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B 17G 42-39974 landed Værløse Air Base 9/4 1944.
The aircraft belonged to USAAF, 8 Air Force, 452 Bomb Group, 731 Bomb Squadron
and was coded 7D-P and was named “Punch Board”.
T/O Deopham Green. OP: Posen.
After having bombed the Focke-Wulf factory at Poznan the B 17`s was attacked by
Ju 88`s over the Baltic Sea. The Ju 88`s lobbed rockets into the formation and
42-39974 was hit in number two engine and lost fuel.
Pilot 1st Lt Ernest L. Racener left the formation and headed north with the intention of trying to
reach Sweden before they ran out of fuel. To lighten the aircraft the crew threw
ammunition and guns out while over the sea. When they reached land and saw red
flags with a white cross (The Danish flag) they believed it to be Sweden and
looked for a place to land. They found a nice green field and only when
preparing to land did they notice the German aircrafts parked there. Racener
pulled “Punch Board” up but at the same time the gunners reported a ME 210
behind them and it was quickly decided to land at what turned out to be
Fliegerhorst Værløse west of København (Copenhagen).The time was 16:01 when the
entire crew was made POW`s.
(Ernst Kopfer)
“Punch Board” at Værløse
The “ME 210” which was actually a JU 88 had followed the B 17 for a while and
the pilot Hauptman Walter Barte of Stab III./NJG 3 were awarded the claim.
Together with Racener, Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Clyde C. Freeman Jr, Navigator 2nd Lt
Arthur F. Wagner, Bombardier 2nd Lt Harry H. Dukes Jr., Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt
Robert O. Carlson, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Herbert M. Rosenberg, Radio Operator
T/Sgt Charles S. Garrett, Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Robert C. Hazelton, Ball
Turret Gunner S/Sgt Vernice R. Wilson and Tail Gunner S/Sgt Charles E. Cook were
made POW`s and were sent to Dulag Luft at Oberursel for interrogation.
After
interrogation the officers were sent to Stalag Luft I Barth while it is not
known to the author where the enlisted men were sent.
(Frida Jarner nee Olsen)
“Punch Board” at Værløse
Sources: Letter from Barte, MACR, FT.
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