle" 42-30197
On the morning of the 11th April 1944 started B-17 42-30197 from the AAF Station 155 ( Great Ashfield ). It did belong to 385th BG, 551st BS, and carried the name MISSION BELLE on the nose. The 385th Bombgroups planes was on a mission to Politz. At the bombing run, did the plane recieve anti aircraft fire and the pilot reported that he was unable to keep up with the formation. The planes number three engine was out and another engine was failing. The pilot told about his decision to go to Sweden and left formation.
Swedish army reported to the headquarter by telegram: At the time of 1344 did an american airplane pass south of Utlangan. Airplane landed 500m from Nord Kvarnen at Rorsang south Kristianopel. Crew is safe and taken charge of by homeguard.
From a newspaper in Kalmar:
As told shortly forcelanded a flying fortress on farmer John Dahlqvists properties near Kristianopel. The plane type was Boeing. It has a 10 men crew, young americans, who are unhurt,even though the landing did not take place without misshaps. The plane hit first a stonewall, that did surround the farmland that became the landing place,and the tail of the airplane did rip off. Landing gear had not been lowered, and the plane hit the ground with the right wing first, and this caused the plane to make a nearly 180 turn on the ground. Big damage occured, one of the four engines was completely ruined and the underside of the plane was teared off. The biggest damage was on the aft of the airplane which was completely broken. A repair seems to be out of question, so the plane will be dismantled and scrapped. The airplane did turn around a while over Kristianopel, and was even a while up to Bergkvara. Shortly after the plane made the landing was swedish military personal at the sight, and took care of the american crew. The crew were well aware of that they were in sweden and did not try to hide their knowledge about this. On the farmland that the plane landed, was both people and horses working. It is a wonder that no one was injured. According to the markings on the plane had it participated in 18 raids over Germany. The 10 americans has been taken to internment camp.
The crew was interned at internment camp number 4 at Loka and the internment period was from 12th April 1944 to 9th October 1944. The plane was scrapped because of the damage at the landing.
On April 11, 1944 emergency landing a B-17 Flying Fortress at Molle Hall just outside Kristianopel in eastern Blekinge,
flygmaskien had the name "Mission Bell" with registration number 42-30197.
It had so far participated in over 60's bombing mission over Germany.
The plane had once again started with hundreds of other
from Great Ashfild in England in the morning. Bomb Group Mission
was to wipe out industries in Politzer (then a German city that now belongs to Poland).
In bombing struck one of the engines at Mission Bell by
German anti-aircraft shell and became inoperable. Mission Bell could
therefore no longer keep up with the bomb group, but left the for-
mation. Shortly thereafter, also stopped on the third engine of the plane.
In this mode, the pilot reported that they planned to travel to
neutral Sweden to make a forced landing.
Swedish military telegraphed to the army leadership that a Flying Fortress
had been discovered south of Utlangan at 13:44. It was Mission Bell
an hour later, after circling in the skies between Kristianopel
Bergkvara and, finally, emergency landing at Molle Hall.
But the local HOME GUARD respective military was what was on the welcoming committee Molle Hall on the afternoon of April 11, 1944?
The crew of Mission Bell consisted of the following young airmen:
Duane Pangle, pilot (Lieutenant)
Önner Davis, co-pilot (Lieutenant)
In Samuel Kaiser, navigator (Lt.)
Robert C. Breasbois, tower gunner (Sergeant)
Herbert L Witherington, new towers (sergeant)
James E. Gant, telegraph (Sergeant)
Herold C jones, bombardier (Sergeant)
Thomas W. Cavanagh, bombardier (Sergeant)
Arthur V Brandt, right gunner (Sergeant)
Vincent L Corleto, left gunner (Sergeant)
The pilot, Duane Pangle, told me before he died with the rank of major in
March 2003, that his entire crew were interned in camps in the Loka
Värmland and held there until just a few months before the end of the war
in May 1945.
The witness Erik Anderson trod:
With violent roaring machines came flying at low elevated right
over our head. The smoke from one of the engines. As lost revolved
the massive planet in large circles. We stood by the adults and stared
up against the intimidating air craft.
- A flying fortress, "said her friend with trembling voice.
Any such was never our decade-long sensory organs experienced before.
We were enchanted and simultaneously terrified at the thought of what war
machine up there in the air could pose some. Think about it
dropped bombs or whether it might crash just around our homes. The
was, after all, World War, the largest airborne machine of war with bombs
and machine-guns and gun turrets pointing in all directions.
Only after that huge airplane after several over-flights
disappeared in the forest curtain in the south with the direction of Kristianopel,
released paralysis. On a bike for ladies, friend on the pedals and
I on the carrier, we set off in the direction of the plane.
Something told us that it was looking to land at suitable open land surface.
The height of Skärholmsvägen on the road between the brake and Kristianopel we got
even a glimpse of the flying fortress. The engines were turned off
and it slid heavily down. Arriving at Avaskär confirmed our
forebodings, for up at Molle Hall stage huge cloud of dust up. And
suddenly the road was filled with people with the same goals we:
to see a monster, what it asked for and with, at best,
to meet U.S. military aviators. We had heard of it
occasional emergency landing bombers here and there in the country following the bomb-
missions over Nazi Germany.
BELLY LANDING
When we arrived we could see the huge aircraft very
Emergency water landing was really after having demolished a stone wall and
with right-wing in the wall nearly spun a half turn from the depressed-
direction. The dust had settled, and although it certainly was
hundreds of meters between us and picking out the place, we could see the crew emerged from the plane and stood about ten feet
in front of it. Some civilians must have been on the ground as soon as
BELLY LAND plane and plowed all time biggest sheep on the field, for
only one piece of the crew was a handful of people easily
shocked and hesitant about what to do.
Young Crew
A long moment passed without anything happening. Aircraft crew
consisting of ten young American boys were the ones who took the
calmest. They took out cigarettes and gave each other while
they looked at the natives who stood stunned on the road between
Avaskäroch Stensborg. But then a couple HOME GUARD uppmed
mausergevär m 96 on the shoulders, pushed his way through the crowd and
approached questionable crew. Nothing seemed to be saying the confusion of language hindered. But the gestures were
it passably communicate with each other. And I saw the pilots
smiled when they received confirmation that they will in any case not met an enemy,
they landed in the neutral country of Sweden. This meant that the war
for their part was over. In all cases, a blow.
Happy land
By that time the bark parish constable Karl Kristiansson on bike taken
in the six kilometers from Fågelmara to Mölle Hall-bar. He had
police hat on them and wore his service pistol in his hand. But at
sight of the pilots together with the Swedish Home Guard men relaxed
both he and we are curious spectators of. It seemed even be
handshakes and smiling faces from all up front at
aircraft wreckage. For wreck was what remained of the once
handsome and dangerous flying fortress. Numerous bomb mission had
it and its young crew conducted during the war, met with both
anti-aircraft fire by machine guns from attacking German fighters.
But it was the stone wall and land on Molle Hall which was its final
fate. I have no recollection of what happened next, but the defendants
that the soldiers came and took care of the flight crew who
were interned in camps. The wreck, or at any rate parts of the low, left-long
times the edge on the field. When I read the priest Martin Frigell in
Kristianopel four years later there were still a plåtskjul with
aircraft remains there.
The crew was certainly lucky to have escaped further action
death machine and to be constantly exposed to self become explosive
in the air. Via the internet I have found some facts about the big bomb-
plane's emergency landing at Molle Hall outside Kristianopel a spring day
war years 1944th It is a confirmation that everything that a ten year old
perhaps too easily painted for himself, in all cases had a lot of
truth in it.
Text taken from Eastern Blekinge native compound.
Among the local Home Guard men were we that time an acquaintance grandfather as a young Home Guard soldier, after the Mission Bell's emergency landing was stolen various souvenirs, including the Home Guard guys! My friend's grandfather picked on a signal-pistols, these were adapted to be fired from inside the aircraft through a bayonet barrel. Through the course of time got pistols out of storage shed, where it has not felt too great, but is still in pretty good condition and fully operational. My friend's grandfather has now left the earth life, and I had to take care of the Mission Bells signal pistol.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CRASH
B-17 "Mission Belle" 42-30197
On the morning of the 11th April 1944 started B-17 42-30197 from the AAF Station 155 ( Great Ashfield ). It did belong to 385th BG, 551st BS, and carried the name MISSION BELLE on the nose. The 385th Bombgroups planes was on a mission to Politz. At the bombing run, did the plane recieve anti aircraft fire and the pilot reported that he was unable to keep up with the formation. The planes number three engine was out and another engine was failing. The pilot told about his decision to go to Sweden and left formation.
Swedish army reported to the headquarter by telegram: At the time of 1344 did an american airplane pass south of Utlangan. Airplane landed 500m from Nord Kvarnen at Rorsang south Kristianopel. Crew is safe and taken charge of by homeguard.
From a newspaper in Kalmar:
As told shortly forcelanded a flying fortress on farmer John Dahlqvists properties near Kristianopel. The plane type was Boeing. It has a 10 men crew, young americans, who are unhurt,even though the landing did not take place without misshaps. The plane hit first a stonewall, that did surround the farmland that became the landing place,and the tail of the airplane did rip off. Landing gear had not been lowered, and the plane hit the ground with the right wing first, and this caused the plane to make a nearly 180 turn on the ground. Big damage occured, one of the four engines was completely ruined and the underside of the plane was teared off. The biggest damage was on the aft of the airplane which was completely broken. A repair seems to be out of question, so the plane will be dismantled and scrapped. The airplane did turn around a while over Kristianopel, and was even a while up to Bergkvara. Shortly after the plane made the landing was swedish military personal at the sight, and took care of the american crew. The crew were well aware of that they were in sweden and did not try to hide their knowledge about this. On the farmland that the plane landed, was both people and horses working. It is a wonder that no one was injured. According to the markings on the plane had it participated in 18 raids over Germany. The 10 americans has been taken to internment camp.
The crew was interned at internment camp number 4 at Loka and the internment period was from 12th April 1944 to 9th October 1944. The plane was scrapped because of the damage at the landing.